CX advises of res system upgrade

Cathay Pacific Airways is advising that it will be changing over to a new passenger reservations system during the weekend of Feb. 11 and Feb. 12, 2012. During the transition the carrier indicated that it will be necessary to temporarily suspend certain customer facing technology. This includes Cathay Pacific’s web site — www.cathaypacific.com — and its mobile sites. The carrier’s North America Reservations Centre will also be closed on Sat., Feb. 11 February, resuming its operations from 6 am PST on Mon., Feb. 13. Agents should not, however, that Cathay Pacific’s flight schedule over the weekend will be unaffected by the changeover. The new technology will replace an in-house system introduced in the 1980s, ensuring that CX can continue to meet passengers’ needs in the future. Ivan Chu, Cathay Pacific’s COO, said: “Our current system has served us well. However, just as we upgrade the products and services our customers can see and touch, we must also update our technology behind the scenes so that we can support the continued growth of our airline and the expanding expectations of our customers.” The new Altea reservation and inventory system is provided by Amadeus, the same reservations system used by the majority of oneworld alliance carriers — CX is a founding member of oneworld. Chu noted that: “Preparations for this change began several years back as it is quite a massive undertaking. For example, as just one part of the process during the cutover, we will migrate more than 1 million passenger bookings between systems. Unfortunately, as we modify the reservations system and more than 40 down line systems, we’re forced to temporarily suspend some of the conveniences that our customers appreciate and count on. We appreciate their understanding and patience for these necessary measures.”