E-ticketing generates an electronic record of ticket details and maintains the status of the ticket updated at every stage from the passenger using each of the flight coupons, reconciling post flight payments, processing refunds, to re-issuing or generating management reports. The distribution and supply chain for airlines has also been transformed because of online travel and airlines websites such as Orbitz & Hotwire. The complexity of global electronic ticketing solution is compounded when e-tickets are issued by different legacy based computerized reservation systems. The E-tickets are issued by the host airline agents, common reservation systems and other partner airlines based on bilateral agreements. These e-tickets are then stored in the database.

The International Air Transport Association has eloquently summarized the following merits of e-ticketing:

• Smooth handling of itinerary changes and last minute travel decisions
• Eliminating the issue of "lost tickets"
• Elimination of printing, postage, shipping, storage and accounting costs
• Increasing usage of self-service check-in helps reduce airport counter space
• More efficient Revenue Accounting
• Convenience to the passenger: In case of loss of the Passenger Name Record number, the airline can retrieve travel details with valid photo identification such as passport or driving license