American Airlines in a statement confirmed that it is "currently evaluating the vendors best suited" to help the carrier deliver Jetstream, its ongoing "passenger services system replacement initiative," but did not say whether Hewlett-Packard still is in the mix to facilitate the project.
"We are very much reevaluating all the vendors because we want to make sure speed to market is something we can deliver on," a spokeswoman told The Beat on Tuesday.
She stressed AA's commitment to Jetstream, calling the eventual replacement of its passenger services system "foundational" to the carrier's reorganization.
Citing a Feb. 13 Airline Weekly report, The Beat on Friday reported that AA no longer planned to use HP technology to replace its current Sabre-based system. AA in a statement issued Monday noted that "our conversations with HP and other vendors remain confidential."
Conversations between AA and HP, however, haven't always been confidential. AA in August 2009 publicly announced "a letter of intent with HP to develop a next-generation passenger service system."
According to that 2009 press release, AA had enlisted HP to replace core functionality of its existing system, "including reservations, pricing and ticketing, inventory, flight information and check-in," in addition to delivering other "products and services to its customers and employees with greater consistency and agility."
An HP spokeswoman on Tuesday said she would not "comment about our agreement with AA beyond what was made public in 2009," nor would the AA spokeswoman comment on the status of that agreement.
Though AA previously had highlighted HP as a key player in executing its Jetstream vision, the project has not been entirely a single-vendor solution.
For example, AA last year announced that ITA Software would supply a new availability engine to the carrier, "which will provide inventory, pricing and shopping visibility and will manage the various product and service choices customers want to consider as they customize their travel experience," AA said in a January 2011 statement.
Though The Beat cited an Airline Weekly report, which did not name sources, airline industry newsletter PlaneBusiness on Feb. 7 first reported on HP's apparent altered involvement in Jetstream.
AA surely is revisiting its contracts and strategies as parent company AMR Corp. reorganizes under bankruptcy court protection. Under Chapter 11, AA is empowered to nullify certain contracts, including terms with suppliers.
Still, it remains unclear to what extent American's vision of Jetstream — and the vendors that support it — will change as the carrier reorganizes, especially since senior vice president and CIO Monte Ford resigned at the end of 2011, replaced this year by Maya Leibman.
Leibman now has oversight to "lead the company's IT strategy and operations," according to a December AA statement.
Source: The Beat