Res IT/Process questions

ClueByFour

ClueByFour

Veteran
Aug 20, 2002
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So, I just got off the phone with the CP desk for the first time, and I''m curious about a couple of things.
1. I''m assuming that the CP folks can see everything you have booked or have flown, since when I asked to have an upgrade queued up for a flight where I''m still 20+ days out, the rep knew exactly which flight I was talking about (currently my only domestic trip on the books). Is this accurate?
2. If so, why can''t all rez folks do this for all folks (see everything)?
3. Why can''t other elite levels queue up an upgrade request to be run at their window? (note that other airlines can do this--AA being the example that I''m familiar with).
4. How does the process work? The request queue is run at flight-7 days? And how are people prioritized on that list? By request time? Fare basis? Cockroach factor ?
5. Since I won''t be needing paper, does this mean I can use the kiosks for checkin with an upgrade?
I''ve flown with US a lot over the last couple of years, and I''m quite stoked about finally reaching CP--I''m just hoping that PIT does not become another CLE.....
 
[BR]The short answer to your questions is not everyone can do things the same because of money and the packages we bought from Sabre. There is a lot more others can do that we cant cause we didnt spend the money to make everything user friendly and efficient. We got the el cheapo version.[BR][BR]If you have changed the reservation (upgraded) after it was ticketed you will not be able to use the kiosk. Any changes done to the reservation will prohibit kiosk checkin. You will have to check in at the First Class/Preferred line. On the other hand, if you were ticketed direct to F/C and not reissued you should be able to use the kiosk. Give it a shot.[BR][BR]
 
While item 1/2 would be simple in a normal relational database (like Oracle or SQL Server), Sabre doesn't have true relational capabilities. Neither does Worldspan or Apollo as far as I remember. All three of these run on a TPF platform, which has really high processing power and availability, but still uses flat files to perform indexing and data storage i.e. there is a flatfile for each flight/date which has pointers to each passenger record, which are also flat files...

To make the search by FF number possible requires (you guessed it) more flat files (one for each FF number) with pointers to the record locators. Whenever a record is created for a CP, the index file for that CP number is updated with a pointer to the new record.

Trying to keep that up to date for every traveler would be boggling, and quite expensive (US has to pay for the processing and storage space they use in Sabre). That's why they limit it to just CP's.
 
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On 10/2/2002 11:09:12 PM ClueByFour wrote:

So, I just got off the phone with the CP desk for the first time, and I'm curious about a couple of things.

1. I'm assuming that the CP folks can see everything you have booked or have flown, since when I asked to have an upgrade queued up for a flight where I'm still 20+ days out, the rep knew exactly which flight I was talking about (currently my only domestic trip on the books). Is this accurate?

2. If so, why can't all rez folks do this for all folks (see everything)?

3. Why can't other elite levels queue up an upgrade request to be run at their window? (note that other airlines can do this--AA being the example that I'm familiar with).

4. How does the process work? The request queue is run at flight-7 days? And how are people prioritized on that list? By request time? Fare basis? Cockroach factor ?

5. Since I won't be needing paper, does this mean I can use the kiosks for checkin with an upgrade?

I've flown with US a lot over the last couple of years, and I'm quite stoked about finally reaching CP--I'm just hoping that PIT does not become another CLE.....
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There has been a program for years in sabre that allows you to retrieve all current pnrs/current and certain past etkts for preferred or chpr just by entering the dm nbr into a format..its not 100pct but it works pretty well.That is how a well trained agt can tell what your rez is without you even giving the date or flt nbr. As someone alluded to above it would be more costly to store this for millions of passgrs as opposed to just the most preferred.

Secondly, in about 2 weeks, barring any glitches, an upgrade program in SABRE goes into effect for all Dm levels where by certain format the rez agt can rqst the upgrade any time ahead and its auto put on queue. This way the GOLD/SLIVER/ doesnt have to call back 3/1 day ahead..sabre will chk automatically with this new deal.And then teams of agnts will call the passgrs to advise of clearance(where are these agts coming from, can u say FURLOUGHS?)......... No idea on the priority of clearing..I would assume date of rqst and level would make the most sense.

Welcome to the 21st century, US AIRWAYS.
 
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On 10/3/2002 1:17:08 AM RealityCheck wrote:
Secondly, in about 2 weeks, barring any glitches, an upgrade program in SABRE goes into effect for all Dm levels where by certain format the rez agt can rqst the upgrade any time ahead and its auto put on queue. This way the GOLD/SLIVER/ doesnt have to call back 3/1 day ahead..sabre will chk automatically with this new deal.And then teams of agnts will call the passgrs to advise of clearance("where are these agts coming from, can u say FURLOUGHS?")......... No idea on the priority of clearing..I would assume date of rqst and level would make the most sense.
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Any plans on making the NAU/DMUP01s electronic? Lack of paper would be most excellent.
 
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On 10/3/2002 11:12:17 AM ITRADE wrote:

Um....so what happens now that UA and US are in bed together. US is on Sabre. UA is on Apollo?
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We can only hope Sabre goes the way of the dinosaur.
I just hate the thought of learning yet another computer system
 
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Any plans on making the NAU/DMUP01s electronic? Lack of paper would be most excellent.

Most upgrades will become electronic. Any paper upgrades you have will be deposited into an upgrade bank and will be automatically withdrawn before you can get your boarding pass. You can also purchase upgrades to put in the bank or withdraw miles to convert to upgrades to put in your bank. I think this bank is coming in November, right along with Dividend Mile redemption on Usairways.com.
 
Too funny...US can't afford to drop Sabre, UA can't afford to drop Apollo, and neither one has a money to spend on developing codeshare automation to make the two systems communicate.
 
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On 10/3/2002 11:12:17 AM ITRADE wrote:

Um....so what happens now that UA and US are in bed together. US is on Sabre. UA is on Apollo?
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Should not matter, after all, CO & NW are on different systems.

Unless that's one more agreement that US wants to throw-out courtesy BK.
 
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Okay, another query, if I may:

I'm taking a trip later this month, and on the return, I'm on the same flight with one of my co-workers. I asked the CP desk to move me to an exit row and queue the upgrade request on the outbound, and do the same for myself and my co-worker on the return.

While the rep was able to link our PNRs in such a way to queue the upgrade as a unit, she could not sit us in an exit row together, as my co-worker has no status with DM.

I'm assuming that this is correct, and was wondering if this is a policy thing, or something that the CP desk (or anybody else) simply _can't_ do (from a technology/access standpoint)?

Further begging the question: why? I can (and, judging by the loads, probably will) get the upgrade for both myself and my co-worker, yet I can't move us both to an exit row? WTF?
 
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On 10/10/2002 8:44:07 PM ClueByFour wrote:

Okay, another query, if I may:

I'm taking a trip later this month, and on the return, I'm on the same flight with one of my co-workers. I asked the CP desk to move me to an exit row and queue the upgrade request on the outbound, and do the same for myself and my co-worker on the return.

While the rep was able to link our PNRs in such a way to queue the upgrade as a unit, she could not sit us in an exit row together, as my co-worker has no status with DM.

I'm assuming that this is correct, and was wondering if this is a policy thing, or something that the CP desk (or anybody else) simply _can't_ do (from a technology/access standpoint)?

Further begging the question: why? I can (and, judging by the loads, probably will) get the upgrade for both myself and my co-worker, yet I can't move us both to an exit row? WTF?
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if you are talking about getting exit row seats for the COACH SEATS you both presently have, there most certainly is a way to assign them with your status on 2 different records. There is a keycell in SABRE designed specifically for this called MULTI PNR seating, I use it all the time. and it is only for Dm's 3/2/1. Or if one is lazy, one can call the SEATS DEPT who can free up almost any seat.I am not aware of a policy that disallows using this for exit rows, but ya never know. Policies are hidden in the bowels of our reference system that you couldn't trace with a megaton magnifying glass. I would have to chalk this error up to inexperience on the chpr agent's part, and that's a sad statement unfortunately for the state of our rez dept(something I have been griping about for ages).
Anyone wish to correct me here on the policy and procedure??
 
Actually apollo and sabre can communicate together seeing U can assign seats on UA flight (if a pax is travelling on U and making a connection on a UA flight).
Also U and UAL will be able to issue and accept electronic tickets of course there will be some hang ups with the system but hey we will see how it works
 
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