AMR To Introduce Electronic Booking

<H1>AMR To Introduce Electronic Booking</H1><H3>by Jay Campbell</H3><I>New York </I>- AMR will offer booking and payment options on American Airlines' Website and hotel bookings through Sabre's Travelocity by year-end, according to AMR chairman Robert Crandall.

American also said it will introduce electronic ticketing in September and will soon be sending disk-based booking software, similar to the United Connection, to its frequent flyers.

Crandall delved into the subject of technology last week as he addressed the 18th Annual International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference and then spoke with reporters about what he sees as "a global electronic system."

"Reservations are just the beginning," said Crandall. "Tomorrow's passengers will give us a machine-readable identifier, or read-only smart cards with talking chips. Baggage and cargo will be handled using radio frequency technology."

Crandall expects such developments will come about not in the next year, but perhaps within the next two to three years.

Closer on the horizon are in-flight communications. Crandall said airlines will soon offer global telephone and fax capabilities using satellite links that are now being equipped.

An American Airlines spokesman said the disk-based software is "nearly ready." Premium frequent flyers were told they can call the airline to be among the first passengers to receive the software, which has been developed in response to e-mailed and written requests as well as competitive pressure from United and USAir.

American is looking at the creation of a corporate version of the Windows-based product, which requires a PC and modem.

The airline also is offering 500 bonus AAdvantage miles for every booking made for travel completed by year-end.