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About a year ago, a big storm hit the Dallas-Ft. Worth Airport. American Airlines had to divert more than 100-planes. What high-tech system did they use to track all those planes? According this story in the New York Times, it was…a legal pad. |
And that, you may be thinking, explains a lot. It may well explain why so many people on those diverted planes spent hours and hours sitting on various tarmacs.
The good news is,American has now gone modern: they’ve upgraded their software and new computer programs are replacing pads and pens. And, according the Times, “similar improvements have been made at JetBlue and United Airlines” (and other big airlines are said to now have, or will be getting, new and improved programs).
Why were they in the dark ages for so long? Some suggest that when business tanked after 9/11, they cut back on technology spending. But now they’re moving ahead, and just in time for Thanksgiving travel.
About time, wouldn’t you say?
Airline IT systems are horrible, often running 20-year-old code that nobody has bothered to rewrite. Changes that seem simple to us probably would require massive changes to the airline’s legacy computer systems. But you’ve probably experienced this already, if airline booking systems are anywhere near as bad as their operational systems.
Comment by Jeff — November 22, 2007 @ 3:16 am