ARC Officially Discontinuing Paper Tickets Starting Dec. 17

Starting on Dec. 17, 2020 the Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) will continue the shift towards a paperless environment when it cuts stock of the paper that agencies use to print client tickets.

“Effective December 17, 2020 ARC will no longer support orders of Automated Ticket and Boarding Pass (ATB) stock and Mini-Itin stock. The change is the result of long-term shifts in the air travel market to a paperless environment. ARC will support order made through December 17, 2020,” ARC said in a message to its partners on Thursday.

While paper tickets haven’t been common for agents for a number of years, the news means that ARC will no longer make paper tickets available on bookings, marking the official end to that practice.

ARC will allow agencies to continue using any remaining ATB and Mini-Itin stock “until their suppliers are exhausted,” which includes any purchased up to Dec. 17. Alternatively, agencies can destroy any leftover stock, following ARC’s guidelines, to cut costs should they choose to do so.

ARC will leave it up to individual airlines whether or not they will allow ARC-accredited agencies to issue paperless MCOs for services purchased outside of the agency channel.

“ARC has notified the Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) of this change. The GDSs have confirmed to ARC that they will begin the process of updating their systems, but full changes are unlikely until at least the second half of 2021 given the current environment. Airlines have been asked to update their travel agency policies to formally state there is no longer a requirement to print MCOs on ARC-supplied ATB stock.’