Cal Mac internet tickets

Passengers on the Ullapool to Stornoway ferry route will be the first to trial new enhancements to Cal Mac’s company’s ticketing system.

For the first time, foot passengers will be able to book their ticket online, allowing greater convenience for our customers, particularly during busy periods.

The initiative has been planned for years but is eventually to get underway this summer.

The pre-booking for foot passengers also extends to phone or face-to-face reservations made in port offices, but it is expected that web bookings will hold greatest appeal.

Cal Mac introduces internet booking and e-tickets

17 May 2016

In addition, passengers - with or without vehicles - will be issued with an e-ticket and boarding card at point of booking - much like many airlines have done for years. These can then be printed out at home. If a customer is unable to print out their ticket, the facility to collect at the port office will continue. Each ticket has a unique bar code and will be scanned prior to boarding which prevents copying and provides robust security.

The pilot begins for the Stornoway ferry later this month and is expected to last approximately four weeks.

When choosing to make bookings online, customers will be able to set up an account which means that they will be able to sign in to their own account area without having to repeatedly enter the same details.

Alan Hood, CalMac’s Head of Ticketing and Reservations, said: “We are committed to improving the services we offer. Listening and responding to our customers’ needs plays a big part in this and I am delighted that we are continuing to introduce transformational solutions that will revolutionise our customers’ experience.

“Offering print-at-home tickets makes online ticket purchase the most convenient, flexible and secure way to buy."

After the four week trial on the Ullapool to Stornoway route, the enhancements will be rolled out across all of the bookable routes during the summer. There also plans to deliver a phased roll-out of enhancements on non- bookable routes in due course.