Checkpoint: JetBlue & WestJet

XBIS/219
February 20, 2014
Chuney Johnson

Checkpoint: JetBlue & WestJet A reservation system at airlines such as JetBlue and WestJet are very important because the system is what is required in order for the airline to operate. The reservation system is like that heartbeat of the business. The system is what manages seating, scheduling and rebooking. Customers and employees rely on this system to store information like baggage or the customer’s personal information. With this system, it assists in determining how to price tickets based on the amount of customers on a flight. The airlines can monitor flying and spending habits of its customers to determine how to market the business and satisfy the flyers. Anytime an organization upgrades a system, there are going to be risks and bugs to work out. A smart idea is to prepare for the worst and also to have the support and proper resources to accommodate the customer with little to no impact. WestJet launched the new system assuming it would be smooth and not preparing for a way to assist their customers in case it does not work. They ended up getting extra support and a backup after they system failed them. “The critical issue was the transfer of WestJet’s 840,000 files containing data on transactions for past WestJet customers who had already purchased flights” (Laudon & Laudon, 2013). When something like this happens, an organization risks the possibility of tarnishing the outlook customers have. The customer experience is affected negatively and customers are always impacted more by a negative experience. One bad experience for a large group of customers could cost a company millions like when JetBlue encountered a disaster. “In February 2007, JetBlue tried to operate flghts during a blizzard when all other major airlines had already cancelled their