room availability oddity question

[Rail Freak]

Amtrak.com shows no rooms available today on 92 or 98 STP to WAS. Shows no rooms available on 98 & 29 STP to CHI with 92 not being offered. BUT STP to DEN shows all kinds of rooms available on 98, 29 & 5????

Thanx

Now showing no rooms on 98 to WAS when going to DEN

 

[gdj]

I tried what you indicated in your post. I don't know what was going on, but now Amtrak is only showing rooms on the CHI DEN leg of the trip

 

[rail addict]

This happens quite often with Amtrak's current operating system. They are in the process of updating it. If you need further assistance, you must dial their number.

 

[PaulM]

This happens quite often with Amtrak's current operating system. They are in the process of updating it. If you need further assistance, you must dial their number.

Could you be a little more clear. What do you mean by operating system? What connection would it have with availablity of rooms? What updating process? Whose number? I can't picture telephone agents knowing what you are talking about either.

 

[OlympianHiawatha]

This happens quite often with Amtrak's current operating system. They are in the process of updating it. If you need further assistance, you must dial their number.

Could you be a little more clear. What do you mean by operating system? What connection would it have with availablity of rooms? What updating process? Whose number? I can't picture telephone agents knowing what you are talking about either.

Operating System is simply a techinical term for the computer software and Arrow, the system Amtrak uses is getting a bit long in the tooth. It is loaded with glitches and oddities and often the best way to get a proper booking, especially when many segments are involved is to call 1-800-USA-RAIL straight away.

 

[BCL]

This happens quite often with Amtrak's current operating system. They are in the process of updating it. If you need further assistance, you must dial their number.

Could you be a little more clear. What do you mean by operating system? What connection would it have with availablity of rooms? What updating process? Whose number? I can't picture telephone agents knowing what you are talking about either.

Operating System is simply a techinical term for the computer software and Arrow, the system Amtrak uses is getting a bit long in the tooth. It is loaded with glitches and oddities and often the best way to get a proper booking, especially when many segments are involved is to call 1-800-USA-RAIL straight away.

Arrow isn't technically an operating system. It's custom software written on top of IBM's Transaction Processing Facility operating system and operating on a mainframe.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amtrak_Arrow_Reservation_System

Of course the issue is whether or not they really want to redo everything from scratch, with the inevitable bugs to work out.

 

[PaulM]

Arrow isn't technically an operating system. It's custom software written on top of IBM's Transaction Processing Facility operating system and operating on a mainframe.

Right. In the old jargon there was system software and application software; and Arrow would clearly be included in the latter. I didn't go into more detail because I have no idea what OS Amtrak uses for Arrow. What I remember from my IBM mainframe days was DOS (disc operating system) as distinguished from its predecessor TOS (tape operating system) and not to be confused with the much later PC-DOS.

I still wish the addict would enlighten us as to what's being updated.

 

[BCL]

Arrow isn't technically an operating system. It's custom software written on top of IBM's Transaction Processing Facility operating system and operating on a mainframe.

Right. In the old jargon there was system software and application software; and Arrow would clearly be included in the latter. I didn't go into more detail because I have no idea what OS Amtrak uses for Arrow. What I remember from my IBM mainframe days was DOS (disc operating system) as distinguished from its predecessor TOS (tape operating system) and not to be confused with the much later PC-DOS.

I still wish the addict would enlighten us as to what's being updated.

IBM called it DOS/360, so that might alleviate some confusion.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DOS/360_and_successors

IBM has so many different operating systems for their System/360 machines that it gets really confusing. Apparently TPF was well-suited for airlines and based on an older OS (Airline Control Program) meant for real-time transactions rather than the batch jobs that most mainframe operating systems ran. They changed the name with a new revision because they figured it was suitable for more than just transportation.

There's still enough of these installations around that IBM still makes replacement equipment and provides support.