RUNNING AN AIRLINE WITH 2 SEPARATE COMPUTER SYSTEMS

[PhxMama]

I can't tell you how many times I've ended up doing an HP reissue on the SABRE side (as long as I have access to the orig tkt) because it's much easier and faster. The HP agents certainly appreciate it and from what I've witnessed, it seems to be a big hassle to reissue a ticket in their current system...either that or they're not properly trained in this area...I think it's probably a little of both.

PBI2FLL, Reissuing a tkt in our current system, when working, is not that big a deal. But you are right training is a BIG issue and no recurrect training is a bigger issue. There are alot of policy changes taking place as far as reissue fees, sb policy(no longer can trvl sb from coterminal or reissue tkt to trvl from coterminals etc) that because our DRS is not up to date and communication is at best lacking, new agents are really struggling to handle a reissue. Please be patient as our new agents are gated first to take imcoming calls and they are doing the best they can under the circumstances. Like it or not(I am unfamiliar with SABRE) they've decided SHARES is what we are going with. Lets hope the next 2 years goes by quickly and we gain some stability. With all the experience on the EAST side we are hoping to gain some knowlegable agents on your side, once all is said and done!

 

[reznc]

Hopefully Geek and his coworkers can have this integrated asap. All INT agents are reissued trained, and our program is pretty straight forward. He and Piney Bob are correct, the cost of Sabre is phenomenal and the sooner we are rid of it the better and on one system.

As a side note, we have reps who would love to do reissues all day long, rather than haggling with someone about an award seat to MCO in Spring Break!

 

[whlinder]

Does HP do automated reissues? I can't seem to find anything that indicates they do.

If they stay in Star they HAVE to have the Amadeus platform. However the target dates are well into the future. 3 to 5 years out is a lifetime with computer systems. US needs to standardize on SHARES quickly and get it going in order to be ready for the next phase which Amadeus.

I don't know about a lifetime, but US has some time. I just don't see the benefits of converting to SHARES and losing functionality just before you convert everthing to Amadeus. Unless of course, you don't convert to Amadeus..

As for SABRE costs. I was told directly by someone who would know that the cost PER TICKET is in the $11-12 range. Multiply that by the MILLIONS of tickets sold and you have the kind of numbers that Geek was speaking of.

$11-12 or higher is pretty much general industry knowledge for a legacy GDS booking fee. This is why the GNE's are springing up and the airlines are putting money into them.

 

[Geek]

So this then leads to the second level question. What is the issue costs with SHARES? Ticket distribution via the internet is in the $5-6 range. So what is SHARES is distribution cost? If it's $2-3 less than SABRE the ROI is a no brainer even if they scrap SHARES in 3 years.

I know that our base cost for all of IT for HP was around 21 million for last year. I know the base cost for US was in the neighborhood of 228 million down from 1/2 billion from the first bankruptcy. This is just the base cost not for a lot of other things that were added on due to "special projects" on the US side. I know that we plan on saving over 200 million a year through the changes that are happening with the IT dept. You can see why they are pushing to have the change happen as quickly as humanly possible. But this is a huge undertaking working with many groups within the IT dept.
It is not just the SABRE system but also the website, network issues, equipment types, servers, and basic procedures.
The difference in how things are done in the east with how they are done on the west, both to get to the same end is huge. Like, Task Cards, OPS procedures, ticketing, and baggage. Which way is better? That has to be determined. Then we have to implement, configure the correct PC and train personal for that new system. The equipment on the East side is really sad. Different cities have a wide variety of completely different equipment and networks. Most of it over 5-8 years old, some even older on extremely slow connections.
Seeing the big picture is very interesting. It is very hard for most people to see that even for myself. We have a tendency to see how one thing affects us but not how everything rolls downhill and how it affects our customer, which is the most important factor.

 

[tadjr]

The equipment on the East side is really sad. Different cities have a wide variety of completely different equipment and networks. Most of it over 5-8 years old, some even older on extremely slow connections.
Seeing the big picture is very interesting.

Yes, some of the equipment still has the Speedbird planted on it... and I could probably get a better printer at Walmart for under $100 than the ones we have (that would even copy and scan for us) h34r: , but seriously the , uhhum, equipment HP sent us is older than dirt. Not the monitors, but the boarding pass printer (Datamax 400?) looks like something from the Flintstones and the 4 broken ones sitting behind the counter arent anything to write home about. I hope that we just got the "leftovers" and the regular HP stations, and plans for the future include something a little more updated? That shrill beeping noise at 430am that it isnt working is grating on the nerves.

 

[Geek]

Yes, some of the equipment still has the Speedbird planted on it... and I could probably get a better printer at Walmart for under $100 than the ones we have (that would even copy and scan for us) h34r: , but seriously the , uhhum, equipment HP sent us is older than dirt. Not the monitors, but the boarding pass printer (Datamax 400?) looks like something from the Flintstones and the 4 broken ones sitting behind the counter arent anything to write home about. I hope that we just got the "leftovers" and the regular HP stations, and plans for the future include something a little more updated? That shrill beeping noise at 430am that it isnt working is grating on the nerves.

Don't you love the DataMax!
Yes those are in the works to be discontinued. From what I usually install they are only used for Ticket stock. (and boarding pass for the one station they are located at.) Usually one to a counter with multiple stations printing to it. Boarding passes are usually printed to the Vidtronics. The same with bagtags. They are working with the Vidtronics software wise to also have tkt stock printed on these units also.
I love the vidtronics. Small, easy to replace and interchangeable, But not as hardy as the Datamax. Those things have been around forever and still function!
But the big difference you will see are the pc's.
US have mostly Acers running Win95 with 32mgs of memory.
Run one application and it barely functions, two and it freezes.
You will be getting new pc's that really work with plenty of memory!

 

[tadjr]

Don't you love the DataMax!

Do you really want an answer? :bleh:
That is good news since it also wont slide under the counter and operate so it sits about 2 feet out so we can get tickets and boarding passes.
Any plans to get the ticket/boarding pass stock to be the same? Seems a waste to have to order/stock 2 kinds of paper to get the job done when 1 will work (like US East currently does). Maybe when they get the automated sales reports going? Hope???
This is especially annoying since you can not do many types of ticketing at the gate like we are used to doing.

 

[Awa Contract]

Gee according to the IAM it is one carrier now -- NOT!!!!!

 

[whlinder]

So this then leads to the second level question. What is the issue costs with SHARES? Ticket distribution via the internet is in the $5-6 range. So what is SHARES is distribution cost? If it's $2-3 less than SABRE the ROI is a no brainer even if they scrap SHARES in 3 years.

The question is what % of US/HP sales are made in SHARES and what % are through other portals that still have the high GDS fees.

You also missed my first comment in my last post, asking whether or not HP does automated re-issues and refunds, and if not, whether or not SHARES has that functionality. (I have no idea, though it doesn't appear to me that HP does either). The cost savings of automating reissues/refunds are enourmous. If US East goes from having that functionality to losing it, I'd be very interested to see if there really is money saved.

I know that our base cost for all of IT for HP was around 21 million for last year. I know the base cost for US was in the neighborhood of 228 million down from 1/2 billion from the first bankruptcy.

Would GDS fees be included in the IT cost?

 

[Geek]

Unfortunalty, I don't work within SHARES itself. I do the Network Setup and confirm the connectivity for the PC's. I configure and setup the PC's with the different applications but don't work with the applications themselves. So I am unable to tell you what the applications can and can't do. I do work closely with those departments and will ask those questions next time I speak with the guys over there.
The costs I gave you are from the costs to support the networks.
Plus from what I understand the cost per tkt for Shares being about 20-25% of the cost per ticket for SABRE.
Also we configure QIK in house and are able to make changes inexpensivly compared to any changes to SABRE are cost prohibitive.

 

[drifterreno]

I agree its more than awkward, its frustrating. Its almost as frustrating to see our turnover due to the number of HP agents making 7.65 an hour. Would you do it for a pittance? In defense of many agents our system has not been working when it comes to calulating the credit left to a tkt and although we can figure it out our Help desk must manually store it(floor agents are not allowed to do this) and either finish the reissue or hand it back to the agents. Unfortunately, with so many new agents and our website biting the dust lately, our Help desks are slammed and hold times can be high. At least the Hp agents are trying to help and unlike the outsourced agents do NOT hang up on you. It is not a rumour as it has happened to me several times and I resent having to call back. We cannot touch 037 tkt stock and have to contact East side to handle pax issues. If we could upgrade with DM we would but we have no access to the accounts and therefore must xfer to EAST side. Its not much fun on this side either and many of our senior agents are looking to leave(The money from raises in the next 2 years is not worth the hassle when you can make almost double at another company starting next week. Talk to your management team and let them know how you feel. I have done that and am tired of hearing we're in a transition phase and it will get better. When? Were in it together and if you have any questions pm me , driftereno, Bambi or PQA as we can all answer questions on our side. Sit tight as it is going to be a loooong year!

Mama--go to Control F and put the usairways dividend number in like you were looking up "our" flight fund number. It will append 3 or 4 zeroes to the number and if elite pax will take you to the next screen where you put in the name--1.1==then go to the side of the number and in oal box put us. This way an RA agent "might" be able to upgrade pax if any available. It's hard for us to do but it can be done--have a good night.

 

[PhxMama]

Mama--go to Control F and put the usairways dividend number in like you were looking up "our" flight fund number. It will append 3 or 4 zeroes to the number and if elite pax will take you to the next screen where you put in the name--1.1==then go to the side of the number and in oal box put us. This way an RA agent "might" be able to upgrade pax if any available. It's hard for us to do but it can be done--have a good night.

Thanx driftereno for info i will try but this I believe is only for elites. Other Dm members will have to go to east agents will pm later.