not a bad chinese idea to make bosses aware of the millenium bug
 

(from yahoo news)

LONDON (Reuters) - China, as an ultimate incentive to solve the millennium bug computer problem, has ordered its airline executives to take a flight on January 1, 2000, the Financial Times said on Friday.

``All the heads of the airlines have got to be in the air on January 1, 2000,'' the FT quoted Zhao Bo, in charge of dealing with the problem at the Chinese ministry of information industries, as saying.

The ministry directive coincides with a push by Beijing to minimise the risk of chaos if computer systems and electronics fail to recognize the date change from December 31, 1999 to January 1, 2000.

The millennium bug or Year 2000 (Y2K) problem refers to the fact that many computers and embedded chips calculate time by only using the last two digits of a year. As a result, computers may read 2000 as 1900 or simply 00.

Unless rectified, the problem could cause computers to crash or miscalculate.

The danger to aircraft safety from the millennium bug has reportedly made some airlines consider whether they should ground all flights late on December 31.

The FT said a special problem in China is the amount of pirated software. Technicians cannot consult the manufacturers and must themselves work out how to defuse the bug.

The Chinese order follows a decision by Jane Garvey, head of the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, to fly across America on New Year's eve to demonstrate the safety of U.S. systems.

[This message has been edited by Rudi (edited 01-19-99).]

I heard about this, probably on CNN Rudi.
It sounds like several media outfits in my neck of the woods wanting everyone to work New Year's Eve to cover the "collapse" of life as we know it.

I NEVER work on my birthday which happens to be on New Year's Eve, although I must admit
my gut tells me to be close to home for that date. I have a New Year's Party I can go to.
(will probably come back from whereever I am before then.) I don't know why I don't want to travel on N-Y-E. CATMAN

According to the column by a Scott McCabe, a former airline pilot, the whole exectuives flying on the night of 12/31/99 or 1/1/2000 is really just a gimmick.

"First, there is no real possibility of any airliners falling out of the sky at midnight on New Year's eve. As machines, they are totally independent of any big, ground-based computers that might go belly-up with the turn of the century. Even the most sophisticated computerized airplanes we currently fly have no idea what year it is. The currency of our navigational databases are predicated on date, but if they are out of date they continue to work. No other computer on the airplane knows what day it is (or isn't)."

He gives a fairly convincing argument. For the entire article, follow this link: http://www.biztravel.com/V4/bizTravel.cfm?sec=4&User=0&Page=01050400&Data=0&ta rget=_top&dest=0

Rudi - what a radical idea -- making directors responsible for their companies! Next you will be suggesting that directors have their remuneration reduced when their company's profit drops!

Y2K is a bunch of sh**! Nothing is going to happen. No planes are going to fall, no banks are going to collapse! It's all a gloom and doom thing that has been tremendously overplayed by the press.

The only thing that could possibly happen is that Catman celebrates another birthday, gets smashed, and posts 1,000 OMNI messages on FlyerTalk!!!!!

OMNI: I too think the Y2K thing is overblown by the media (not by me of course!) So many stories get so overblown (for example: this Tinky Winky thing. Nuff said!)

By the way JAWS... I've heard through my sources you celebrated my birthday with a lot of Shiner BOck! My new buds the Texas Rangers told me! I am honored.

The strongest stuff i'll have is PEPSI! CATMAN



[This message has been edited by Catman (edited 02-11-99).]

I'm having Shiner Bock put on your UA flight to London. You should be able to alternate SB and Pepsi.

Say, there might be an upside to all of this.

What do you think the probability will be that that there will be lots of ultra cheap tickets around for flights on Jan 1 2000?

I see bargains abounding...

cheers peter

Peter - so far it is heading the other way.

(from USToday)

Millennium tickets go on sale
By Laura Bly, USA TODAY

After months of feverish speculation about Y2K crashes and a stampede of reservations, airlines are finally selling tickets to revelers who want to ring in the new millennium away from home.

A few carriers have been booking millennium trips through their own computers for several weeks. But since most major airlines and computer
reservations systems don't sell seats more than 331 days ahead, Thursday was the first day most travel agents could book post-1999 flights.

The good news: Worries about Y2K-related snafus proved unfounded, and tickets for travel on Jan. 1, 2000, were processed without a hitch.

The bad news: Despite reportedly lackluster bookings, airlines have clamped down on year-end discounts and made all fares nonrefundable to select cities.

Between Dec. 16, 1999, and Jan.10, 2000, many major carriers have made even first-class and full-fare coach tickets nonrefundable to such popular destinations as Florida, Hawaii, Denver, New York City, Las Vegas and New Orleans.

The airlines say the tighter restrictions, which include purchase within 24 hours, are necessary to keep travelers from making speculative reservations and canceling them at the last minute. Similar rules have applied to such major events as the Super Bowl and the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

At least one airline, Continental, is going even further by eliminating all discount fares to those select destinations.

"The prices we're seeing are ludicrous," says travel agent Stacy Billiard of Norwalk Travel in Norwalk, Ohio.

Case in point: She checked this week for Continental flights leaving Cleveland for Orlando on Dec. 28, 29 and 30 --and learned that the trip would cost $1,636 round trip vs. a current advance-purchase fare as low as $220 round trip. As for hotels, "a Caribbean resort that was $250 a night is now charging $400, and what had been a 7-night minimum is now 10 nights."

"So far," says Billiard, "all the customers I've talked with are saying, 'It's not worth it. I'll stay home instead.'" Airfare expert Terry Trippler, consumer advocate for the Web site 1travel.com, notes that "there's no set pattern" for millennium rules and fares, making it imperative to comparison shop.

We'll have a pretty good idea of what's happening by early March, but right now nobody knows what's going on," says Trippler. Best advice for on-the-fence celebrants: Sit tight and gamble that if demand continues to be sluggish, restrictions and prices will tumble.

That's already happening at some cruise lines, which logged massive cancellations after travelers balked at paying fares that were, in some cases, more than triple their normal holiday rates.

"You've got to be able to play poker," says Thom Nulty of Associated Travel in Santa Ana, Calif. "I think there's going to be more space and lower prices, but the real savings might not kick in until October."