June 20--TUPELO --After a bumpy start, Silver Airways seems to have cured woes with its reservations system.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Silver took over air service from Delta in October and is being paid a subsidy to provide 18 round-trip flights a week from Tupelo to Atlanta.
Delta had flown a Tupelo-to-Memphis route before it dropped service here.
Silver also provides service to Atlanta from Greenville, Hattiesburg and Meridian.
But initial complaints involved the inability for flyers to easily navigate Silver's website. And there was confusion that flights showed they were booked on "Island Air." Passengers then were directed to United Airlines or another partner site.
Silver, though, recently launched a new reservations system and website that's easy to use, and it has eliminated the name confusion.
The website is now powered by Sabre, which allows customers to not only book flights, but also book hotel accommodations and rental cars, along with several other features.
"Our move to Sabre is all about our future and putting our airline in the best position to succeed in the long term," said Dave Pflieger, Silver's president and CEO. "The benefits of our new system will extend to customers, staff and our business partners alike, strengthening our company, our product and the service we deliver."
Silver also has a new reservations phone number based in Fort Lauderdale.
"Managing our own reservations and Internet platform will allow us to have pricing flexibility that will ensure our fares are always competitive and responsive to the market," Pflieger said.
"With our move to Sabre, the full transaction --from planning trips and researching prices to purchasing tickets --can all take place on our own website or through our new reservations center. In addition, passengers can now check-in online," he said.
In addition, Josh Abramson, executive director of Tupelo Regional Airport, said Delta Air Lines' website now allows passengers to book flights from Tupelo to Atlanta and beyond.
"Previously, you could only schedule a Delta flight through Atlanta but you couldn't schedule a flight to Atlanta itself," he said.
However, one main issue remains to be resolved. Delta's SkyMiles frequent flyer program has yet to be integrated, but Delta and Silver are working on it.
Silver Airways
--Website: www.gosilver.com
--Toll-free reservations number: (800) 881-4999
Copyright 2013 - Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, Tupelo
