Jetstar held back by 2nd rate technology.

[Eastwest Loco]

I guess you guys and girls are more than aware that I am not a fan of the LCC model or what it has done to the industry, but to survive I and others like me sell it to serve our clients and remain competitive.

IF we can!!!!

Over the past few months, JQ's internet servers have struggled to the degree that it has taken 24 hours to get a presentable and customer friendly itinerary generated to us so we can print it for the victim.

The demographic attracted by Jetstar include a higher than normal percentage of the duller tools in the shed, and the initial confirmation - when you can get it - is not as clear as one would like - much highlighter required.

Today I started trying to book a doctor client MEL BKK at 1130 - the booking engine finally accepted the credit card at 2145. A heap of my time was wasted, and JQ lost the return as the full flex seats went to some lucky punter that hit the server at the right time and lucked out.

My point is that the "Worlds Best Low Cost Carrier" is running an unsustainably low volume regime of technology.

The program is a standard Skylights program, as used by DJ, RyanAir and God knows how many other LCCs.

I would hate to think how may people get thoroughly pissed off and simply log onto the Virgin site on competitive routes.

This is just a heads up to you JQ girls and guys to maybe make your alleged management do some due dilligence and check their IT department's performance. It is far beyond atrocious.

One day your jobs may rely on every last seat being saleable.

Best all

EWL

[ozmahseer]

Try and google "Jetstar Stephen Tame CIO" and read the zdnet interview and you get to appreciate the source of one of JQ's biggest problems.
The concept of "going manual" does not work in most cases.

[Ex QF]

ah Stephen Tame....

came from Australian Airlines and supported their Financial Systems (technical side). Eastwest, you'll like this - he marrched into a meeting in his early days of the takeover of Qantas and said 'the Qantas res system is crap - why can't it just do point to point bookings like ours' (TN)

[Mobi LAME]

EWL
How dare you cast aspersions about the wonderful Jetstar IT system put together by the FIGJAM IT Messiah! If you think booking travel is hard try using it for Engineering applications.

[Wod]

Ahh ex QF - at the expense;) of thread drift, the same (superior) financial system that couldn't handle foreign currency conversions and was shot if yen/US$/sterling and Deutschmark income was used to pay off loans denominated in the same currency.

[fender]

Question Eastwest:
Is one able to book JQ flight on QF web site. I think it is duplicated on QF site but bugger if I can be bothered looking.

Sailing boats and bicycles are the future.

[marty1468]

I and my extended family have quite often booked DJ after trying and failing at the JQ website. Point in case, this upcoming holiday season. Tried unsuccesfully for months to no avail, gave up and booked DJ in one quick foul swoop. I hear this often at work also from others.:ugh:

[Eastwest Loco]

fender

The JQ site does not carry QF flights at all.

The QF site does however default to the JQ site if the port pair is served only by JQ and if both carriers serve the port (ie: SYD BNE) the QF site does include the JQ service.

One can only imagine what a disaster it would create if JQ included all the QF services.

Their system can't handle their own flights.

DJ's system can get a little squirelly too during happy hour and sales, but not near as bad as JQ.

Best regards

EWL

[ebt]

Tame doesn't handle the commercial systems, so don't blame him on that one. My guess is that there's something going on with Navitaire as JQ are meant to go onto the new res system some time soon. Navitaire are pulling the plug on OpenSkies soon, so no doubt there will be a few issues with all the LCCs as they migrate across to NewSkies or another different system.

[Ex QF]

ahh WOD - at the expense of thread drift again - I recall that TN had the system and processed in AUD only. QF had a few modules from same software house and addressed all FX transactions correctly. Come merger time, sorry takeover - TN people said they had the knowledge and rolled it out their way. QF people moved on from what I recall (i.e. left the company).

Same system used successful elsewhere with FX used and conversions done correctly.

Bit like the former boss of Air NZ - who was formerly CFO at QF and prior to that was at TN - sold the story that it was he who came up with fuel price hedging - wrong QF had been doing well before Toomey came on board.

[tasdevil.f27]

Openskies was supposed to go out the door way back in dec 06 ish! Not the most time effective system.

[blow.n.gasket]

JetStar IT's motto;
YESTERDAYS TECHNOLOGY TOMORROW!:}

[Keg]

Sorry, that motto is already taken by QF IT. J* have obviously gone for the LCC model of IT compared to ours.

That means that J*'s IT motto should be:

"Last centuries technology next decade".

Of course that's the Low cost mantra. The reality- if airframes and mainline is anything to go by- is that the LCC gets all the shiny new gear whilst the legacy carrier is left to soldier on with all the old stuff. There is new gear available for the legacy carrier but it's considered old technology so instead there is nothing on the horizon for at least the next half a decade! :rolleyes: :ugh:

[kotoyebe]

My computer got a nice red sticker today all ready for an upgrade. Drum roll......to XP!

Yes, the operating system that Microsoft won't be supporting after next year!

Yep, QF IT. Yesterdays technology, tomorrow

[Eastwest Loco]

Be happy with XP once you get there Kotoyebe.

The next gen beyond that, Vista works with just about no external application.

It cannot be run with any GDS I am aware of.

Best regards

EWL

[Fris B. Fairing]

Come merger time, sorry takeover - TN people said they had the knowledge and rolled it out their way.

Not to mention Departure Control Systems.


I said not to mention ...

[Eastwest Loco]

Received an email regarding this topic from deep inside JQ.

The problems with web engine have been noted, and what I and others are copping is well known.

The fix is apparently less than a month away with a totally new platform - externally the same, just the Commodore 64s retired.

Good thing for us, and the Airline as well as the general public.

This just shows you the power of PPRuNe. The contact and the gentleman I spoke to was not in IT but considered problems with his Airline highly enough to refer directly to the person responsible.

Damned fine job that!!

Best all

EWL