March 3, 2012 - integration day for SHARES res. system.
Nov 23, 2011, 11:54 pm
#211
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Location, Location
Programs: Mileage Plus Silver, Marriott Rewards Plutonium
Posts: 17
The CheckIt App is a supplemental Shares application for employee use. It will be on your work terminal; similar to the ETKT or TKT icon currently used by s-CO.In its current state, it supports automated bag check & bag fee collections, as well as simplified TIMATIC. Point & click, the way FastAir users enjoy.
It is currently in development, and in Beta testing in IAD & TUL, with plans to roll out at other Hubs prior to Shares cut over, with additional features anticipated before March.
Employees can read about it on Skynet; there was an announcement last week.
It is currently in development, and in Beta testing in IAD & TUL, with plans to roll out at other Hubs prior to Shares cut over, with additional features anticipated before March.
Employees can read about it on Skynet; there was an announcement last week.
Nov 24, 2011, 8:16 pm
#212
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: MSP/BUF/BNA/LFT
Programs: AA Plat, Priority Club Gold, Choice Privileges Gold
Posts: 1,225
These past few posts have been very enlightening, thanks for sharing (no pun intended).
I think the posts do support another argument of channa: A slow agent, a lazy agent, an unexperienced agent new to Shares, or a stressed out under pressure agent (irrops) could certainly try and 'blow off' an elite who is requesting benefits / service based upon their elite status.
Yes, the elite qualifies for some benefit or extra support, but because it will take too long for the agent to execute the transaction, in some cases I could see an agent telling the customer that they cannot do it.
I think the posts do support another argument of channa: A slow agent, a lazy agent, an unexperienced agent new to Shares, or a stressed out under pressure agent (irrops) could certainly try and 'blow off' an elite who is requesting benefits / service based upon their elite status.
Yes, the elite qualifies for some benefit or extra support, but because it will take too long for the agent to execute the transaction, in some cases I could see an agent telling the customer that they cannot do it.
When I informed her that that was incorrect also, she finally decided ask her supervisor about who is eligible for exit row seating. The supervisor told her to look up the profile in SHARES and gave her the code. She read the profile and then had to ask the supervisor "Whats an ELR seat?" I was standing there with a dumbfounded look on my face. Seriously?
After this the annoyed sup just took over, pulled up my record and after many keystrokes showed the agent that there were no $ signs on the exit rows seats therefore she could assign them for free. The sup then assigned me my new seat.
How can you be a a gate agent and not know this stuff? She was not a new hire or a UA agent just learning SHARES. I have to think she was just being lazy because it was too many keystrokes.
Nov 24, 2011, 9:18 pm
#213
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Somewhere I've Driven To
Programs: HiltonHonors, IHG Hotels, DL Skymiles
Posts: 2,070
..........When I informed her that that was incorrect also, she finally decided ask her supervisor about who is eligible for exit row seating. The supervisor told her to look up the profile in SHARES and gave her the code. She read the profile and then had to ask the supervisor "Whats an ELR seat?" I was standing there with a dumbfounded look on my face. Seriously?
After this the annoyed sup just took over, pulled up my record and after many keystrokes showed the agent that there were no $ signs on the exit rows seats therefore she could assign them for free. The sup then assigned me my new seat.
How can you be a a gate agent and not know this stuff? She was not a new hire or a UA agent just learning SHARES. I have to think she was just being lazy because it was too many keystrokes.
After this the annoyed sup just took over, pulled up my record and after many keystrokes showed the agent that there were no $ signs on the exit rows seats therefore she could assign them for free. The sup then assigned me my new seat.
How can you be a a gate agent and not know this stuff? She was not a new hire or a UA agent just learning SHARES. I have to think she was just being lazy because it was too many keystrokes.
===================================
Not to throw a monkey wrench into this, but NO supervisor at United is going to step in and do the job of the CSR.....unlike Continental CSRs we are a union shop and this isn't going to happen. If a UA supervisor happens to be around, they might make a suggestion "how" to do something but they are not going to actually do it hands on.
As I have stated previously and since I am not a lazy person, my goal, when I learn SHARES, is to become as knowlegeable as possible and hope to pick up some speed once I know the most important entries. Hopefully, the entirely new FastShares or FastRez or whatever it is going to be called will be up and running sooner than later but we're hearing 12-18 months away (ugh, I hope not???).
In defense of the CO CSR, E+ is fairly new to them as UA is only recently redoing E+ on CO airplanes. Sounds like she should have been up on it but probably hasn't sold the upsell to anyone yet. Nevertheless, I would venture to say that more and more lobby agents will "suggest" seat changes be done at the gate.
P.S. - Not trying to turn this particular thread into a "union vs non-union" debate....please keep it on topic, thanks.
Last edited by FlyingNone; Nov 24, 2011 at 9:29 pm
Nov 24, 2011, 9:37 pm
#214
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Somewhere I've Driven To
Programs: HiltonHonors, IHG Hotels, DL Skymiles
Posts: 2,070
ELR ? , At UA we call it Economy Plus - I had to think for a minute -- Extra Leg Room.
So, we not only have to learn SHARES, we are discovering that CO uses a lot of different codes and acronyms for things that we now have to learn/ adapt to. Another example is if a passenger at United is checked in but then cancels or moves to another flight, we "offload" the passenger from the original flight. CO calls it "unseat".
So, initially at least, you are going to have UA employees not familiar with CO lingo and CO employees not familiar with UA lingo. The concepts are the same but the "language" is different. I'm seeing a lot of "confused" looks in the future.
So, we not only have to learn SHARES, we are discovering that CO uses a lot of different codes and acronyms for things that we now have to learn/ adapt to. Another example is if a passenger at United is checked in but then cancels or moves to another flight, we "offload" the passenger from the original flight. CO calls it "unseat".
So, initially at least, you are going to have UA employees not familiar with CO lingo and CO employees not familiar with UA lingo. The concepts are the same but the "language" is different. I'm seeing a lot of "confused" looks in the future.
Last edited by FlyingNone; Nov 24, 2011 at 9:51 pm
Nov 25, 2011, 6:18 pm
#215
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
In addition to the lingo, there may be consequences to the procedural differences if not correctly followed.
For example, when UA reroutes you, they typically offload you and book you on new flights (your old flights are still there, and it doesn't matter since UA won't delete downline segments if you no-show one you changed off of).
On CO, the minute you no-show a segment, the rest of the itin is cancelled.
So I can see if a legacy UA agent out of habit follows the legacy UA procedure, it could create a mess in the customer's PNR if they have a return or other segments in there.
btw, I did witness some cross-training going on at SFO the other day. They had one (1) UA agent with the three (3) CO agents running a CO flight. The UA agents was asking a bunch of questions and had a hand-written cheat-sheet of commands, but at least they're giving some practical, hands-on training.
Nov 25, 2011, 9:48 pm
#216
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: Somewhere I've Driven To
Programs: HiltonHonors, IHG Hotels, DL Skymiles
Posts: 2,070
[QUOTE=channa;17515488]''''''''''''''''In addition to the lingo, there may be consequences to the procedural differences if not correctly followed.
For example, when UA reroutes you, they typically offload you and book you on new flights (your old flights are still there, and it doesn't matter since UA won't delete downline segments if you no-show one you changed off of).
On CO, the minute you no-show a segment, the rest of the itin is cancelled.
So I can see if a legacy UA agent out of habit follows the legacy UA procedure, it could create a mess in the customer's PNR if they have a return or other segments in there''''''''''''''
================================================== ===
I'm already starting to see this happen with 005 issued tix.....(i.e., UA segment to Chicago and CO segment connecting from ORD; downline segment and return segments cancelled if first UA segment was not used). However, I have not necessarily seen this in every case.
Right now at UAL we can call a particular desk to reinstate downline segment(s) cancelled robotically. They're usually able to do it 99 percent of the time. Will UA keep this phone number ? I don't know what CO's procedure is - Do they try to rebook or reinstate the original downline segments or do they just book whatever is still available?....I can see I've got to write down a lot of questions before I go into training.
For example, when UA reroutes you, they typically offload you and book you on new flights (your old flights are still there, and it doesn't matter since UA won't delete downline segments if you no-show one you changed off of).
On CO, the minute you no-show a segment, the rest of the itin is cancelled.
So I can see if a legacy UA agent out of habit follows the legacy UA procedure, it could create a mess in the customer's PNR if they have a return or other segments in there''''''''''''''
================================================== ===
I'm already starting to see this happen with 005 issued tix.....(i.e., UA segment to Chicago and CO segment connecting from ORD; downline segment and return segments cancelled if first UA segment was not used). However, I have not necessarily seen this in every case.
Right now at UAL we can call a particular desk to reinstate downline segment(s) cancelled robotically. They're usually able to do it 99 percent of the time. Will UA keep this phone number ? I don't know what CO's procedure is - Do they try to rebook or reinstate the original downline segments or do they just book whatever is still available?....I can see I've got to write down a lot of questions before I go into training.
Nov 25, 2011, 11:26 pm
#217
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
================================================== ===
I'm already starting to see this happen with 005 issued tix.....(i.e., UA segment to Chicago and CO segment connecting from ORD; downline segment and return segments cancelled if first UA segment was not used). However, I have not necessarily seen this in every case.
Right now at UAL we can call a particular desk to reinstate downline segment(s) cancelled robotically. They're usually able to do it 99 percent of the time. Will UA keep this phone number ? I don't know what CO's procedure is - Do they try to rebook or reinstate the original downline segments or do they just book whatever is still available?....I can see I've got to write down a lot of questions before I go into training.
I'm already starting to see this happen with 005 issued tix.....(i.e., UA segment to Chicago and CO segment connecting from ORD; downline segment and return segments cancelled if first UA segment was not used). However, I have not necessarily seen this in every case.
Right now at UAL we can call a particular desk to reinstate downline segment(s) cancelled robotically. They're usually able to do it 99 percent of the time. Will UA keep this phone number ? I don't know what CO's procedure is - Do they try to rebook or reinstate the original downline segments or do they just book whatever is still available?....I can see I've got to write down a lot of questions before I go into training.
Nov 26, 2011, 8:32 am
#218
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: One Pass
Posts: 250
[QUOTE=FlyingNone;17516108]
I asked a CO employee friend of mine. In SHARES you do not have to call a support desk if the segments are still available to to sell. You just re sell them in the reservation. If they're not available, then a support desk has to be called to oversell the flight. He says it's a pretty simple and I've watched him work on my reservation before. There seems to be some typing involved but he's pretty quick.
''''''''''''''''In addition to the lingo, there may be consequences to the procedural differences if not correctly followed.
For example, when UA reroutes you, they typically offload you and book you on new flights (your old flights are still there, and it doesn't matter since UA won't delete downline segments if you no-show one you changed off of).
On CO, the minute you no-show a segment, the rest of the itin is cancelled.
So I can see if a legacy UA agent out of habit follows the legacy UA procedure, it could create a mess in the customer's PNR if they have a return or other segments in there''''''''''''''
================================================== ===
I'm already starting to see this happen with 005 issued tix.....(i.e., UA segment to Chicago and CO segment connecting from ORD; downline segment and return segments cancelled if first UA segment was not used). However, I have not necessarily seen this in every case.
Right now at UAL we can call a particular desk to reinstate downline segment(s) cancelled robotically. They're usually able to do it 99 percent of the time. Will UA keep this phone number ? I don't know what CO's procedure is - Do they try to rebook or reinstate the original downline segments or do they just book whatever is still available?....I can see I've got to write down a lot of questions before I go into training.
For example, when UA reroutes you, they typically offload you and book you on new flights (your old flights are still there, and it doesn't matter since UA won't delete downline segments if you no-show one you changed off of).
On CO, the minute you no-show a segment, the rest of the itin is cancelled.
So I can see if a legacy UA agent out of habit follows the legacy UA procedure, it could create a mess in the customer's PNR if they have a return or other segments in there''''''''''''''
================================================== ===
I'm already starting to see this happen with 005 issued tix.....(i.e., UA segment to Chicago and CO segment connecting from ORD; downline segment and return segments cancelled if first UA segment was not used). However, I have not necessarily seen this in every case.
Right now at UAL we can call a particular desk to reinstate downline segment(s) cancelled robotically. They're usually able to do it 99 percent of the time. Will UA keep this phone number ? I don't know what CO's procedure is - Do they try to rebook or reinstate the original downline segments or do they just book whatever is still available?....I can see I've got to write down a lot of questions before I go into training.
Nov 26, 2011, 10:49 am
#219
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: ORD/MDW
Posts: 99
Yesterday I encountered a particularly poorly-trained or lazy CO gate agent at MSP. She was not busy and I wanted to switch to exit row on my connecting flight out of IAH.
When I informed her that that was incorrect also, she finally decided ask her supervisor about who is eligible for exit row seating. The supervisor told her to look up the profile in SHARES and gave her the code. She read the profile and then had to ask the supervisor "Whats an ELR seat?" I was standing there with a dumbfounded look on my face. Seriously?
After this the annoyed sup just took over, pulled up my record and after many keystrokes showed the agent that there were no $ signs on the exit rows seats therefore she could assign them for free. The sup then assigned me my new seat.
How can you be a a gate agent and not know this stuff? She was not a new hire or a UA agent just learning SHARES. I have to think she was just being lazy because it was too many keystrokes.
When I informed her that that was incorrect also, she finally decided ask her supervisor about who is eligible for exit row seating. The supervisor told her to look up the profile in SHARES and gave her the code. She read the profile and then had to ask the supervisor "Whats an ELR seat?" I was standing there with a dumbfounded look on my face. Seriously?
After this the annoyed sup just took over, pulled up my record and after many keystrokes showed the agent that there were no $ signs on the exit rows seats therefore she could assign them for free. The sup then assigned me my new seat.
How can you be a a gate agent and not know this stuff? She was not a new hire or a UA agent just learning SHARES. I have to think she was just being lazy because it was too many keystrokes.
Unfortunately dls25's experience seems to happen all too often, an agent or other employee who doesn't seem to have the knowledge/interest in doing their job correctly. A CO agent should know what ELR seats are for certain, and I have also encountered this similar look of confusion in the past. (I believe the poster was speaking with a CO agent about a CO flight, as was I.) However all airlines and most companies have this type of of employee.
But that is the most important issue with the cutover to SHARES, is it not? That with the many workers who have not bothered to learn their pre-merger carrier's systems and rules, many of which have been in place for years, how suddenly is it to be expected that they be able to apply the low-level programming required by SHARES in such a short amount of time?
I think that we will be surprised. In my work experience I have seen what happens when things are communicated effectively, and in advance, and that people will surprise you in the way they rise to this type of challenge. I do not have travel plans in the first week of March, but I wouldn't shy away from something that came up.
Nov 30, 2011, 11:15 am
#220
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: MileagePlus
Posts: 412
1st look at SHARES from a UA GA
After 2 days of SHARES training here is my take so far.
FastAir is something like Windows XP (stable, fairly integrated, many of the rough edges have been smoothed out)
Native Apollo is something like using the Command processor in Windows XP.
SHARES is like using DOS 5 (a circa 1991 OS ) in 2011. It works but boy is it ugly. Lots of stuff appears that shouldn't and lots of stuff that should be there isn't. The display screens tend to be cluttered and very user unfriendly. It appears that during application the development process once a process worked all further refinement stopped.
One big SHARES short fall is lack of history. We asked the question and so fare have been told the is no way in SHARES to view the history of changes/entries to PNRs or check-in entries. So it seems that when seats or segments change or disappear we won't be able to understand why or how it happened and explain it to you the customer.
Selling things like E+/ELR takes about 10 entries moving up and down through each of half a dozen different screens.
Where in Apollo everything (ticketing, services, check-in etc.) is integrated SHARES consists of series of modules that are loosely tied together. There a ticketing module, a fee module, a seat module, a special services module and so on. Each module requires multiple steps before it can send its output back to a PNR or check-in entry.
I can say without any reservation I and my 23 classmates are committed to making it work but at this early stage in training the feeling is come March we won't be able to provide the same level of service due the fact that the tools available won't up to the task at hand. If the the kiosk or OLCI didn't work allow at least 5 times the amount of time you are used to when an agent has to fix something (at least for the 1st couple of months).
FastAir is something like Windows XP (stable, fairly integrated, many of the rough edges have been smoothed out)
Native Apollo is something like using the Command processor in Windows XP.
SHARES is like using DOS 5 (a circa 1991 OS ) in 2011. It works but boy is it ugly. Lots of stuff appears that shouldn't and lots of stuff that should be there isn't. The display screens tend to be cluttered and very user unfriendly. It appears that during application the development process once a process worked all further refinement stopped.
One big SHARES short fall is lack of history. We asked the question and so fare have been told the is no way in SHARES to view the history of changes/entries to PNRs or check-in entries. So it seems that when seats or segments change or disappear we won't be able to understand why or how it happened and explain it to you the customer.
Selling things like E+/ELR takes about 10 entries moving up and down through each of half a dozen different screens.
Where in Apollo everything (ticketing, services, check-in etc.) is integrated SHARES consists of series of modules that are loosely tied together. There a ticketing module, a fee module, a seat module, a special services module and so on. Each module requires multiple steps before it can send its output back to a PNR or check-in entry.
I can say without any reservation I and my 23 classmates are committed to making it work but at this early stage in training the feeling is come March we won't be able to provide the same level of service due the fact that the tools available won't up to the task at hand. If the the kiosk or OLCI didn't work allow at least 5 times the amount of time you are used to when an agent has to fix something (at least for the 1st couple of months).
Nov 30, 2011, 11:19 am
#221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: LGA/JFK/EWR
Programs: UA 1K1.75MM, Hyatt Globalist, abandoned Marriott LTT (RIP SPG), Hertz PC
Posts: 21,172
Thanks for the insight
Love the OS analogies! Yes, we all anticipate it is going to be bad - just hope they don't delay or flake on the promise to develop FastSHARES.
Nov 30, 2011, 11:32 am
#222
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,068
Thank you for posting your insights. This sounds like it will be a rude awakening for many of the UA GAs accustomed to better systems.
The UA GA I talked to the other day said it was like going back to the 1800's and using a typewriter. So you're being much more generous in comparison. 
That's a bummer. Do you know if the history is kept, it's just a matter of the GA not being able to see it? Or is the history on things like seat changes not even stored?
I have used the history a handful of times to figure out what happened in a situation. I wonder if this lack of history (or lack of available history) is a reason why CO seems to be more prone to shenanigans in things like upgrades -- because they know it would be difficult to uncover what happened.
Interesting. You would think that they would make upselling easy on agents.
I'm going to say not just the first few months, but indefinitely. The reality of the situation is that there are humans involved, and cumbersome systems and overly complex processes will lead to degraded service. Someone who many in a borderline situation (e.g., should we rebook him or not, there's a chance he'll make it), instead of just doing it, when faced with the level of effort required to do it, some co-workers (maybe not you), will find a way to get rid of the customer rather than to help.
March will represent a loss of customer service for legacy United flyers that will not be restored until CO can return equivalent system functionality to its agents.
FastAir is something like Windows XP (stable, fairly integrated, many of the rough edges have been smoothed out)
Native Apollo is something like using the Command processor in Windows XP.
SHARES is like using DOS 5 (a circa 1991 OS ) in 2011. It works but boy is it ugly.
Native Apollo is something like using the Command processor in Windows XP.
SHARES is like using DOS 5 (a circa 1991 OS ) in 2011. It works but boy is it ugly.
One big SHARES short fall is lack of history. We asked the question and so fare have been told the is no way in SHARES to view the history of changes/entries to PNRs or check-in entries. So it seems that when seats or segments change or disappear we won't be able to understand why or how it happened and explain it to you the customer.
I have used the history a handful of times to figure out what happened in a situation. I wonder if this lack of history (or lack of available history) is a reason why CO seems to be more prone to shenanigans in things like upgrades -- because they know it would be difficult to uncover what happened.
I can say without any reservation I and my 23 classmates are committed to making it work but at this early stage in training the feeling is come March we won't be able to provide the same level of service due the fact that the tools available won't up to the task at hand. If the the kiosk or OLCI didn't work allow at least 5 times the amount of time you are used to when an agent has to fix something (at least for the 1st couple of months).
March will represent a loss of customer service for legacy United flyers that will not be restored until CO can return equivalent system functionality to its agents.
Nov 30, 2011, 11:44 am
#223
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Nov 30, 2011, 11:46 am
#224
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: USA
Programs: MYOB
Posts: 1,292
*H while in the PNR does not give you the history?
Nov 30, 2011, 1:14 pm
#225
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: MileagePlus
Posts: 412
*H returned nothing. Could be an artifact of using a training SHARES environment.