30 mins and counting to change a flight due to IROPS
 

So my KOA-SFO flight has been delayed today causing a misconnect, I phone the 1k line to change our flight. Reservation changed in 3 seconds, followed by 30 mins and counting on hold for the agent to resync my ticket. What a terrible, terrible, terrible computer system.

EDIT: If I ever meet the guy who keeps telling me about the mileage plus explorer card, I won't be held responsible for my actions.

It takes a few seconds for the desk they call to re-sync the ticket. I know this because I've had it done at least 100 times in the past. I think you may have jumped to the wrong conclusion - nothing to do with any computer system.

More likely the agent made the change incorrectly, or they can't get in touch with the person who can make the change in a few seconds.

Now I totally agree that they shouldn't have to call anyone, but it doesn't take 30 minutes to make the change.

Been there done that, OP. In fact, I've seen it take far longer.

Did this a few days ago ---
No weather exception (ORD) (doing a MR) until I get to the airport & my flight to IAD is boarding. Informed by g/a's that most flights out of ORD are already delayed up to 3 hours.
Beat it from the gate to the UC and ask to be rerouted through IAH on my return instead of ORD. Told to head to my plane, muy pronto, and things would be handled. Get to IAD and bingo I'm F/C via IAH and back home.

"Who ya gonna call?" My wife telling her that I'll be home earlier than expected!^^^

+1 - Synching happens all the time and I've never had a problem getting it done in very short order (far less than 5 mins). Sounds to me as though something uniquely screwed up with OP's record or a one-off error.

Not sure how you get from a one-off screwup to a "terrible, terrible, terrible computer system."

Sometimes you'll even get the agent who knows how to sync the ticket without getting a pricing record stored by rates, or who can store one themselves. Never even has to stop talking to me. It's pretty awesome.

What you just described just about sums up a "terrible, terrible, terrible computer system."

Folks, there should *NEVER* be any of these issues -- tickets should not have to be "re-syncd" manually. The very fact that these normal things have to be done is evidence that the system itself is flawed.

Any good database should also have some sort of error checking on input -- so, to be short, NOTHING can go wrong with the underlying element. Again, the fact that things can get "screwed up" basically mean we are looking at a flawed system.

A flawed system let "one-off's" happen in the first place.

Last week I witnesses two passengers get delayed about 8 hours because their original flight cxl'ed, and then gate staff rebooked them on AA, and sent over t the gate. Turns out, the ticket wasn't reissued, and AA ended up full. The sad part was that the gates we're literally next to each other. (This was COS!)

I'm sure that was a one-off as well. Oh right, maybe a two-off.

(Just remembered: the guy's wife was there too. So it was a 3-off. Still, I'm sure that was the only 3 SHARES-related screwups across the network that day.)

May or may not be related to SHARES. When rebooking OAL, ticket reissue being done improperly, or different systems not talking to each other properly, are not uncommon at all. I only had a few times in the last few PMUA years where I needed this, but had issues with the ticket not being reissued at least twice. This was pre-SHARES.

Yeah and on DL it's because they're selling UG's too cheap and on AA it's the bankruptcy. Go figure.

Yeah, you're right. I should have explained to the disgruntled passengers ahead of me that this was not a SHARES issue. I'm sure that would have settled them down.....

There is huge variance in rebooking times. Anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour or more. I've had two (2) 1+ hour rebooks year to date, and several 30+ minute ones. Some of these were by seasoned CO agents who were very knowledgeable with the system.

I think if the booking class is there, and you're following the same route, it's much easier than if they have to bump you up a booking class, reroute the ticket, and/or an OAL is involved.

If you're flying IAH-AUS, and they pop you on the next IAH-AUS which is wide open, then it's a piece of cake. Anything more than that, and it gets more difficult, as as a result, more time consuming.

but it shouldn't! My last change took a little while as well also with a seasoned PMCO agent (I know this for sure since I heard her say 'common computer, why is it taking you so long ... Continental schedule change :D ).

When they pick up - can we just ask right away if they are excon or exua? any one ever do that?

I believe the prompt in the system says "Continental Airlines Schedule Change," so the agent was probably just reading the screen. It is COdbaUA after all.


I haven't noticed too much of a difference. The computer is the computer, and the type of change often dictates how long it takes (whether it's quick or ridiculous).

Where I've noticed the difference is in the level of accommodation, but even that gap seems to be narrowing now that the ex-UA folks have started to master some of the CO-style blow-off tactics and how to BS themselves out of handling the call, and some of the ex-CO folks have begun being more accommodating after the CS training.