The useless new website, launched in May 2011

[9V-SIA]

SIA creates senior IT post
Airline sets out to improve customer experience after website fiasco

SINGAPORE Airlines (SIA) has created a new senior vice-president position - a move that industry insiders say is a sign that the airline is determined to debug its website once and for all and ensure that all its other IT applications run smoothly.

The post of senior vice-president (information technology) will go to Mr Tan Chik Quee, SIA's current senior vice-president (marketing). It is effective from Oct 8.

The change in portfolio for Mr Tan is part of a larger reorganisation within the company.

Under this shift, SIA's IT department will be hived off as a standalone unit, with Mr Tan reporting directly to chief executive officer Goh Choon Phong.

Before this, IT came under the corporate planning umbrella, which includes public relations and communications.

In an interview carried in the September issue of the airline's in-house newsletter, Outlook, Mr Tan said that fixing the website will be one of his priorities.

He told Outlook: "There is no denying that the revamp was problematic and we still have some issues to address."

While the major bugs have been fixed, the focus now is to improve customer experience and this has to be a permanent area of focus, he said, adding: "We cannot just stop one day and say that everything has been addressed and nothing more needs to be done."

SIA's website has been a blemish on the airline's reputation since it was relaunched on May 22 last year.

On launch day, it was taken down for more than an hour because of software bugs.

Months after that, customers continued to face user problems, including booking flights and retrieving flight and travel information.

Mobile phone users have encountered similar issues on its mobile app as well.

The Outlook article said that the restructuring will allow SIA to focus more on the IT side of its business.

As more travellers do their bookings and other transactions online and via mobile apps, airlines need to ensure that they have reliable IT systems, analysts said.

As part of the changes, Mr Chin Yau Seng, who will return to SIA after more than a year at Tiger Airways, will become acting senior vice-president (sales and marketing).

Mr Chin was parachuted in by Tiger's board to steer the carrier back to stability after its Australian arm was grounded over safety concerns.

SIA, which owns about a third of the budget carrier, said then that the intention was for Mr Chin to eventually return.

Hope this will solve the problems once and for all.

Wonder how much revenue they've lost:

• people giving up trying to book & taking other airlines
• error Saver F redemptions galore for *Alliance members

[SMK77]

SQ updated their webpage on September 14 and it seems they have created new bugs...

Multi-Itinerary Reward Booking not working
Drop-downs for booking trips not working for one browser
Error messages for Reward Bookings...

[feizhu]

SQ updated their webpage on September 14 and it seems they have created new bugs...

Multi-Itinerary Reward Booking not working
Drop-downs for booking trips not working for one browser
Error messages for Reward Bookings...

Managed to redeem a ticket from HK yesterday but didn't get any confirmation email. Buggy indeed!

[MAN Flyer]

Spent 25 minutes booking my Mother a MAN-SIN-SYD return today.

If the flight had been for me, it wouldn't have been completed and I'd be flying with someone else. However, the fact she likes SQ, Changi and stopping in Singapore meant I had to persevere. I gave up on trying to book seats and will have to call and do that.

I wonder how much money that website has cost them ?

[milehighj]

I wonder how much money that website has cost them ?

$250 to the Indian programmers and $250 million in lost revenue?


How does that saying go: "Penny wise, pound foolish...?"

Actually nope, "Every buck I save goes to my bonus and my next Chairmanship at *another* Temasek company..."

[rlarosa]

Have been on the website trying to book flights for half an hour and it just won't work! $13,000 worth of flights mind you. It's frustrating beyond words.

[scooby5]

Have been on the website trying to book flights for half an hour and it just won't work! $13,000 worth of flights mind you. It's frustrating beyond words.

Why I now call SWISS, talk to an actual person AND save 25-50%.

[Dickson]

I have 4 short-haul flights within the next 48 hours. They do show up on "My Bookings". But there are some problems.

Usually, the "My Bookings" will display the flights that are ready for check-in differently, with a "Check-in" button on the right, "View Status" in the middle etc. The funny thing was that of the 4 flights, 3 of them have the special buttons, while 1 does not. So you cannot check-in on-line for 1 of the flight.

I usually like to print a copy of the flight booking, in case I run into any problems at the airport. 3 of the flights can be printed, but 1 of them (a different one from the one which doesn't show the special on-line check-in buttons) gave me an error message when I click on the flight. I called SQ to confirm that I'm still booked on that flight. Its just that this flight gave an on-line error when trying to view the booking.

[dr gonzo]

"multiple sessions detected" when trying to choose seat....reset safari, rebooted mac and the same thing, best part is the message blames you for the issue

[lingua101]

I think this website is getting from bad to worse!!
I just booked a reward ticket to DPS and this is what it shows

Departing flightFri 30 Nov 2012
Singapore (SIN) To Denpasar Bali (DPS)
Total travel time
3hrs 45mins

Status
waitlist Flight

SQ942
Singapore Airlines
(Boeing 777-200)
Departs

Singapore(SIN)
09:20(30 Nov)

Changi Intl

Terminal 2
Arrives

Denpasar Bali(DPS)

12:05 (30 Nov)
Ngurah Rai Intl

Terminal - I
Flying time
Nonstop
03hrs 45mins

Since when it tooks more than 3 hours to fly to DPS from SIN

[lingua101]

I found more interesting things:








If you are paying for the flight they will take you on shorter route. If you book a free ticket, they will take longer route

[StarG]

It is impossible to check waitlist status.
If you have a flight on waitlist, when you try to retrieve the booking, the website will ask you to CONFIRM which flight you want. But of course, since it is still on waitlist you can't!
Click any flights, and you will get "500 Internal Server Error".

You can't also get into the same booking to see your other confirmed flights.
\

[scooby5]

I'm not able to make a Retroactive Mileage Claim, keeps telling me to 'Try Again Later.'

[9V-SIA]

This afternoon, system is timing out before I can complete my booking

[Desert Traveller]

This afternoon, system is timing out before I can complete my booking

I encountered that earlier this week...I then had a booking but not made payment. The website did not allow me to make payment online. Rang up the UK reservations number, got an agent from the subcontinent who insisted I contact somebody at ICN. Time at ICN was past midnight, so no go. Rang up the UK KF number, got a very helpful agent who managed to take payment in no time.