Originally Posted by
GoAmtrak
Then it seems there's something intrinsic to EasyInfo that triggers the message unnecessarily. Again, what a waste of time for the poor GAs. It's the opposite effect of what IT upgrades are supposed to produce.
Bingo! The signs still have the same software (no updates to it) since the launch. They take no input from the GA, but uses data directly from the computer's booked load factor and what the controller sets the dptr time. On a late turn, it assumes the plane has been there for hours and counts down boarding time as if a full turn. It doesn't know how to look for misconnects, or people who haven't checked in (even after the checkin cutoff) and says "we need volunteers" If when you checked in, the computer didn't give you a seat (made you a BP2) but the agent assigned you one, it says that you need to see the agent for a seat.
I believe that each day, I spend about 10 min on a normal day, and 25 on an irrops day answering questions where the sign is conveying information that does not need to be asked.
Although, I guess, I don't have to solicit for VDB's and can just IDB everyone, as long as the sign says we are looking for volunteers, I believe that meets the DoT's requirement for solicitation. (Yea, like I am that crude!)
With any new software, it SHOULD be tested, beta'd, and then updated with feedback from the users to make it more user friendly and provided efficiencies, instead of creating redundant/useless work. But this is an airline, and more specifically, UA, so it is clear that a) we don't have the $$, b) UA mgmt doesn't want to hear from the frontline, or c) someone at WHQAO doesn't realize that initial software should not be final software and/or d) WHQAO doesn't believe that operational data from someone there at the gate can be better than their software driven models, because WHQAO and the programmers are mgmt, and therefore must be correct as union employees are stupid.