Morris Air plans to stop issuing tickets to its passengers. Instead, confirmation numbers will be given when reservations are made, the regional airline's chairman says.
Unlike most airlines, Salt Lake-based Morris Air has opted to save money by not subscribing to a computerized reservation system. Travel agents typically must write out tickets by hand instead of using a ticket machine."That's like going back to the Dark Ages for us," said Peter Evans, president of Bon Voyage Travel.
Tucson, which the airline will begin serving this fall, likely will be a test market for the new, ticket-less system, Chairman Richard Frendt told the Tucson Citizen in an interview published Friday.
Under the new system, passengers arriving at an airport departure gate will simply give their name or, if necessary, confirmation number, and pick up a boarding pass, Frendt said.
He discounted possible resistance from travelers who might feel insecure without a ticket in hand.
A paperless reservations system "works with rental cars. It works with hotels," Frendt said.
Frendt acknowledged that the hassle involved in making reservations and issuing tickets for Morris - along with the lower commissions paid by the airline - make the carrier unpopular with many travel agents.
"Some travel agents do everything they can not to book us," Frendt said.
He said the ticketless system should help smooth relations with travel agents. Also, Tucson agencies with sufficient Morris bookings also may get the airline's in-house reservations system in-stalled in their offices, according to Frendt.
Now, agents making a reservation must call an 800 number for Morris and sometimes get put on hold just like members of the public.
Frendt said reservations for the airline's Tucson service were being made at the rate of 500 a day earlier this week. Morris announced two weeks ago it would offer non-stop jet service from Tucson to West Coast cities.
Its entry into the market was hailed by economic development officials and others because most trips on other carriers between Tucson and West Coast cities include stops in Phoenix.
Flights between Tucson and Oakland, where fares begin at $138 round trip, appear to be filling up fastest, Frendt said.
Morris will begin nonstop jet service to Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas on Nov. 18. Flights to Salt Lake City begin Oct. 14.
Because most flights don't begin for more than two months - too far off for planning many business trips - Frendt attributed much of the early activity to travelers planning Thanksgiving or Christmas vacations.
Tucson travel agencies report that Morris' low-fare flights are bringing new passengers into the market.
"There seem to be additional people traveling," said Malcolm Potter, president of World Wide Travel. "Not just people choosing Morris over someone else."