Computers fail

[allegheny36]

THERE WAS A MELTDOWN IN CLT! When you pass out slips of paper advising the hundreds of waiting passengers to go home and try again tomorrow IT IS A MELTDOWN! WHEN YOU HAVE 2-3 HOURS WAITS JUST TO CHECK IN>>>ITS A MELTDOWN! I'm not sure where you work or what you do but if you want to see what all the noise is about, come to CLT.

My post was yesterday and from the information I had seen online and talking with friends
in NY at the time of my post. But obviously the situation was and I gather still is a nightmare.

 

[drifterreno]

Wasn't that big of a deal in res. Some minor glitches but nothing we couldn't fix. I think the problem was at the ATO and the agents there not using shares as often as the East side did prior to cutover. If a flight had been missing from your res all the agent had to do was find it in the etkt field and resell it into your res and reissue the tkt. Takes not even 2 minutes. Agents who are new never had to check in a psgr. They just told people how to use the kiosk--so they also never "played" with shares. The problem isn't really the switchover--it's agents not being given enough hands on before the switch--not the company's fault--sometimes the agents themselves or the situation at hand. It will be better really soon.

 

[john john]

Wasn't that big of a deal in res. Some minor glitches but nothing we couldn't fix. I think the problem was at the ATO and the agents there not using shares as often as the East side did prior to cutover. If a flight had been missing from your res all the agent had to do was find it in the etkt field and resell it into your res and reissue the tkt. Takes not even 2 minutes. Agents who are new never had to check in a psgr. They just told people how to use the kiosk--so they also never "played" with shares. The problem isn't really the switchover--it's agents not being given enough hands on before the switch--not the company's fault--sometimes the agents themselves or the situation at hand. It will be better really soon.

This post is laughable and sad

 

[singh4us]

Mess at Charlotte/Douglas continues; kiosks down
Traveling? Arrive early, prepare for wait
STEVE LYTTLE and NICHOLE BELL
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com

Virginia Tech students Sean Moran (left) 20, and friend Kate Kulbok, 21, wait in line Sunday morning at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport to check-in for their flight to Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (JASON E. MICZEK - Special to the Observer)
Kiosks at center of problems Sunday
Fliers forced to wait
Long lines for passengers

US Airways passengers are standing in long lines again today, because the airlines’ self-service kiosks remain out of service.

Airlines officials said it will be at least late today before the kiosks, used by most of U.S. Airways’ passengers, will be operating again.

In the meantime, customers must either check in with agents at the desk, or print out tickets online before arriving at the airport.

Long lines stretch through the passenger terminal this morning at Charlotte/Douglas International Airport, in a repeat performance of the computer meltdown that affected thousands of passengers Sunday.

Meanwhile, “closed†signs have been posted on the kiosks.

Michelle Mohr, a spokeswoman for US Airways, said the airline hopes to have the system working again by late in the day.

Mohr said US Airways’ computer system specialists want to make sure the system will work properly – all the way through the checking-in and ticket-printing process – before the kiosks are restarted.

“About 70 percent of our customers use the self-service kiosks, so this has a major impact on our customers,†Mohr said.

At 8:30 a.m., lines stretched from one end of the Charlotte/Douglas International Airport terminal to the other. Several hundred people also milled outside the terminal, trying to use the curbside check-in service.

But lines were moving briskly, and there were no signs of anger among waiting passengers.

Mohr said the US Airways Internet system is working, and she encouraged passengers to use print their tickets in advance before coming to the airport.

Passengers also are encouraged to arrive at the airport at least two hours before their scheduled departure.

The problem developed Sunday when US Airways switched to a different type of electronic reservation system.

The self-service kiosks at Charlotte’s airport and some other airports were not able to communicate with the mainframe computer system for US Airways. Officials of the airline said the problem developed at several airports, but it was worse in Charlotte than at other sites.

Some passengers had to wait 2½ hours in line Sunday. But airline officials said most passengers eventually made their flights.

US Airways officials said Sunday night they still weren’t sure what had caused the problem. “We don’t know,†US Airways President Scott Kirby said. “It’s hard to pin down.â€

Kirby added, “We hope – and this isn’t a guarantee – that even if the kiosks aren’t working (today), we can check customers in in a decent amount of time.â€

By Sunday night, the self-service kiosks were working sporadically....

Slideshow:
http://www.charlotte.com/images/news/airli...0304/index.html

 

[CLT CS AGENT]

I spoke to 5 ticket agents and 4 gate agents in phx....and all said...all of them said it went great, no real problems with east or west flights.

UWCactus....sell it somewhere else! I don't know what you do at the sandcastle but drag your smartalec comments to CLT and tell us FACE TO FACE that all is well...I DARE YOU! IT IS NOT GREAT! STOP TRYING TO PUT A POSITIVE SPIN ON THIS DISASTER OF A MELTDOWN! ON TOP OF THE FACT THAT THE KIOSKS DO NOT WORK AS OF 10:00 AM ON MONDAY MORNING IN CLT..AGENTS WERE GIVEN MINIMAL TRAINING! WE ARE FACING THE WRATH OF RIGHTFULLY UPSET CUSTOMERS BECAUSE OF THE ARROGANCE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND THE OTHERS "OUT WEST".

IF YOU THINK ITS SO GREAT, COME TO CLT TODAY....WE'D LOVE TO TALK WITH YOU FACE TO FACE.

 

[BoeingBoy]

This post is laughable and sad

All it really is is an example of seeing it from a different perspective and not realizing the difference between vastly different situations....

In res, they don't have kiosks that normally handle 75% of the calls. So res is staffed to handle 100% of calls. Thus, yesterday was no biggie.

When the kiosks at the ATO's didn't work, the agents were suddenly faced with about 4X the workload without 4X the people. The chaos ensued.

Not really any different than the folks at PHX talking about how well it went - different situation and thus different perspective.

Jim

 

[john john]

All it really is is an example of seeing it from a different perspective and not realizing the difference between vastly different situations....

In res, they don't have kiosks that normally handle 75% of the calls. So res is staffed to handle 100% of calls. Thus, yesterday was no biggie.

When the kiosks at the ATO's didn't work, the agents were suddenly faced with about 4X the workload without 4X the people. The chaos ensued.

Not really any different than the folks at PHX talking about how well it went - different situation and thus different perspective.

Jim

Your right BoeingBoy when reservation is busy doing there jobs before holidays and spring break.GUESS WHAT THEY SHOW UP AT THE AIRPORT

 

[Harry Callahan]

UWCactus....sell it somewhere else! I don't know what you do at the sandcastle but drag your smartalec comments to CLT and tell us FACE TO FACE that all is well...I DARE YOU! IT IS NOT GREAT! STOP TRYING TO PUT A POSITIVE SPIN ON THIS DISASTER OF A MELTDOWN! ON TOP OF THE FACT THAT THE KIOSKS DO NOT WORK AS OF 10:00 AM ON MONDAY MORNING IN CLT..AGENTS WERE GIVEN MINIMAL TRAINING! WE ARE FACING THE WRATH OF RIGHTFULLY UPSET CUSTOMERS BECAUSE OF THE ARROGANCE OF PEOPLE LIKE YOU AND THE OTHERS "OUT WEST".

IF YOU THINK ITS SO GREAT, COME TO CLT TODAY....WE'D LOVE TO TALK WITH YOU FACE TO FACE.

I 100% agree with what this poster said. UWCactus COME TO CLT AND TELL US THAT. Oh by the way if the news media could've got just a small peek at all the bags that missed !

 

[CLT CS AGENT]

Wasn't that big of a deal in res. Some minor glitches but nothing we couldn't fix. I think the problem was at the ATO and the agents there not using shares as often as the East side did prior to cutover. If a flight had been missing from your res all the agent had to do was find it in the etkt field and resell it into your res and reissue the tkt. Takes not even 2 minutes. Agents who are new never had to check in a psgr. They just told people how to use the kiosk--so they also never "played" with shares. The problem isn't really the switchover--it's agents not being given enough hands on before the switch--not the company's fault--sometimes the agents themselves or the situation at hand. It will be better really soon.

THESE AGENTS ARE BUSTING THIER A&&& TRYNG TO MUDDLE THROUGH THIS WITH LITTLE OR NO TRAINING OR COMMUNICATION FROM MANAGEMENT.

IT IS EASY FOR YOU TO SIT IN RES WERE YOU CAN TURN OFF YOUR PHONE AND GO ON BREAK AND LEAVE EVERYONE ON HOLD.. IT DON'T WORK THAT WAY AT THE ATO..THEY ARE IN YOUR FACE.

THE ATO AGENTS HAVE HAD TO ENDURE SMART A$$ COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU FOR TWO DAYS NOW! WE WERE NOT TRAINED PROPERLY NOR CAN WE JUST PUT SOMEONE ON HOLD WHILE WE ATTEND TRAINING SESSIONS. WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE DEALILNG WITH DELAYS, CANCELATIONS, AND 10,0000 TO 12,000 PEOPLE CHECKING IN ON A DAILEY BAISES IN CLT. THERE WAS NO TIME TO "PLAY" WITH THE SYSTEM.. GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND GET IN THE TRENCHES FOR ONCE, THEN YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND!

 

[DrBeth]

THESE AGENTS ARE BUSTING THIER A&&& TRYNG TO MUDDLE THROUGH THIS WITH LITTLE OR NO TRAINING OR COMMUNICATION FROM MANAGEMENT.

IT IS EASY FOR YOU TO SIT IN RES WERE YOU CAN TURN OFF YOUR PHONE AND GO ON BREAK AND LEAVE EVERYONE ON HOLD.. IT DON'T WORK THAT WAY AT THE ATO..THEY ARE IN YOUR FACE.

THE ATO AGENTS HAVE HAD TO ENDURE SMART A$$ COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE LIKE YOU FOR TWO DAYS NOW! WE WERE NOT TRAINED PROPERLY NOR CAN WE JUST PUT SOMEONE ON HOLD WHILE WE ATTEND TRAINING SESSIONS. WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE DEALILNG WITH DELAYS, CANCELATIONS, AND 10,0000 TO 12,000 PEOPLE CHECKING IN ON A DAILEY BAISES IN CLT. THERE WAS NO TIME TO "PLAY" WITH THE SYSTEM.. GET OFF YOUR HIGH HORSE AND GET IN THE TRENCHES FOR ONCE, THEN YOU MIGHT UNDERSTAND!

I so feel for you all and I am very sorry that Tempe doesn't give a rat's *** about CLT and the other affected airports.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Now that yesterday is over, here's the scorecard according to flightstats.com....

14% of departures were within 15 minutes of schedule.
39% of arrivals were within S+14

Top airports by number of departures:
CLT 4% of departures within S+14
PHL 10%
DCA 5%
LAS 52%
BOS 9%
MCO 10%
PIT 16%
LGA 5%

Top airports based on number of arrivals:
CLT 36% of arrivals within S+14
PHL 39%
DCA 34%
BOS 35%
LAS 64%
MCO 26%
LGA 38%
TPA 28%

So far today, 26% of departures and 51% of arrivals are within S+14.

Jim

 

[hp-csr-phx]

This is from The Hub: A team of over 150 dedicated professionals, including members of IT, EDS, SHARES, Sabre, reservations, airport operations and just so many more, have worked on the Reservation Migration for over a year. All the hard work, blood, sweat and tears (to borrow the name of an oldie but goodie rock and roll band) came to fruition over the weekend.

You would think one of those 150 dedicated professionals would have thought to test the East Kiosks.

 

[gso-crew]

Very smooth in GSO today ..... All flights booked full ..... everything OT through noon. Kiosks up and running .....

 

[AP Tech]

Philly does not look so lucky today, just passed by the ticket counter in B con, extremely long lines!!! Did notice that U had some people handing out snacks and drinks at various points of line. News media was on hand so look for some good reports on the local news tonight. By the looks of it many will be missing their flights.

I guess the only ones who are happy about this are the folks over at Jet Blue, took some of the pressure off them!!

 

[ClueByFour]

There are now major news reports (including video of the lines) for CLT, PHL, PIT, BOS, and suprisingly, LAS. (I guess LAS is because of the common use kiosks).

This is for Monday in all cases. Unreal.