The days of multi-layer air tickets appear numbered, as the China Air Transport Association (CATA) has stopped providing paper tickets and instructed sellers to issue e-tickets. The decision is in line with an International Air Transport Association (IATA) move that requires its 261 member airlines to abandon paper tickets by the end of 2007. E-tickets will be issued once the current batch of paper tickets has been used up. The change currently only applies to domestic flights. "We haven't received notice from the CATA that paper tickets for international flights will be stopped," said a ticket agent in Beijing. Customers will book tickets through airlines or ticket agents as usual, and will be given a booking reference. They will then be able to use automatic check-in facilities at airports, and receive an invoice for reimbursement. They can also check-in as normal at the counter. Special passengers like infants and those flying to airports without automatic check-in machines can still use paper tickets. The wide use of e-ticketing is expected to lower operational costs, which could lead to lower prices, said an expert with the safety technology centre of the General Administration of Civil Aviation (CAAC). A survey by civil aviation website www.CARNOC.com between August 28 and October 15 showed widespread concern over the new system. Despite having the Internet proficiency to take part in the online survey, 43 per cent of respondents said they would prefer to receive a paper ticket. While some feel more secure without the worry of a ticket, others said they did not trust sending personal details over the Internet, or worried they would not get reimbursed. 点击进入往期回顾 (China Daily)

中国航空运输协会目前已停止发放纸质机票，并发出通知要求国内机票代理商发售电子机票。看来用不了多久，纸质机票就将彻底消失。 这样的决定源于国际航协的改革要求：到2007年底，国际航协下的261家航空公司需全部取消纸质机票。 代理商手中的剩余纸质机票销售完后，电子机票将开始全面普及，但目前只适用于国内航班。 北京一位机票代理商说：“我们还没有接到中国航协关于取消国际航班纸质机票的通知。” 电子机票启用后，乘客仍将通过航空公司或票务代理商预定机票，并会得到一个电子客票订单号。 购票成功后，乘客可在机场的“自助值机”手续办理设备上自行办理登机手续，同时获得报销凭证，或者直接去柜台办理登机手续。 一些特殊乘客，如婴儿及目的地机场无“自助值机”设备的乘客仍可使用纸质机票。 民航总局安全技术中心的一位专家说，电子机票普及后，航空公司的运营成本会有所下降，机票的价格可能会因此降低。 民航资源网www.CARNOC.com 在8月28日至10月15日间所做的一项调查表明，新的电子机票制度引起人们的普遍关注。 虽然人们对互联网的应用已十分精通，但43％的调查对象表示仍然留恋老式的纸质机票。 有些人认为电子机票不存在遗忘丢失的问题，而有的人则担心在网上发送个人信息不安全或机票无法报销等问题。 (英语点津姗姗编辑)