Air Deccan ties up with SBI for tickets online

BY A CORRESPONDENT
July 7, 2006

Air Deccan's recent tie-up with the State Bank of India (SBI) for an online booking facility promises to make flying a more convenient experience for prospective customers. Over a million of their internet registered customers will now be able to buy their airline tickets online after this joint scheme takes effect.

SBI is the country's leading commercial bank with 3500 branches spread across the country. SBI's Acting Chairman and Managing Director TS Bhattacharya and Air Deccan's Managing Director GR Gopinath put their signatures on this agreement.

"We have been pioneers in the low-cost, no-frills flying concept in the country and our efforts are to make flying simple and easy. The e-ticketing facility through net banking will complete this cycle by ensuring the luxury of getting a ticket straight to drawing rooms", said Mr. Gopinath at the press conference announcing this initiative.

Mr. Bhattacharya added, "Being the largest commercial bank in the country, our endeavor is to bring all value-added services to our customers' doorstep. After the huge success in the Indian Railway e-ticketing facility, this service is now being extended to air travelers."

SBI account holders need only to log onto the website www.airdeccan.net, fill in their travel details, confirm their tickets online and the payment would be debited directly from their SBI account. Safe transactions have been guaranteed, which are digitally SSL encrypted and Verisign-secure.