SHARES/QIK keyboards

[ClueByFour]

Simple!! Because like it or don't it is the industry standard for PC based systems.

Unless of course you're in Graphic Arts where MAC controls 85% of the design seats.

It strikes me that the agent workstations are more of a kiosk application, in which case if one is running windows it's like pointing the shotgun directly at one's foot and unloading both barrels.

The caveat to that is if there is some other app (e-mail, internal time, etc) that cannot be ported to an OS that Does Not Suck (tm).

Maybe "GeeK' can shed some light as to what the web site uses as it's "backbone"? Is it Linux based? AS400? What's the level of rendundency?

I have no earthly idea what is on the backend, but the frontend fingerprints like Windows. Which explains (partially) why it sucks.

 

[Geek]

which we have on the east side. They're lil guns hanging from the side of the computer.

And when I said EDS, I'm not referring to the outsourced USAirways system.. i'm referring to the parent developer of Shares.

Instead of telling EDS/Shares what we need, they just accepted the platform "as is" instead of adding the goodies the airline will need to function properly.

that's the one benefit to the USAir-East systems: they are used to handling a 400+ jet operation.

Do you not understand the cost associated with the SABRE system??? It is astronomical compared with SHARES. Not just a few measly dollars but a crazy amount. Especially when you add all the extras that the agents want.
You can't have it both ways...More money and the top dollar SABRE system you want.
The industry can't support it anymore. Things have changed...yet again, I know. But to keep your job, you have to adapt or leave....It is not going to change by constantly complaining. I know I've tried.... :blink:

 

[Geek]

All of this is very nice to hear. NEWS FLASH! Everybody works hard. What do you want a cookie?


I am not looking favorably on an IT team that holds its customers internal & external in such outright contempt. In fact I'm not even remotely happy with that aspect of the operation. The grapevine of stories regarding Tempe's IT Department's arrogance is pretty significant, and oft repeated.

Maybe "GeeK' can shed some light as to what the web site uses as it's "backbone"? Is it Linux based? AS400? What's the level of rendundency?

Actually what I was trying to say is YES WE ALL are working hard. That included the front line and back office people. Why does that make IT arrogant? Or hold everyone in contempt??
I understand they are our customers, as it the public riding the planes.... Most of these people are so used to having EDS jump and give them anything they want or access to what every they want...
and are having issues with being told they have to show business need for solitaire on the ops pc's. So if that is the arrogance. I think I agree with that. I had agents coming in as we were installing new pc's with a stack of disks from home they thought they were going to install on the new pc....didn't happen. That maybe where some of the stories are coming from. What business allows that???
But as far as EDS, I don't see where they have done just a great job. We have had to come behind many a time and repair or redo things in this transistion, where they are helping.
As far as the backbone, depends on the application being run. Things are on LINUX, and Windows and even AS4000. But I do think things are being migrated off the old IBM mainframe if it isn't already gone.
Geek

I was going to chide Geek (nicely) for "front line people will just have to deal with it", but you said it for me. Yes, the front line people will make it work. At least the PATT workstations are finally going away. (But the again some of them had passport readers. ) All the tech talk aside, I am surprised that adding a relatively simple feature can be such an issue.

I guess we'll be dealing with manual entry of CC and passports for the forseeable.

One a side note, it true that the company pays a lower CC handling fee when numbers are swiped rather than typed in?

I didn't mean it as "just deal with it" Because in our dept, I am front line to. It gets told to us, make it work. Same difference. I understand the pain involved...believe me. I hope they will quickly make it happen. I am just trying to explain the issues involved so you will understand the time it takes. Guess if some people here just want to attack they will. This is why many just don't take the time to explain. I know I usually don't. I do know they were doing some testing of gate readers at PHX. and I think one other station. I know they are hoping to go forward with that project possibly doing both as the merger process moves forward.
Geek

 

[SegmentKing]

Do you not understand the cost associated with the SABRE system??? It is astronomical compared with SHARES. Not just a few measly dollars but a crazy amount. Especially when you add all the extras that the agents want.
You can't have it both ways...More money and the top dollar SABRE system you want.
The industry can't support it anymore. Things have changed...yet again, I know. But to keep your job, you have to adapt or leave....It is not going to change by constantly complaining. I know I've tried.... :blink:

And you are right, Sabre is a lot more expensive but it's also a lot more functional. I mean, look at the former USAirways website booking engine compared to the one now. I don't think US-East ever had issues like the present one has.

also, ticketing is SOOO much easier in Sabre than in Shares.... especially when it comes to exchanges. W‡EXCH‡INVOL‡n2.1 vs t-et1.1-n2.1-s2/3-.......

I'm VERY familiar with GDS costs... and I also know the account manager involved with the negotiations with Sabre - and it came down to PENNIES per booking... we were getting a Rolls Royce for the cost of a Ford, but instead we're getting a Daewoo at Ford prices.

I understand this merger is all about give & take - which is why I am just whining over this decision -- it probably is for the better in the long run, just going to suck for a while.

 

[FCYTravis]

I'm VERY familiar with GDS costs... and I also know the account manager involved with the negotiations with Sabre - and it came down to PENNIES per booking... we were getting a Rolls Royce for the cost of a Ford, but instead we're getting a Daewoo at Ford prices.

That's an interesting point. There are hundreds more US stations than HP stations, so theoretically, with all things being equal, it should have been much cheaper to go with SABRE than SHARES.

I wonder if what happened was, SABRE saw a chance to get back at US for what sounds like a bankruptcy-court-driven arm-twisting dirt-cheap deal... and demanded big bucks to cover all the new stations? Enough to cause Douggie to say, no dice?

 

[ant_us_flier]

You have got to be either whacked or drinking the koolaid in a very serious manner.

Why ever would you dumb morons keep trying to use Windows?

Quit trying to justify the various, sundry and pathetic versions of Windows their multiple (actually, the word, multiple, does the failings no justice) failings. Why do geeks like you try to prop a failed product? Is it because that is all you know, a failed OS?

Dump the fecal matter and actually do something that works. Like the GOP, quit making excuses and make it work!!! Get it?

Look, I am certain there is a certain attempt to protect that which you know, your M$ certification must mean something. Well, it doesn't. It is dead-end tech. It is one of the reasons this very website is somewhat unstable. You have to duct-tape and wire it together to make it conform to standards, something you would not have to do with any other operating system.

"Shares" is unstable beyond about ten nodes. Proved time and again. Dump it!!! Heck, even the Mac OS is better!!!! and cheaper, hardware as well as software.

I know people who wallow in procedures from on old, a curiousity, at best. No one in their right mind would use those procedures today, especially for a business.

So, why would you use obsolete Windows, any flavor?

More related to IT, and not US. Sorry, but this ignorance got to me. Wont happen again.

I guess you either read everything Mac and the GNU dorks put out. Maybe too many Mac commercials. I am a security software engineer and CISSP. If you understand windows, then it can be just as secured as anything out there. It is all how you configure it. Sure it makes more headlines becasue more people use it. If MAC OSx picks up, then they are going to have the same issues. (and I will laugh mao) I have worked in the most secured enviroments where windows (latest server OS and fully SP'ed) have blown away RedHat, HPUX, AIX and even SUNOS in performance, scalability, and security. If it wasnt, why then is MSFT making a BIG SUCCESSFUL run at L-UNIX enviroments? Ease of use and better performance.

Now of course nothing is going to beat an AS4, but they are different beasts.

Your MAC and GNU have just as many holes in them, the only difference is they dont make it to the media.

Get off your high horse calling these folks DUMB!

 

[ClueByFour]

I have worked in the most secured enviroments where windows (latest server OS and fully SP'ed) have blown away RedHat, HPUX, AIX and even SUNOS in performance, scalability, and security. If it wasnt, why then is MSFT making a BIG SUCCESSFUL run at L-UNIX enviroments? Ease of use and better performance.

It's entirely about ease of use. Given the equal talent tweaking equal hardware, the 'nix stuff will dust windows every single time.

Now of course nothing is going to beat an AS4, but they are different beasts.

I can only assume that you are referring to a transactional application. An AS400 is what it is, but to make a statement like that without some degree of qualification about "beating an AS400 doing what?" is somewhat disingenuous. It's like taking a monster Z series box with CICS (or, since we are talking airline systems, TPF) and saying "of course, nothing beats a Z box." Of course, nothing is more of a pain that trying to wrap the frontend around it..... You get the point.

Your MAC and GNU have just as many holes in them, the only difference is they dont make it to the media.

Is a buffer overflow that's only locally exploitable a hole? Sure. Does it result in days and weeks of lost downtime a la code red, nachi, nimda, slammer, sobig, sasser, or Blaster? Nope. And therein lies the difference between the average bug/hole in posix-ish unix variants and windows.

Get off your high horse calling these folks DUMB!

I designed the basic architecture for a billon dollar a year e-commerce engine about 5 years ago. It is faster, more reliable, scalable, and less buggy than the current iteration of usairways.com. The flower of open system technology from 5 years ago.

Windows (as a server and/or compute platform) is for people who either don't know how or don't care about security, scalability, or stability. That's fine for some businesses but not for those who want to do a big chunk of revenue by webby means.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

While I do agree that the time involved made the transactions faster, many of you are not looking at all the issues involved. Maybe you don't understand or just don't want to understand.

For alll the talk of how expensive/difficult it would be for SHARES to support card/passport readers, it's interesting that CO stations have them - a slot on the keyboard...just like on SABRE.

 

[Dog Wonder]

In house IT has screwed up the website and the Hub.

Incompetence comes cheap.

If you look only on the front end it is a good deal. In the long run it smells of more profit taking on the top.

 

[ChrisUS]

Having a passenger use the kiosk saves money for the company and nothing else. It has always taken me less time to have the agent process a check-in than the kiosk.

Amen to that, but which do you think the company prefers and cares about?
Your time is yours, the agents time is COMPANY time. <_<

 

[ChrisUS]

Not sure, but it was an older lady. The type that won't order online as well. They don't know what SSL is.. ROFL.

" It must be SOCIAL SECURITY LIABILITY or something like that. " Right ? LOL!

 

[PHX-F/A]

We havn't had credit card swipers in years at PHX. It is a pain having to type the credit card number/exp date.

the gates still the old MAGTEK card readers, they are at the bottom edge of the screen, just below counter level.

The ones that I saw obviously had not been used in a while as they were covered in dust, but the power light was on.

THey are probably in the same spot at the ticket counter. PHXTR was never great at training people, always trial by fire

Also a dozen or so dailies to Mexico, flights to YVR, YYZ, YEG, YYC... yeah, HP never flew anywhere international.

I could have sworn I've seen gate-reader equipment at America West stations, but I've never seen agents actually use them. Was there a test install at a few places that never went beyond the trial stage?

PHX-A19 has one, and all the gates in Las Vegas have them as the county owns the gates and the gate equipment. Common use-cUte system.

 

[ClueByFour]

Question for you or anyone else in the IT field. Would it be correct to state Win based platforms are cheap from an aquisition point of view, but expensive from a total cost of ownership stand point?

Depends upon how you look at. You can make windows work reasonably well, but given the same amount of capital investment (And assuming the technical acumen to run it), one can produce the same amount of "compute" (specifically as it pertains to web service) with a lesser capital investment in on a unix/free (with free=linux or *BSD) platform.

Now, that does not even begin to consider what is on the back end of a given e-commerece app. But generally speaking, the web/app server combination can run on anything and interface with whats behind it.

The US site is a textbook example (near as I can tell from using the thing and poking at it) as to how not to do things. The fact that customer data and logins are still not fully encrypted boggles the mind.

 

[computer guy]

Question for you or anyone else in the IT field. Would it be correct to state Win based platforms are cheap from an aquisition point of view, but expensive from a total cost of ownership stand point?

It depends on a lot of things. In my line of work, we run Windows, Mac OS X, Linux, AS/400, and Solaris. Each platform has its own strength and weaknesses.

Sometimes it comes down to the application you want to run and what platform its available on. Other times, it comes down to vendor's recommendation, i.e. they support both Windows and Linux, but recommend one over the other in a specific environment. Sometime it can come down to whatever the initial cost is to bring the system in house. It can even come down to the specific hardware you want to run the system on. Basically there is a lot of different factors that go into selecting a platform, many of which I haven't mentioned here.

For our webplatform, you could use anything as long as it will talk to your backend. I personally run Linux for my web environment, but then again I have a background in Linux. If no one in my shop knew how to use Linux, then it might not be my choice for a webplatform.

It is very possible US has no experience with any flavor os *NIX, so everything must be Windows. If you need to screw something into a piece of wood and only have a hammer, you have two choices. Make do with what you have, or go find a screwdriver. I get the impression they pick the first choice, and even then they don't know how to use the hammer

In any case, US IT committed the cardinal sin of IT. They launched something that affected their ability to do business (the website) without fully testing it and then expected the customers to be patient while they worked out the bugs.

 

[Dont call me Shirley]

Slightly off the topic the keyboards, but related to SHARES:

1. Do any HP stations use native SHARES (instead of QIK)?
2. What other carriers use SHARES (besides CO)?