Apr 16, 2013, 12:37 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
MODERATOR GUIDEPOST
On April 16, 2013, AA suffered widespread problems (bookings, changes, aircraft holds and cancellations) caused by an HP-owned communications link breakdown. Many travellers were affected by cancelled or extensively delayed flights; this thread was dedicated to providing as current information as possible to members involved, and extraneous comments were suppressed by deletion and members asked to hew to strict informational guidelines.
The original wikipost can be read in the first post's Moderator Note.
Those still travelling and affected were advised to read this post this post.
The thread relating to proactive and related compensation provided to distressed / affected flyers as a result of the 16 Apr 2013 events can be read here.
On April 16, 2013, AA suffered widespread problems (bookings, changes, aircraft holds and cancellations) caused by an HP-owned communications link breakdown. Many travellers were affected by cancelled or extensively delayed flights; this thread was dedicated to providing as current information as possible to members involved, and extraneous comments were suppressed by deletion and members asked to hew to strict informational guidelines.
The original wikipost can be read in the first post's Moderator Note.
Those still travelling and affected were advised to read this post this post.
The thread relating to proactive and related compensation provided to distressed / affected flyers as a result of the 16 Apr 2013 events can be read here.
16 Apr 2013: AA computers down systemwide, many flights etc. affected
Apr 16, 2013, 12:38 pm
#46
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: SFO or OAK
Programs: AA 1MM GLD, Hertz #1 Gold, bunch of other programs w/no status
Posts: 1,454
My wife is on SFO-ORD #2010. Sat on the plane for 2 hours and just de-planed. She was told could be another 2 hrs....
Apr 16, 2013, 12:39 pm
#47
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arlington, Va.
Posts: 321
AA now admitting it is not Sabre but AA systems.
Via Facebook: :"
Clarification: The issue is with American’s ability to access its reservations system & not with Sabre. We apologize to Sabre and customers for any confusion."
Someone's got some explaining to do
Via Facebook: :"
Clarification: The issue is with American’s ability to access its reservations system & not with Sabre. We apologize to Sabre and customers for any confusion."
Someone's got some explaining to do
Apr 16, 2013, 12:40 pm
#48
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: SkyMiles, OnePass, MileagePlus
Posts: 88
I think what AA isnt saying is that there was a Sabre DECS outage in addition to RES. When DECS is out, dispatch loses the ability to flight follow and by FARs the company must groundstop the company flights until dispatch can flight follow again. Flights in the air operate on the captain's emergency authority though it is not an emergency situation.
If RES is down, it shouldnt cause a company groundstop. There are ways to do manual weight and balance and manually check in passengers.
When DECS is out, dispatch cant flight follow or send dispatch releases. Without dispatch releases, there is no fuel load, flight plan and not authorization for that flight to operate legally.
When DECS is out, the company doesnt have any quick way to post delays since delays get posted through DECS.
AA and AE have a Sabre backup system but it is very difficult to dispatch flights and flight follow with it. The company basically grounds to a halt until the company can get organized to do the back up flight following and dispatch release system. If the problem wasnt expected to take long to fix, the company will likely just groundstop for a while because if they had to go to the DECS back up system, there would be massive cancelations. The amount of releases and flights a dispatcher can follow will be a fraction of a normal day.
If RES is down, it shouldnt cause a company groundstop. There are ways to do manual weight and balance and manually check in passengers.
When DECS is out, dispatch cant flight follow or send dispatch releases. Without dispatch releases, there is no fuel load, flight plan and not authorization for that flight to operate legally.
When DECS is out, the company doesnt have any quick way to post delays since delays get posted through DECS.
AA and AE have a Sabre backup system but it is very difficult to dispatch flights and flight follow with it. The company basically grounds to a halt until the company can get organized to do the back up flight following and dispatch release system. If the problem wasnt expected to take long to fix, the company will likely just groundstop for a while because if they had to go to the DECS back up system, there would be massive cancelations. The amount of releases and flights a dispatcher can follow will be a fraction of a normal day.
Apr 16, 2013, 12:40 pm
#49
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Arlington, Va.
Posts: 321
And update at 2:40pm EST:
UPDATE: We are now in a system-wide ground delay until 4:00pm CT as we work to resolve this issue. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOT GOOD!
UPDATE: We are now in a system-wide ground delay until 4:00pm CT as we work to resolve this issue. We apologize for any inconvenience.
NOT GOOD!
Apr 16, 2013, 12:46 pm
#50
Senior Moderator
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco, CA
Programs: UA Plat/2MM [23-yr. 1K, now emeritus] clawing way back to WN-A List; MR LT Titanium; HY Whateverist.
Posts: 12,396
CNBC reporting a voluntary ground stop of all domestic AA flights at request of AA until 5:00 pm EDT
(AppAArently since confirmed on AA's twitter feed.)
(AppAArently since confirmed on AA's twitter feed.)
Last edited by Ocn Vw 1K; Apr 16, 2013 at 12:55 pm
Apr 16, 2013, 12:55 pm
#51
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA PLT, HHonors DIA
Posts: 125
I'm at CMH and was the next guy in line for bags when the system froze (just before 12pm here). Kiosks were still up and running, but they started hand tagging bags. Supposedly still on time here but who knows if they are grounding everything right now.
Apr 16, 2013, 12:56 pm
#52
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: OKC
Programs: IHG Spire, National Exec, AA Plat
Posts: 2,274
AA 816 FLL to ORD. We were On the runway almost home free, but then alas called back to the gate. The pilot is offering tours of the cockpit. Most people left the plane, but the plane is actually way more comfortable than anything in the terminal. So it's just me and a handful of pax here.
Kudos to that pilot for coming up with a creative way to distract people. I actually wish I was on that flight, would be a cool experience!
Apr 16, 2013, 12:58 pm
#53
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP,2MM, DL Gold,Starwood PLT
Posts: 3,876
What it means is that a communication link went down. This is almost always the case in such situations. Sabre itself didn't have a crash, but AA's communication link for departure control. That falls under HP's responsibility to resolve.
Apr 16, 2013, 12:58 pm
#54
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MSY
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Plat, VS Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,531
This is what I get for trying to fly to LHR in paid biz on a 77W..
I'm going to end up in BA CW, aren't I. Sigh.
I'm going to end up in BA CW, aren't I. Sigh.
Apr 16, 2013, 12:59 pm
#55
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: AA, WN, UA, Bonvoy, Hertz
Posts: 2,491
Stuck as well waiting for my flight to DFW. A general push of all flights (whether it is 5 or 6pm eastern now) is interesting, but unless the system comes back up, I am not sure what that means. It might be better than having people wait around the gate to just try and 'reset', but there must be other concerns (crew time outs, ability to handle the amount of planes not in the air at the hubs, the actual ability to restart getting flights out).
Rasheed
Rasheed
Apr 16, 2013, 1:01 pm
#56
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP,2MM, DL Gold,Starwood PLT
Posts: 3,876
Apr 16, 2013, 1:14 pm
#57
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Austin
Programs: AA Platinum 4MM; Marriott Titanium; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 324
Here in CMH, they have cancelled 4 AE flights (I presume they were the CMH-ORD flights for the rest of the day). Still waiting to see if I can get on the 4:20 to DFW, stand-by, rather than waiting for my originally scheduled 7:10 flight to DFW...
Fingers crossed,
--woodstock
Fingers crossed,
--woodstock
Apr 16, 2013, 1:17 pm
#58
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 88
Sorry this is more trivial than what those of you traveling today are experiencing, but I have to ask: I have an award res (a coveted award on CX) that expires tonight, and of course can only be booked by phone. Any chance it will be extended automatically, assuming that even when the system comes back up, it will be impossible to get through tonight? Thanks.
Apr 16, 2013, 1:17 pm
#59
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP,2MM, DL Gold,Starwood PLT
Posts: 3,876
Yes, in this case is is fairly unreasonable. I've worked for Sabre. When these kind of things happen, it's is almost invariably one of the communication links fails due to faulty hardware.
Apr 16, 2013, 1:18 pm
#60
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 23
The news in Dallas is showing 2 robots used for bomb detection searching founders plaza north of dfw airport. Grondstop related perhaps?