Qantas site a mess

[GoldCanyon340]

Our new web template was dreamed up by marketing, who tout it as a, and I quote, "a contemporary and sophisticated digital identity."

So, more white space and a new font?

 

[Pushka]

There is a lag now for flights being posted; used to be within a day and now it has been three days and no sign of it yet, for 2 different FF accounts.

 

[harvyk]

There is a lag now for flights being posted; used to be within a day and now it has been three days and no sign of it yet, for 2 different FF accounts.

My guess is that they tried to roll out a change, that failed, so they did a roll back and attempted to rerun a script which populates the last few transactions in the points journal, however that script had a bug which has caused multiple inserts.

Since multiple inserts can be very difficult to detect in a large database they are right now trying to work out how to roll back the changes before they roll the current set of points changes into the journal. The (most likely) reason that the points balance is still accurate (from the other day) is that they have stopped doing roll ups of the points journal.

If my guess is correct, this is actually a very difficult thing to repair, and they have likely caused a lot of damage to their database. So I wouldn't be expecting points to be posting from flights in any time soon.

I would recommend that you keep boarding passes until they get this issue sorted, since they may actually lose records out of this, so you'll need the paper \ photo'd version to verify you actually took the flight.

 

[TheInsider]

My guess is that they tried to roll out a change, that failed, so they did a roll back and attempted to rerun a script which populates the last few transactions in the points journal, however that script had a bug which has caused multiple inserts.
I would recommend that you keep boarding passes until they get this issue sorted, since they may actually lose records out of this, so you'll need the paper \ photo'd version to verify you actually took the flight.

They actually rolled out the new system, and completely decommissioned the old system (100% gone). It's old system 'Profile' was made for Qantas over 30 years ago and was designed for only around 300,000 members.

 

[Pushka]

My guess is that they tried to roll out a change, that failed, so they did a roll back and attempted to rerun a script which populates the last few transactions in the points journal, however that script had a bug which has caused multiple inserts.

Since multiple inserts can be very difficult to detect in a large database they are right now trying to work out how to roll back the changes before they roll the current set of points changes into the journal. The (most likely) reason that the points balance is still accurate (from the other day) is that they have stopped doing roll ups of the points journal.

If my guess is correct, this is actually a very difficult thing to repair, and they have likely caused a lot of damage to their database. So I wouldn't be expecting points to be posting from flights in any time soon.

I would recommend that you keep boarding passes until they get this issue sorted, since they may actually lose records out of this, so you'll need the paper \ photo'd version to verify you actually took the flight.

We don’t keep boarding passes. We just get those paper slips at the gate and which get lost. I think it’s ridiculous you have to prove you actually sat in the seat when you paid the fare, checked in, and they would have records if you didn’t board.

 

[ellen10]

I did a booking late last night and it crashed the first time. I did it again and i was worried that it didn't stick again as as soon as I put in my credit card details and clicked confirm the whole screen and site dropped out.
So I was not sure it had gone through but fortunately half an hour later I received the email with the booking confirmation.

 

[GoldCanyon340]

They actually rolled out the new system, and completely decommissioned the old system (100% gone). It's old system 'Profile' was made for Qantas over 30 years ago and was designed for only around 300,000 members.

Was that the old Fortran system?

 

[rock86]

Award bookings still not calculating correctly.

 

[harvyk]

They actually rolled out the new system, and completely decommissioned the old system (100% gone). It's old system 'Profile' was made for Qantas over 30 years ago and was designed for only around 300,000 members.

I'm assuming you know something more than the general public. They completely decommissioned an old system on the same day as rolling out a new one?

IT Fail 101, whenever we decommission a system, we might turn it off, or at least redirect input away from it, but it's sitting there ready to be brought up for at least a good few days or weeks before getting 100% decommissioned, complete with a recommissioning plan to deal with data which might have been missed during that time.

 

[Pushka]

I'm assuming you know something more than the general public. They completely decommissioned an old system on the same day as rolling out a new one?

IT Fail 101, whenever we decommission a system, we might turn it off, or at least redirect input away from it, but it's sitting there ready to be brought up for at least a good few days or weeks before getting 100% decommissioned, complete with a recommissioning plan to deal with data which might have been missed during that time.

As much as I dislike MYOB, that is what they do.

 

[ellen10]

Award bookings still not calculating correctly.

Ahh that explains why my dummy bookings weren't working out. just as well I don't need them yet.

 

[nickfromeastryde]

I'm assuming you know something more than the general public. They completely decommissioned an old system on the same day as rolling out a new one?

IT Fail 101, whenever we decommission a system, we might turn it off, or at least redirect input away from it, but it's sitting there ready to be brought up for at least a good few days or weeks before getting 100% decommissioned, complete with a recommissioning plan to deal with data which might have been missed during that time.

The general process now is to run in parallel during a set pilot period. Doubt that is really the problem this time

 

[harvyk]

The general process now is to run in parallel during a set pilot period. Doubt that is really the problem this time

I realise that is the normal process, and I would be somewhat surprised if QF wasn't following it. It was just jumping on something "TheInsider" was saying as they where stating the old system is 100% gone.

 

[burmans]

Sorry astrosly, but that line grates on me a bit. I know that most of the population are (quite rightly given their other tasks) unable to keep abreast of "technology". Isn't there an internal emphasis on "IT" people to protect/inform non-IT people of what is possible / what happens / limits / capabilities, etc? What you suggest is that IT people can throw any responsability back at people who have no clue ( and never will) about IT?

There is a difference between the "what" (the requirements) and the "how" (the solution) with technology. It's up to the business to understand the business, i.e. what the customers want, and IT to deliver to the business what is requested. I've worked on both sides of IT but a lot more on the business side in recent years, and that's because I see, time and again, that poorly specified requirements are usually the source of most problems. Technology is the easy part of the IT business!

 

[bPeteb]

I just want them to fix it! I can log in, but last night's flight is still to appear, and I remain 5SCs short of 1400... There's another 300 plus already booked before my year ends, but I want it now!

 

[Lynda2475]

Yes i just want them to hurry up and fix the site, its currently telling me i need to take -14 flights (yes that is a minus) to qualify for my next status upgrade, and I cant see bonus points that should have been credited in last 2 days. They have obviously had a stuff up with a release, so they should have rolled back (all good IT implementation plans have a roll-back plan), resolved the issues in a Pre-Prod env before trying again.

 

[straitman]

I've read all of this and understand the ideas (I think) but put simply the Qantas web site has had some basic ongoing errors for years. Maybe it's time some of them are fixed.

 

[juddles]

I've read all of this and understand the ideas (I think) but put simply the Qantas web site has had some basic ongoing errors for years. Maybe it's time some of them are fixed.

I think that is my gripe with many websites - not just Qantas. It seems to me that there is a lot of "change for the sake of change". Due to this continual "innovation" the site is never sound.

Each time Qantas comes up with a new version of their site, who drives that change? Is it customers? (The actual users!) I doubt it ........

 

[jb747]

Motto: Yesterday's technology, tomorrow.

 

[Captain Halliday]

Motto: Yesterday's technology, tomorrow.

So long as thy don’t begin applying that to the aircraft!