Originally Posted by
slingsby
So, the original art of manual loadsheets, manual check-in, cabin crew actually physically counting SLF on board has died.
I do recall, not so many moons ago, actually practicing this exact scenario, not for BA fortunately, but another EGLL carrier. Yes, minor delays, some inconvenience but an effective proof the pencil and paper still has a very prominent place in today's modern technological era.
Me, always one never to rely solely on IT, especially outsourced and someone who I cant shout at if it goes wrong.....
Even IFF you can find someone still capable of manual load sheets, manual check in (and luggage accounting) and physically counting SLF and checking their manually written boarding passes; It is actually a matter of getting the right information that information such as who actually booked that flight and their information and the tail number's quirks and fuel state etc etc., are all buried away in the IT system that is in pieces around the IT staff's feet in Chennai. Without that information what do you do run a first come first served system? And T5 has an automated baggage routing system that probably is not too good on handwriting recognition.
Whether we like it or not the systems have been set up to
rely absolutely on the IT systems. While Cruz style management believe, like you, that IT is completely unimportant and can be outsourced to the cheapest bidder. This clash of attitudes was
certain to lead to the failures we have seen at Delta, United and BA. Ideally, the board should have the CEOs of these companies meet their office content in cardboard boxes immediately after such a failure complete with total loss of all benefits and share options which should in any case be paid into escrow until an unsullied retirement. CEOs should have a list of events flagged with 'if this happens you are toast'; a system wide computer melt down is one of those instances.