It may not be so bad. Sabre Group Holdings Inc., the No. 1 travel reservation company, which handles a third of all travel bookings worldwide, says it expects 90 percent of its travel agent suppliers to have their systems in shape; others are similarly optimistic about avoiding a total meltdown. And many in the industry are expecting 2000 to start off slow -- many would-be travelers have already been scared off. But foul-ups will doubtless occur. If you're planning to ride out the apocalypse in Fiji, we suggest you leave in December.
Y2K Arrives Early for Travelers
NEW YORK: Aaaah! Y2K is arriving ahead of schedule for the airline industry -- Thursday, to be exact: With flight-booking systems able to work a maximum of 331 days in advance, Feb. 4
is the first day that customers can book reservations for January 1, 2000.
The industry has spent five years and billions of dollars to get compliant; now they find out who gets to travel on the last New Year's Day of the 20th century -- and who's already missed their scheduled flight by about 100
years. Travel agents everywhere are hoping for the best.