Lastminute.com and e-tickets

thor

I've not flown overseas for decades so have missed out on the e-ticket era until now. I've booked a flight to Asia and have received an email confirmation from the travel agent(Lastminute.com). Is this the e-ticket I need to show when checking in? or will I need some other documentation from Lastminute?

eskbanker

One of the benefits of the e-ticket era is that you can check in online (even if you also need to drop hold bags when you arrive at the airport), so if the confirmation you have from LM includes a booking reference that allows you to go onto the airline's website and manage your booking (thereby validating in advance that the airline knows of your reservation) then you won't need to wait for anything else.

thor

I know that it is not necessary but I would feel better having a physical ticket(even if it is just an e-ticket printout).

The confirmation email does give an e-ticket number at the bottom but I don't think it is an e-ticket. I've called their customer support but they seem unable to understand what I am asking about.

Thanks for replying btw.

Westin

thor said:

I know that it is not necessary but I would feel better having a physical ticket(even if it is just an e-ticket printout).

The confirmation email does give an e-ticket number at the bottom but I don't think it is an e-ticket. I've called their customer support but they seem unable to understand what I am asking about.

Thanks for replying btw.

You have not mentioned the airline.

With the airline reference (a PNR) can you look the reservation up on the unnamed airline website? The PNR is normally six or seven alphanumerical characters (e.g. RUY1RD). Once you have access you can often print your travel itinerary which contains the e-ticket information.

That e-ticket number you mention seeing at the bottom of the confirmation could be another clue. The first numbers will indicate the airline who ticketed the reservation. For example if it starts 932 that signifies Virgin Atlantic.

DullGreyGuy

thor said:

I've not flown overseas for decades so have missed out on the e-ticket era until now. I've booked a flight to Asia and have received an email confirmation from the travel agent(Lastminute.com). Is this the e-ticket I need to show when checking in? or will I need some other documentation from Lastminute?

Most people check in online in which case you just need your reference and surname. Even if you dont check in online then you typically only handover your passports and your ticket is found by the details on that/those.

For those leaving the UK they have the choice of a boarding card on their phone, a print at home paper or a boarding card from the airport... most foreign countries are similar these days. 

thor

Hi Guys,

The airline is Air India and I have used the PNR from my booking agent(Lastminute.com) to see that the booking is listed in their system along with an e-ticket number(although Lastminute's 15 digit e-ticket number has one extra number at the end).

So if I understand correctly, when checking in at the airport I only need to have the e-ticket number(not an actual e-ticket) and a passport to be able to check in because I should already be in Air India's system?

DullGreyGuy

thor said:

Hi Guys,

The airline is Air India and I have used the PNR from my booking agent(Lastminute.com) to see that the booking is listed in their system along with an e-ticket number(although Lastminute's 15 digit e-ticket number has one extra number at the end).

So if I understand correctly, when checking in at the airport I only need to have the e-ticket number(not an actual e-ticket) and a passport to be able to check in because I should already be in Air India's system?

Check in where? Online you'd just need the booking reference and your surname (or log in details to their rewards scheme). At the airport you'd just need your passport. 

In hundreds of flights I've taken since your last I've never once been asked to provide my ticket number at the airport. 

thor

On the return flight I won't be able to check in online and print boarding passes which is why I was hoping I could do so at the airport with just my passport and e-ticket number.

bagand96

thor said:

On the return flight I won't be able to check in online and print boarding passes which is why I was hoping I could do so at the airport with just my passport and e-ticket number.

Not sure about Air India's procedures, but usually these days you don't need a printer to do online check in.  You can get a boarding pass on your smart phone. But airport check-in will still be available if you don't do online.  As above you won't you usually won't even need your e-ticket number or booking reference - just hand the check-in desk your passport, that will be enough.  If it makes you feel more comfortable take a print out of the booking confirmation in case of any issues, but it really shouldn't be needed.

Another thing.... log in to your booking on the Air India website periodically between now and when you fly to make sure your booking is still there and looks ok.  It's always a good idea to do this when booking via an agent just to ensure there's been no changes that the agent has failed to tell you about.

eDicky

It's been decades since I've needed anything more than my passport for flight check-in at airports, with the exception about ten years ago of an Ariana Afghan Airlines oldstyle paper ticket with coupons to be removed for each sector, written by hand.

However, at some airports, for example Kathmandu, security at the entrance often require proof that you're an actual passenger for a flight in order to enter the departures area. This may currently be true of Indian airports (I don't know), so carrying some kind of printout to produce if necessary could be useful.

DullGreyGuy

thor said:

On the return flight I won't be able to check in online and print boarding passes which is why I was hoping I could do so at the airport with just my passport and e-ticket number.

At the end of the day, always check with your airline. 

Even going to small airports in not the most advanced countries and they all were happy using the QR code on the digital boarding card on my phone after checking in online.  I am sure there are exceptions but in those cases the airline's site should notify you and prevent online checking in etc.