There are two types of tickets that you'll encounter when using an airline, namely the paper ticket and the electronic ticket (also known as ticket-less travel). Paper tickets are quickly being painted with dinosaur strokes - they somehow seem less current. Before weighing in on such perceptions, it is important to look at the advantages and disadvantages of these two types of tickets.
Paper tickets are so named because the flight coupons (the pieces of paper that contain the exact flight information and are labeled as flight coupons) are in paper form. With an electronic ticket, this information is held within the airline's reservation system, and is indicated as electronic tickets when you check in. The passenger traveling on an electronic ticket is given a copy of the itinerary, and the contract of carriage. These documents are not a ticket but serve as an indication that you have an electronic one. With an electronic ticket, you do not have the physical ticket in hand. Knowing that paper and electronic tickets are different isn't really enough though; it is important to know what the positives and negatives are as well.
Paper tickets are particularly useful if your flight is canceled because of a mechanical or another airline-related problem as opposed to a weather issue. Certainly if a cancellation is weather related, you are stuck. However, if it isn't and you have a paper ticket, you may have a world of options that you possibly haven't considered. If you have a paper ticket on a major airline and are flying out of an airport where another major airline also flies to your destination, having a paper ticket can serve to your advantage. If your flight is canceled, you can ask an agent at another airline whether they will accept your ticket (more difficult to do if there is more than one terminal that airlines fly from to your destination). Often the other airline will, and you are now ahead of those on electronic tickets. You see, with an electronic ticket, because you do not have a physical ticket, you are more at the mercy of the airline you are booked on. And in the case of a non-weather related cancellation, you will be put on the next available flight on that same airline, even if it is hours later.
Paper tickets can also be advantageous in situations that don't involve cancellations. Let's say that you are checking the schedules to your destination and discover a more convenient time on another airline. With a paper ticket, you may just be able to switch airlines, particularly if it is a domestic ticket (and not on a charter airline). If it is an international destination, don't bother, as the rules of international tickets vary a great deal, whereas domestic ones are often incredibly similar. I'll demonstrate by example. A very unspoken rule at a major airline was to accept tickets from other airlines if the passengers showed up at check in. It was a large airport with numerous terminals, and a number of airlines served the exact same route. So agents were instructed to scoop the passenger, which meant accepting the passenger's ticket from another airline and taking (scooping) some of the other airline's profit. This does not occur on a consistent level at every airport, but it does happen and could serve to your benefit if you have a paper ticket.
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