Tracking the ridiculous inconsistency of AC's OLCI reminder e-mails
Jul 28, 2017, 1:03 pm
#16
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Providence RI
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So True.
This is so absolutely, 100 percent true, I broke into song reading it.
I bought a ticket to the world,
But now I've come back again.
Why do I find it hard to write the next line?
Oh I want the truth to be said.
................"True" by Spandau Ballet
Jul 28, 2017, 1:27 pm
#17
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Jul 28, 2017, 2:32 pm
#18
Join Date: Jan 2013
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My point is, I believe those who find it very important to OLCI at T-xx (myself included), have recognized the emails are totally unreliable, so have employed alternate means to remind ourselves at the predetermined time. Therefore I think the number of people who rely on these emails is comparatively very small.
However, if you believe this thread will help AC solve the issue, or that they think it is even a priority for them to do so, then I wish both it and you every success.
However, if you believe this thread will help AC solve the issue, or that they think it is even a priority for them to do so, then I wish both it and you every success.
Jul 28, 2017, 2:40 pm
#19
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My point is, I believe those who find it very important to OLCI at T-xx (myself included), have recognized the emails are totally unreliable, so have employed alternate means to remind ourselves at the predetermined time. Therefore I think the number of people who rely on these emails is comparatively very small.
Jul 28, 2017, 2:59 pm
#20
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: YYC
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For these reasons I believe most people have just figured out faster/more reliable ways to skin this cat.
Jul 28, 2017, 3:01 pm
#21
Join Date: Aug 2012
Programs: AC E35K, NEXUS
Posts: 4,368
I find it deeply unnerving to get an email at T-22 telling me breathlessly that it is time to check in when I already OLCI at T-23:59.
Many times, I have to check, wait, did I check in or is that a false memory?
I don't expect the OLCI reminder on the dot of T-24 - give the self-propelling passengers a change to get a low seq no. but for heaven's sake, send a token to the database that the checked-in people do not need to be prompted to check in.
Many times, I have to check, wait, did I check in or is that a false memory?
I don't expect the OLCI reminder on the dot of T-24 - give the self-propelling passengers a change to get a low seq no. but for heaven's sake, send a token to the database that the checked-in people do not need to be prompted to check in.
Jul 28, 2017, 3:39 pm
#22
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Adam! How dare you start a thread on such a topic! How dare you! 
We are lame for wanting to make use of a potentially good feature! How dare you!
We are lame for wanting to make use of a potentially good feature! How dare you!
Jul 28, 2017, 3:42 pm
#23
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Jul 28, 2017, 4:29 pm
#24
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Absolutely.
If this email issue gets fixed, it would greatly assst with unlimited FP bookings.
The amount of cancelations and bookings can get up to a couple hundred or more per month and these emails would be of great benefit.
(How dare I fly that much! How dare I make such a claim since it is IMPOSSIBRU)
If this email issue gets fixed, it would greatly assst with unlimited FP bookings.
The amount of cancelations and bookings can get up to a couple hundred or more per month and these emails would be of great benefit.
(How dare I fly that much! How dare I make such a claim since it is IMPOSSIBRU)
Jul 28, 2017, 5:02 pm
#25
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
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Posts: 5,403
Absolutely.
If this email issue gets fixed, it would greatly assst with unlimited FP bookings.
The amount of cancelations and bookings can get up to a couple hundred or more per month and these emails would be of great benefit.
(How dare I fly that much! How dare I make such a claim since it is IMPOSSIBRU)
If this email issue gets fixed, it would greatly assst with unlimited FP bookings.
The amount of cancelations and bookings can get up to a couple hundred or more per month and these emails would be of great benefit.
(How dare I fly that much! How dare I make such a claim since it is IMPOSSIBRU)
Jul 28, 2017, 8:15 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: YYZ
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Posts: 5,612
I actually think there is at least a chance AC IT is sending these emails at t-24.
By which I mean technically calling a mail command to an SMTP request. I suspect their infrastructure is then so poor that most emails disappear for several hours, or ever.
If they're using some kind of planned queuing system... it would explain why cancelled flights still get them. Obviously most companies would have a removeFromQueue method when a flight was cancelled... and we return to AC IT.
By which I mean technically calling a mail command to an SMTP request. I suspect their infrastructure is then so poor that most emails disappear for several hours, or ever.
If they're using some kind of planned queuing system... it would explain why cancelled flights still get them. Obviously most companies would have a removeFromQueue method when a flight was cancelled... and we return to AC IT.
Jul 28, 2017, 8:18 pm
#27
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@Adam Smith Can we make a google form instead that is linked to a non-editable sheet?
Jul 28, 2017, 8:55 pm
#28
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: OGG, YYC
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The reason for the OLCI email anomalies is that periodic (3-4 times weekly) batch extracts are done from the reservations "database" and the extracted files are passed to another system (likely an Intel box) that sends out OLCI emails based on flight dates. The email process only has the data in the potentially out-of-date extract files; it has no access to the online, live "database" (term used loosely). Such data hosted by z/TPF is not accessible from outside - it's a closed system.
There's no mystery here. There's no way AC's IT people don't completely understand its behavior. The results we see are entirely predictable. This is a quick, cheap and low risk implementation but has some obvious limitations.
There's no mystery here. There's no way AC's IT people don't completely understand its behavior. The results we see are entirely predictable. This is a quick, cheap and low risk implementation but has some obvious limitations.
Jul 28, 2017, 9:04 pm
#29
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Vancouver, Canada
Posts: 6,222
Isn't that Air Canada's motto?
Sometimes we're there. Sometimes we're not.
Weekly?
Monthly, maybe.
Or maybe weakly.
Sometimes we're there. Sometimes we're not.
The reason for the OLCI email anomalies is that periodic (3-4 times weekly) batch extracts are done from the reservations "database" and the extracted files are passed to another system (likely an Intel box) that sends out OLCI emails based on flight dates. The email process only has the data in the potentially out-of-date extract files; it has no access to the online, live "database" (term used loosely). Such data hosted by z/TPF is not accessible from outside - it's a closed system.
There's no mystery here. There's no way AC's IT people don't completely understand its behavior. The results we see are entirely predictable. This is a quick, cheap and low risk implementation but has some obvious limitations.
There's no mystery here. There's no way AC's IT people don't completely understand its behavior. The results we see are entirely predictable. This is a quick, cheap and low risk implementation but has some obvious limitations.
Monthly, maybe.
Or maybe weakly.
Last edited by tcook052; Jul 28, 2017 at 9:44 pm Reason: merge posts
Jul 28, 2017, 11:22 pm
#30
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: sqrt(-united states of apologist)
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Posts: 5,403
I actually think there is at least a chance AC IT is sending these emails at t-24.
By which I mean technically calling a mail command to an SMTP request. I suspect their infrastructure is then so poor that most emails disappear for several hours, or ever.
If they're using some kind of planned queuing system... it would explain why cancelled flights still get them. Obviously most companies would have a removeFromQueue method when a flight was cancelled... and we return to AC IT.
By which I mean technically calling a mail command to an SMTP request. I suspect their infrastructure is then so poor that most emails disappear for several hours, or ever.
If they're using some kind of planned queuing system... it would explain why cancelled flights still get them. Obviously most companies would have a removeFromQueue method when a flight was cancelled... and we return to AC IT.
The reason for the OLCI email anomalies is that periodic (3-4 times weekly) batch extracts are done from the reservations "database" and the extracted files are passed to another system (likely an Intel box) that sends out OLCI emails based on flight dates. The email process only has the data in the potentially out-of-date extract files; it has no access to the online, live "database" (term used loosely). Such data hosted by z/TPF is not accessible from outside - it's a closed system.
There's no mystery here. There's no way AC's IT people don't completely understand its behavior. The results we see are entirely predictable. This is a quick, cheap and low risk implementation but has some obvious limitations.
There's no mystery here. There's no way AC's IT people don't completely understand its behavior. The results we see are entirely predictable. This is a quick, cheap and low risk implementation but has some obvious limitations.