Travel Technology( Reading Text) and An Electronic ticket (Reading Text)

There are two reading texts. Please give  summaries for each. Don't forget to make WH-Questions and vocabulary questions, then answer them. Give comments for the summaries and answers.

TRAVEL TECHNOLOGY

Travel technology is a term used to describe application of Information and Communications technology to travel, tourism and the hospitality industry. Travel Technology may also be referred to as a-travel or e-tourism. Travel technology was originally associated with the computer reservation systems (CRS) of the airlines industry. It now includes the broader tourism sectors including the hospitality industry. Travel technologies include virtual tourism which is almost actual tours of facilities over the web. Hotels have used it successfully to hive guests virtual tours of their properties including the rooms, restaurants and function rooms, over the web, before they even make a booking. Travel technology includes dynamic packaging which provides useful new options for consumers who can choose exactly what they need and within their budgets. Such web tours are also called guidebook, audio-guide, pod guide and I-Tours. Today Travel Agencies, Tour operators and Hotels are all networked to give travelers instant options and confirmations. Let us examine some of the uses of Travel Techonology:

• A traveler can make virtual tours of recreation and leisure spots anywhere in the world. They are given static or moving pictures of the sites they will see through e-tourism.
• Once the traveler decides on the destination, s/he wants to get the cheapest fares by air, rail, sea or road to reach the destination. S/he can log into the appropriate Passenger Information Systems (PIS) to get schedules and fares. S/he can make 0n-line bookings and even pay upfront by citing his/her credit card number. S/he gets an e-confirmation immediately and a ticket number which s/he presents to the concerned transport agency on the day of travel to get a physical ticket. Alternatively, s/he gets an e-ticket which s/he can download and print to present at the ticket counter upon departure.
• The traveler will next want to make a hotel booking. s/he can take virtual tours of the properties at their individual web-sites. Each property tries to outdo the other for better and more user-friendly applications. Some properties permit reservations directly by web. Alternatively, the traveler can contact a central reservations system (CRS) and give his/her requirements and budgets. The system gives him/her appropriate lodging options to choose from. S/he can make reservations through the CRS and get instant confirmation. Pre-payments can be make by quoting the credit card number.
• Travellers can also identity and contact local travel agencies who will make arrangements for airport transfer, sightseeing tours and arrangements for guides.

                                                                                 Flesch Kincaid Grade level: 12.02

 ELECTRONIC TICKET

 An electronic ticket or e-ticket is used to represent the purchase of a seat on a passenger airline, usually through a website or by telephone. This form of ticket is rapidly replacing the old paper tickets. Where paper tickets are available, airlines frequently charge extra for issuing them. E-tickets are also available for certain entertainment venues.

Once a reservation is made, an e-ticket exists only as a digital record in the airline computers. Customers usually print out a copy of their receipt which contains the record locator or reservation number and the e-ticket number. On-line reservations must be confirmed 24 hours before the flight. A traveler may also download and print their boarding pass. Some airlines may not give a seat number but promise a good seat on a first-come-first served basis. An e-ticket allows a traveller without luggage to skip the check-in counter and proceed to security directly. Some airlines may insist on e-check-in at the customized ports at the airport as some airports insist on a boarding pass to pass through security.

E-tickets are very popular because:

For passengers  :

 1. It provide on-line check

 2. Early check-in

 3. Printed boarding passes in locations other than the airport.

 4. Automated refunds and exchanges online, by telephone and at kiosk

5. No extra charge for lost tick

  6. No worry of losing a boarding pass

For airlines:  

1.It is cheaper than paper tickets

2.Eliminates manual tasks and therefore a large workforce

3.Kiosks easier to reach people than hired hands.