Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Misc. Forums > Passengers & SLF (Self Loading Freight)
Reload this Page >

BA delays at LHR - Computer issue

Wikiposts
Search
Passengers & SLF (Self Loading Freight) If you are regularly a passenger on any airline then why not post your questions here?

BA delays at LHR - Computer issue

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 27th May 2017, 10:06
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
BA delays at LHR - Computer issue

Computer problems are causing delays for British Airways passengers, the airline has said.

The carrier apologised and said it was "working to resolve the the problem as quickly as possible".

Heathrow Airport said it was "working closely" with BA to solve the issue

British Airways: Computer problems cause flight delays - BBC News
Heathrow Harry is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 11:17
  #2 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
BA Delays - now worlwide - Computer issue

Update 12:15 - Now worldwide

omputer problems are causing delays for British Airways passengers worldwide, the airline has said.The carrier apologised for the "global system outage" and said it was "working to resolve the the problem as quickly as possible".

Heathrow Airport said it was "working closely" with BA to solve the issue.

It is not known how many flights are affected but passengers have reported issues with flights to and from Heathrow, Gatwick and Belfast.

The problems mean parts of BA's website are unavailable and some travellers claimed they could not check in on the mobile app.
Journalist Martyn Kent said he had been sitting on a plane at Heathrow for 90 minutes. He said the captain told passengers the IT problems were "catastrophic".

Passengers are reporting significant queues and disruption at Heathrow Terminal 5, British Airways' main London terminal BA staff in Terminal 5 were resorting to using white boards, according to passenger Gareth Wharton.

Delays have also been reported in Rome and Malaga airports due to the system failure.

Philip Bloom said he had been waiting on board a Heathrow-bound flight at Belfast for two hours.

He added: "We haven't been told very much just that there is a worldwide computer system failure.

"We were told that we couldn't even get on other flights because they are unable to see what flights we can be moved to."

BA flights at Gatwick airport are also grounded, according to travel journalist Phil Davies.
Heathrow Harry is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 12:19
  #3 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Hopefully, with an aircraft strapped to my backside...
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
All Heathrow and Gatwick flights cancelled "until 6pm" UK time now.

British Airways: Computer problems hit passengers - BBC News
alexgreyhead is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 12:48
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Eastern Anglia
Age: 75
Posts: 131
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
He said the captain told passengers the IT problems were "catastrophic".
Back in the day when one was doing the FMEAs etc for flight critical systems, failure modes classed as 'catastrophic' were generally considered a bad thing and we were encouraged to avoid them. So when a pilot said things like that I would worry.....so I wonder what else this BA system does apart from booking folks on airplanes...?

Last edited by fenland787; 27th May 2017 at 12:59.
fenland787 is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:18
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 78
Received 16 Likes on 10 Posts
They use Amadeus/Altea.

I wonder why everybody else who use Amadeus/Altea isn't working?
Chris2303 is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:18
  #6 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: London
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Outsourcing

Ready to be corrected, but didn't BA outsource a lot of IT jobs last year?
tho_mm is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:23
  #7 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Wor Yerm
Age: 68
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
This current problem is merely a manifestation of a bigger problem at BA namely their outsourcing of development and support. Major chunks of BA's IT team have recently been given the heave-ho and their work exported, leaving them short of local experience. At the same time, major "upgrades" have been implemented making them totally reliable on a vastly reduced support team. Many of their "experts" are now in the Indian subcontinent but they can't catch a plane because the, erm... the IT systems are down. But they have saved a fortune in IT costs.
Piltdown Man is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:24
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Hopefully, with an aircraft strapped to my backside...
Posts: 33
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I don't know specifics, but I work for a well-known Australian travel agency in the UK and we use Amadeus - there's been no mention that Amadeus is down for us in any way; the only updates we've received have been the news about BA's problems, and these have all come from BA's press release. We don't know any more than anybody else.
alexgreyhead is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:47
  #9 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Florida and wherever my laptop is
Posts: 1,350
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The person who 'saved the airline a fortune in IT costs' has now cost the airline a fortune in operational costs and loss of reputation. I would hope they have now saved the airline more money by being removed from post.

It would appear that airlines whose entire operations are managed by computers seem to think that the IT costs of maintaining a resilient fault tolerant system is a wasted overhead and should be skimped on. The result as several major airlines have found in just the last year, are worldwide crashes and inability to recover from Irregular Operations at costs far exceeding that of the entire IT system.

The beancounters who propose and/or approve such 'cost savings' should be told that their continued employment and retirement benefits rest on the continued faultless operations of the IT systems they wish to save money on. That might concentrate their minds a little.
Ian W is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:56
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Confusio Helvetica
Posts: 311
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
The person who 'saved the airline a fortune in IT costs' has now no doubt been promoted, hired away to a different company and enjoyed a couple more pay raises. Besides, s/he can always claim to have been "following industry best practices".
DingerX is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 13:58
  #11 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Bet they were planning a system upgrade over the long weekend and it went very badly wrong. It's very tough to be sure that it'll ALWAYS continue to work when you change something computer-wise
Heathrow Harry is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:11
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Yes.
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Great things computers, until they go wrong and/or hacked.

A monster has been built. When it shuts down we cant function.

Oh the humanity!!
Dan_Brown is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:12
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Essex
Posts: 76
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Heathrow Harry
Bet they were planning a system upgrade over the long weekend and it went very badly wrong. It's very tough to be sure that it'll ALWAYS continue to work when you change something computer-wise
Errr.....it's a long weekend because it's a holiday weekend with more people travelling. Still we shouldn't be too hard on BA, this is only the second time in 8 months.
CARR30 is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:13
  #14 (permalink)  
GPU
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: London
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by Chris2303
They use Amadeus/Altea.

I wonder why everybody else who use Amadeus/Altea isn't working?
It appears to be the ba.com website which is supported by BA, or rather the outsourced IT made up of contractors from TCS, NIIT and Cognizant. The 404 error that was coming up suggests significant tomfoolery.
GPU is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:23
  #15 (permalink)  
None but a blockhead
 
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: London, UK
Posts: 535
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
BA: We've put our IT in the cloud. Unlike our aircraft.
Self Loading Freight is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:26
  #16 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Confoederatio Helvetica
Age: 68
Posts: 2,847
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
if they can't demonstrate that this was outside of their control, it is going to cost them 10s, if not 100s of millions. Not only compensation but hotac and meals. I wouldn't invest in IAG shares at the moment.
ExXB is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:28
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: The foot of Mt. Belzoni.
Posts: 2,001
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I hope some top BA neddies have to go and see the Transport Select Committee about this, like the CEO of NATS did a couple of years ago.

Ellman, McCartney and Stringer........Your quizmasters for this afternoon.
ZOOKER is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 14:54
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: England
Posts: 1,389
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Sounds expensive. Lots of refunds and hotel bills. Perhaps watch BA shares next week.
cwatters is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 15:08
  #19 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: London
Posts: 7,072
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
CARR30 - you mean they are supposed to think of BA's customers? Every IT outfit I've ever dealt with does major upgrades over the weekend - when it doesn't get in the way of the real customers who are the BA management. Long weeknds are kept for BIG jobs.... It's like the railways - always close the lines over CHristmas, Easter, weekends etc
Heathrow Harry is offline  
Old 27th May 2017, 15:33
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Rockytop, Tennessee, USA
Posts: 5,898
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Originally Posted by alexgreyhead
All Heathrow and Gatwick flights cancelled "until 6pm" UK time now.
Now getting reports that all BA flights from LGW and LHR are cancelled for the remainder of the day on Saturday.
Airbubba is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.