AMR Corporation, parent company of American Airlines and American Eagle, took another step yesterday in implementing its technology vision and expanding its information technology leadership position by announcing it has signed a letter of intent with HP to develop a next-generation Passenger Service System.
The current Passenger Service System supports many key functions for American Airlines and American Eagle, including reservations, pricing and ticketing, inventory, flight information and check-in. The new system, referred to as JetstreamSM, will also support these functions and enable American to deliver products and services to its customers and employees with greater consistency and agility. Additionally, Jetstream will serve as the foundation to deliver innovative online and mobile travel tools for its customers who are increasingly dependent on technology.
AMR Chairman and CEO Gerard Arpey said the decision to enter into a letter of intent with HP is an example of the company’s efforts to ensure a successful, competitive airline for the long term, while continuing to work to overcome the many immediate challenges facing the entire airline industry. For HP, today’s announcement strengthens its position as a leading information technology and services provider to the aviation industry. HP intends to offer this new system to other airlines worldwide through its enterprise services portfolio.
“After extensive evaluation, we have decided to sign a letter of intent with HP to develop our new Passenger Service System, Jetstream. This relationship pairs American, an information technology pioneer in the aviation industry, with HP, a world-renowned technology pioneer,” Arpey said. “The current Passenger Service System has served us well for many decades and remains among one of the most reliable. Today’s decision indicates our commitment to continue to deliver the most effective tools to our employees and outstanding service to our customers.” “At HP, we deliver innovative solutions for our customers’ greatest business challenges,” HP CEO and Chairman Mark Hurd said. “American Airlines is a forward-thinking company and we are delighted to build on our long-term relationship. Together, we’re developing the next generation systems that will set American apart in the marketplace.” American, which pioneered the development of airline information technology more than 45 years ago by creating the first Passenger Service System, is looking to Jetstream to provide a breakthrough solution that will enhance its customer service and business processes. American appreciates and values its long-standing relationship with Sabre. American remains a committed customer of Sabre, using many of the company’s airline-related products – such as those for flight operations, in-flight provisioning, ground movement monitoring and airport staff management – and is considering other Sabre products and services. The development of Jetstream will complement AMR’s ongoing and numerous initiatives to enhance its customers’ travel experience. American is leading the industry by utilising technology to make travel better for customers with tools such as Vantage Point and T-Link, which enable employees to leverage leading-edge systems to make better operational decisions – from on-time arrivals to baggage transfers. Additionally, American’s suite of Off-Schedule Operations tools has improved the airline’s ability to operate well when faced with issues outside of its control, including weather and Air Traffic Control disruptions. American anticipates that Jetstream will be another technological breakthrough for the airline industry.
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