January 01, 2002
'26'AIR INDIA TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE THROUGH INTERNET
Air India today launched its e-marketing facility on its website www.airindia.com. Passengers can now book their tickets through the website for travel commencing from Air India’s eleven online stations in India viz, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Kozhikode, Mumbai and Thiruananthpuram. This facility will be extended gradually to other markets worldwide.
Passengers who purchase tickets through Air India’s website will have their credit cards processed through ICICI’s Payment Gateway Service, which uses 128 bit SSL technology, to ensure secure payment. The tickets will be physically delivered within the 48 hours to the customers.
Passengers, while making their bookings online, will additionally be able to request for preferred seats and indicate their meal preferences. To facilitate timely delivery of tickets, purchase of online tickets is being allowed for journeys commencing only after 48 hours for both international and domestic travel.
Air India passengers who purchase their tickets through the web will have an additional advantage as they will not only be offered attractive fares, but also free membership to ‘Flying Returns’, Air India’s Frequent Flyer Programme, and double mileage points for the particular segment of travel booked online, in the introductory period.
Inaugurating the service, the Civil Aviation Minister Shri Syed Shahnawaz Hussain complimented Air India for successfully facing the slow down in the Airlines industry following 11th September attack. He said following the closure of airspace by Pakistan for Indian aircraft, there shall be a loss of Rs.40 crore to Air India, Rs.5 crore to Airports Authority of India and Rs.7 lakhs per week to Indian Airlines. He said, the Ministry is taking up the matter with the Finance Ministry.
Secretary Civil Aviation Shri A.H. Jung and other senior officials attended the function.