Ryanair bookings off-line for 3 days?

[Flying_Frisbee]

Bookings will not be possible with Ryanair for three days later this month as the airline changes its flight reservation system.
Both the internet and call centre booking systems will be down between 22:00 on 22 February and 23:00 on 25 February, meaning flight changes will not be possible, nor reviews of existing bookings, although all flights will operate as normal during the period....
......“It’s the same booking engine for both so you can’t change them separately, but this is simply a transfer, and the system has already been tested so it won’t take any longer than the three days”
http://www.abtn.co.uk/Ryanair_reservations_freeze
I wouldn't like to be the IT Guy who had to explain that one to O'Leary.:eek:

[Tolsti]

There's a little more to the story actually

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2008/02/07/26609/ryanair-will-shut-site-for-three-days-to-make-pricing.html

[manintheback]

I dread to think how bad the site and IT behind it is if they have to take the whole thing down just to make pricing changes - done by everyone else behind the scenes in that new fangled thing called a database.

[Flying_Frisbee]

Hmmm
3 days downtime to do a switchover did seem a bit excessive.

[RevMan2]

More to this than meets the eye.

bmi migrated from EDS to the LH Systems/Amadeus platform overnight in 2001 - that's par for the course.

Ryanair's currently hosted by Navitaire and they are GOOD.

[WHBM]

IT person here (well, it keeps the PA28 in the air at weekends).

It is a complete nonsense to suggest that you need 3 days down to upgrade your IT systems. For an airline res system such systems comprise much more than just what you see, the ability to change seamlessly from one version to the next is an integral part of the design. So don't believe what is in the press. There are standard software packages on the market that handle all this.

The airline also state that passengers travelling at that time will be unaffected. As the on-line check in will be unavailable throughout the changeover period that is patently incorrect. My hunch is that going back to 100% airport check in will lead to some hiccups.

Of course doing it the standard way is expensive. It may just be that Ryanair's accountants have calculated what savings they make if they do not have instant changeover at 3 am (which does cost a lot in staff time, planning work, etc) are more than what they are likely to lose in reservations, so it is just a bottom-line driven decision.

[Pax Vobiscum]

... this reminds me of (one of) my favourite Dilberts:

Ratbert (the consultant): ... then we'll turn off the existing computer systems and fire up the new one.

Dilbert: What if the new system doesn't work on the first try? Won't the economic impact be devastating?

Ratbert: Let me check my contract ... nope. I get paid exactly the same.

Dilbert (sadly): Yeah, same here.