- Aug 25, 2005
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Online Employee Travel Center (ETC) to Launch Soon
Online non-rev travel center & guest passes coming late April; Former AWA employees will receive new employee numbers in conjunction with ETC Launch
March 28, 2006
US Airways is nearing the launch of the new, online Employee Travel Center (ETC). The ETC delivers to every US Airways Group employee – along with their eligible travelers and guests – online access to all of the flying available across the expanded international route network of the combined airlines.
Over the next couple weeks, the final development and testing of the ETC will be completed, ensuring the ETC will stand up to the rigors of non-rev use across the airline. Following successful testing, it will be ready for US Airways employees’ travel planning, flight listing and guest pass travel usage.
Here are some milestones to keep in mind over the next month:
First week of April Former AWA employees’ new US employee numbers available (required for ETC access)
Late April New online ETC debuts
April – September - New US Airways IDs (badges) delivered to all employees
- Former US employees’ new employee numbers delivered with ID
New Travel Center
The new ETC brings with it a number of conveniences designed to keep costs low and deliver a better, more self-sufficient online travel experience for employees. Some of these features include:
Complete access to flight loads on US and HP and their related express carriers.
Registered guests will be able to travel across the system.
Parents or Parents-in-law can travel across the system when listed in your travel profile. (Information on how to register parents, or parents-in-law when you have no surviving parents, may be found on awaCompass and theHub.)
The ability to create standby flight listings on all flights operated by the new US Airways and US Airways Express (does not include codeshare flights operated by United Airlines or other carriers).
Limited ability to change travel records without having to call reservations.
Web check-in up to 12 hours in advance of flight time for flights operated using a check-in time boarding method (currently pre-merger HP flights and HP-contracted Express flights). Pre-merger US kiosks will still use a six-hour check-in time where boarding is by date of hire (seniority).
Employees and their eligible travelers may also check in using a self-service kiosk. In fact, flights boarding non-revs by date of hire (seniority) will check-in at a self-service kiosk or at the ticket counter.
Access for active employees to two round-trip vacation passes per calendar year with an SA1P/SA1 boarding priority. These passes will provide the highest priority space available travel for employees and those listed in their travel profile when traveling with the employee. (Retirees will receive one round-trip SA1P/SA1 vacation pass to use each calendar year.)
Access for active employees to a bank of eight guest travel passes along with the ability to plan trips, create standby listings, price and pay for guest passes with a credit card all online. Guest travelers will still have the option to pay for their travel at a ticket counter; but the initial reservation must be booked using the ETC. The guest pass bank is based on a calendar year and will renew each year in January. (Retirees will receive four guest passes to use each calendar year.)
Guest Pass Travel
One of the highly anticipated enhancements that will debut with the new ETC is the guest travel pass bank. As mentioned, each employee will receive an annual guest travel pass bank consisting of eight guest passes that are good for travel during the calendar year. Some of the key features of the new guest passes include:
Fares will be mileage based with one-way price points at $25, $30, $40, and $100 one-way to Europe and Hawaii (plus taxes).
Online listing, pricing, and payment for guest travelers.
Until the new program begins:
Former US employees already have access to their guest pass bank through the US Airways employee travel application they have always used.
Former HP employees recently received Flexi Passes they earned in the fourth quarter of 2005 for use in 2006. Once the new program begins, former HP employees will be able to trade in unexpired Flexi Passes for guest passes at a rate of three-to-one. For information on this process, please see Non-Rev Travel on awaCompass.
First, New Employee Numbers
The importance of travel privileges cannot be understated and we are working quickly to roll out the online ETC. But, there are a couple of steps we need to take prior to delivering online travel so that every employee and retiree has access to these tools. The first and most important is ensuring that every employee has access to a six-digit employee number that will be compatible with the ETC.
Pre-merger US Airways employees already have a six-digit employee number that can be used with the new ETC. In cases where the employee number is less than six digits, former US employees fill those spaces with leading zeros. So, at least for the initial rollout, pre-merger US Airways employees will continue to use their current employee number with the new ETC until their new company ID (or badge) and employee number are issued (planned between April and September).
Pre-merger America West employees will continue to use their current badge number to access awaCompass; however, they will receive a new, randomly generated six-digit employee number to use with the new ETC. This new employee number will be the same number that will appear on their new company ID when it is issued (planned between April and September).
Pre-merger US Airways retirees, just like former US employees, will continue to use their six-digit employee number to access the ETC just like they do today. Additionally, they will continue to use their retiree travel card for ID purposes. No new employee numbers or retiree travel cards will be issued to former US retirees.
Pre-merger America West retirees will receive a new six-digit number along with a US Airways retiree travel card. These will be issued to former HP retirees in advance of the debut of the new ETC.
To assist former HP employees and retirees, a program will be made available on awaCompass that will allow employees to enter their America West badge number and retrieve their new US Airways six-digit employee number. Look for more information on this soon.
Then, New Company IDs
The new US Airways company IDs will be issued by workgroup based on a calendar that will be released to all employees in the next few weeks. While we’re issuing the new IDs, it’s likely that you’ll see new US Airways, America West and pre-merger US Airways IDs presented by employees to verify their employment with the airline.
Wholly-owned US Airways Express employees will maintain their current employee number and company ID badges as well. Here’s an example of the three mainline badges you can expect to see between now and the end of September:
Pre-Merger US Pre-Merger HP New US Airways
Former US employees will receive their new randomly generated, six-digit employee number along with their new company ID according to the schedule. The primary reason we’re issuing the new employee numbers to former HP employees ahead of the new IDs is to provide a six-digit employee number for use with the ETC. As the new IDs are issued, former US employees will migrate from their existing pre-merger US Airways employee number to their new US Airways employee number.
A World of Possibilities
We know that travel on the combined route network has been a highly anticipated privilege for everyone. And we’re very pleased to be taking this enormous step forward in the integration process. At the same time, we still have a way to go before a seamless, streamlined non-revenue environment is possible. Of course, there are the obvious limitations created by operating two reservations systems – Sabre and SHARES – and the fact that it’s just plain cost prohibitive to provide automated standby check-in between the two systems. At the same time, there are a number of other travel program enhancements that can be delivered, even though they may take a little more time. So we’ll keep at it. In the meantime, the new non-rev tools provided in the ETC are a great convenience for all US Airways Group employees in the pursuit of non-rev happiness.
Online non-rev travel center & guest passes coming late April; Former AWA employees will receive new employee numbers in conjunction with ETC Launch
March 28, 2006
US Airways is nearing the launch of the new, online Employee Travel Center (ETC). The ETC delivers to every US Airways Group employee – along with their eligible travelers and guests – online access to all of the flying available across the expanded international route network of the combined airlines.
Over the next couple weeks, the final development and testing of the ETC will be completed, ensuring the ETC will stand up to the rigors of non-rev use across the airline. Following successful testing, it will be ready for US Airways employees’ travel planning, flight listing and guest pass travel usage.
Here are some milestones to keep in mind over the next month:
First week of April Former AWA employees’ new US employee numbers available (required for ETC access)
Late April New online ETC debuts
April – September - New US Airways IDs (badges) delivered to all employees
- Former US employees’ new employee numbers delivered with ID
New Travel Center
The new ETC brings with it a number of conveniences designed to keep costs low and deliver a better, more self-sufficient online travel experience for employees. Some of these features include:
Complete access to flight loads on US and HP and their related express carriers.
Registered guests will be able to travel across the system.
Parents or Parents-in-law can travel across the system when listed in your travel profile. (Information on how to register parents, or parents-in-law when you have no surviving parents, may be found on awaCompass and theHub.)
The ability to create standby flight listings on all flights operated by the new US Airways and US Airways Express (does not include codeshare flights operated by United Airlines or other carriers).
Limited ability to change travel records without having to call reservations.
Web check-in up to 12 hours in advance of flight time for flights operated using a check-in time boarding method (currently pre-merger HP flights and HP-contracted Express flights). Pre-merger US kiosks will still use a six-hour check-in time where boarding is by date of hire (seniority).
Employees and their eligible travelers may also check in using a self-service kiosk. In fact, flights boarding non-revs by date of hire (seniority) will check-in at a self-service kiosk or at the ticket counter.
Access for active employees to two round-trip vacation passes per calendar year with an SA1P/SA1 boarding priority. These passes will provide the highest priority space available travel for employees and those listed in their travel profile when traveling with the employee. (Retirees will receive one round-trip SA1P/SA1 vacation pass to use each calendar year.)
Access for active employees to a bank of eight guest travel passes along with the ability to plan trips, create standby listings, price and pay for guest passes with a credit card all online. Guest travelers will still have the option to pay for their travel at a ticket counter; but the initial reservation must be booked using the ETC. The guest pass bank is based on a calendar year and will renew each year in January. (Retirees will receive four guest passes to use each calendar year.)
Guest Pass Travel
One of the highly anticipated enhancements that will debut with the new ETC is the guest travel pass bank. As mentioned, each employee will receive an annual guest travel pass bank consisting of eight guest passes that are good for travel during the calendar year. Some of the key features of the new guest passes include:
Fares will be mileage based with one-way price points at $25, $30, $40, and $100 one-way to Europe and Hawaii (plus taxes).
Online listing, pricing, and payment for guest travelers.
Until the new program begins:
Former US employees already have access to their guest pass bank through the US Airways employee travel application they have always used.
Former HP employees recently received Flexi Passes they earned in the fourth quarter of 2005 for use in 2006. Once the new program begins, former HP employees will be able to trade in unexpired Flexi Passes for guest passes at a rate of three-to-one. For information on this process, please see Non-Rev Travel on awaCompass.
First, New Employee Numbers
The importance of travel privileges cannot be understated and we are working quickly to roll out the online ETC. But, there are a couple of steps we need to take prior to delivering online travel so that every employee and retiree has access to these tools. The first and most important is ensuring that every employee has access to a six-digit employee number that will be compatible with the ETC.
Pre-merger US Airways employees already have a six-digit employee number that can be used with the new ETC. In cases where the employee number is less than six digits, former US employees fill those spaces with leading zeros. So, at least for the initial rollout, pre-merger US Airways employees will continue to use their current employee number with the new ETC until their new company ID (or badge) and employee number are issued (planned between April and September).
Pre-merger America West employees will continue to use their current badge number to access awaCompass; however, they will receive a new, randomly generated six-digit employee number to use with the new ETC. This new employee number will be the same number that will appear on their new company ID when it is issued (planned between April and September).
Pre-merger US Airways retirees, just like former US employees, will continue to use their six-digit employee number to access the ETC just like they do today. Additionally, they will continue to use their retiree travel card for ID purposes. No new employee numbers or retiree travel cards will be issued to former US retirees.
Pre-merger America West retirees will receive a new six-digit number along with a US Airways retiree travel card. These will be issued to former HP retirees in advance of the debut of the new ETC.
To assist former HP employees and retirees, a program will be made available on awaCompass that will allow employees to enter their America West badge number and retrieve their new US Airways six-digit employee number. Look for more information on this soon.
Then, New Company IDs
The new US Airways company IDs will be issued by workgroup based on a calendar that will be released to all employees in the next few weeks. While we’re issuing the new IDs, it’s likely that you’ll see new US Airways, America West and pre-merger US Airways IDs presented by employees to verify their employment with the airline.
Wholly-owned US Airways Express employees will maintain their current employee number and company ID badges as well. Here’s an example of the three mainline badges you can expect to see between now and the end of September:
Pre-Merger US Pre-Merger HP New US Airways
Former US employees will receive their new randomly generated, six-digit employee number along with their new company ID according to the schedule. The primary reason we’re issuing the new employee numbers to former HP employees ahead of the new IDs is to provide a six-digit employee number for use with the ETC. As the new IDs are issued, former US employees will migrate from their existing pre-merger US Airways employee number to their new US Airways employee number.
A World of Possibilities
We know that travel on the combined route network has been a highly anticipated privilege for everyone. And we’re very pleased to be taking this enormous step forward in the integration process. At the same time, we still have a way to go before a seamless, streamlined non-revenue environment is possible. Of course, there are the obvious limitations created by operating two reservations systems – Sabre and SHARES – and the fact that it’s just plain cost prohibitive to provide automated standby check-in between the two systems. At the same time, there are a number of other travel program enhancements that can be delivered, even though they may take a little more time. So we’ll keep at it. In the meantime, the new non-rev tools provided in the ETC are a great convenience for all US Airways Group employees in the pursuit of non-rev happiness.
all day that I know the ways to get around and which planes will actually fill up.
Non-reving on Easter Weekend...well someone chooses to try and non-rev on any holiday weekend and things don't go right...well they were asking for it.
