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Air reservations Y2K ready
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February 4, 1999: 5:52 p.m. ET
Top airlines report no problems booking flights for Jan. 1, 2000
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NEW YORK (CNNfn) - The top three U.S. airlines allayed some Year 2000-related fears Thursday when they experienced no problems in booking reservations for the first day of the millennium.
Thursday is the first day travel for Jan. 1, 2000 is available through most air carriers' computer-based reservation systems.
Of the potential effects of the Y2K bug, problems related to air travel are among the most discussed.
The Y2K problem, also known as the millennium bug, refers to problems many computer systems may face during the transition from 1999 to 2000 because many computers are programmed to only recognize the last two digits of the year. Computers may recognize 2000 as 1900 or will cease to function altogether.
Airlines say system is okay
United Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines (DAL) all said they had successfully booked reservations for Jan. 1, 2000.
Rick Juster, United Airlines' Year 2000 project director, said despite some minor glitches, the carrier was "able to take reservations more perfectly than we would have hoped."
American, a subsidiary of AMR Corp. (AMR), said it began working on its Year 2000 program in 1995 and that it has identified all "Y2K" technological and business issues associated with software, hardware, third-party products, suppliers/vendors, infrastructure, electronic interfaces, customers, airports, air traffic service providers and business associates."
American said it expects to spend about $160 million on Y2K-related issues.
Delta coordinated its Y2K program with Worldspan, an Atlanta-based computer reservation system. Worldspan is owned by Delta, Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWAC) and Trans World Airlines Inc. (TWA).
A Northwest spokesman said the airline has been booking Jan. 1 flights for the last two weeks without a hitch.
Delta said it is on schedule to meet its mid-year Y2K-compliance deadline.
"We will continue to monitor all systems well into 2000," said Walter Taylor, vice president, Airline Operations and Year 2000 at Delta Technology.
Shares of UAL Corp. (UAL), United Airlines' holding company climbed 13/16 to close at 64-3/4. AMR shares finished 1-1/4 higher at 60-3/4, while Delta shares slipped 1/16 to 57-1/4. 
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