I've been hoping that consolidation would lead to the elimination of these ticket "clearinghouses". SWA never participated and they did just fine.....Oddly enough, I think Orbitz was initially created by an investment from a couple of the legacy carriers.

I bet AA settles the dispute somehow, but it could be signaling a shift in the future of ticket sales.

If they stick with it, I could see DAL and UAL eventually following suit.

IIRC they were started by the airlines to bypass travel agents who were taking a cut of ticket sales or something like that. SWA's new ad campaign focuses on the fact that they are only on their in-house web site.

It will take aa/delta/ual in order for it to work. With the rise of the lcc I think the time is ripe.

We must have talked to the same dispatcher in NRT:D

He described it as, "the company has opened up the checkbook". Says they are getting new computers (HP I believe he said) so they can run something really powerful. I asked if it was a Jeppersen product and he said he didn't know, which tracks with your comment about multiple vendors.

So, sounds like something much nicer than either group is used to is on it's way.

Also, one of the LCAs on the DALPA forum said there was a new and more advanced (once again better than either group is used to) ACARS coming this summer? Anyone else heard that? Is it a whole new head or just new software?

Homie loves rumors:cool:

Ferd

Haven't we been telling you this stuff is coming all along? :D :D

Well FTB and Beer and any other Auburn people out there, LSU just handed you a clear path to the National Championship. I think your chances of winning the Iron Bowl just went up exponentially. Win that and you should be crowned champs.

I'll cheer vigorously for bama but I think this may be your year. Don't screw it up.

Yes, but it reminds me of my mother's old prayer. "Lord give me patience, but give it to me NOW!":D

Details! Give me Details!!:cool:

Father Ferd

I've talked to several in person. The "rumor mill" had lots of stuff, most of it unverifiable BY ME.

RA got really ****ed about OSS/FPS after a transpac cancellation due to FPS unable to generate a suitable flt plan. *RUMOR*

RA said in a meeting that he wants OSS replaced in 18 months and FPS along with it. Vendors mentioned Jepp, HP, Lido and one other (GE?) *RUMOR*

Dispatchers can no longer see your actual fuel load on their screen under OSS.

Dispatchers no longer are told why you are delayed at the gate prior to push. Verified when I sent a courtesy msg to dispatch telling him we were still unloading cargo 25 mins after sked. He responded Thanks.. we were wondering why you were still at the gate...

A330 seems to be a big problem for FPS, especially when it comes to Alt, cruise mach, cost index, critical terrain routes, fuel burn (going westbound) and more. *SPECULATION*

We are still paying for Jepp Flight planning, so its possible to get a Jepp flight plan if you have a dispatcher that remembers how to use it. Not sure if we will have Jepp past the end of this year.

You can get new flight plan fuel burn numbers on a re-route in WIDE format on the ACARS printer by requesting FPS Wide in a text msg to dispatch. Much easier to read if your aircraft has a wide printer. Plan on printing a LOT of pages...

You can also get ACARS22 fuel summary which is a much shorter/narrower version, but doesn't have much on it other than fuel burns.

It seems to me the big difference between pre and post merger dispatch is pre-merger they were Operations Control, they had lots of information available to them and could use it to plan ahead for contingencies that the flight crew might not be aware of. Post merger they have been relegated to "mushroom" mode. I feel sorry for them because they really can't do much without expending a lot of extra effort just to squeeze data or cooperation out of the appropriate places.

You can get sports scores for your passengers by sending an ACARS message to ATL Radio at a specific TTY address (not posting it here). fNW aircraft do NOT have the Scores template built into ACARS.

They should rename OCC to something more accurate until we get OSS replaced and the bugs worked out.

Now, request for info. Is the person that wrote FPS still at DAL? Is he/she still in charge of FPS? Is he/she getting royalties from DAL using FPS?

PBS is a seldom watched, left-wing controlled, taxpayer funded network.

Compare to Essential Air Service or Free School Lunches :D

I don't think there is a person in American under 45 that did not benefit from PBS. GMAFB

Your kids are probably watching Sesame Street as you write this.

Is that right Homie?

YouTube - Homey Don't Play That

Carl