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Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs

1. Why are United and AOL doing this now?

United and AOL are committed to improving your experience using AOL to access Unimatic and Apollo. This change will decrease your connection time and facilitate a more seamless connection to Unimatic and Apollo. A fter June 30th, because of a court settlement between Sun Microsystems and Microsoft, any all new users of AOL and Unimatic/Apollo would not have compatible software to connect to United . Hence, the reason for upgrading to the Sun JRE.

2. What are the minimum system requirements necessary to take advantage of the technical enhancements?

The minimum requirements are:

Windows

• Hardware - At least a Pentium 200 computer with 64 Megs of memory, a 67 MB (megabytes) of hard drive space, CD-ROM drive and at least a 56K modem.

  Software - Internet Explorer 5.5 or above, the most recent version of Sun Microsystem’s Java Runtime Environment (JRE) 1.4.2_03 installed on your computer (see Technical FAQs for how to upgrade to the Sun JRE) and Windows 98.

Mac

• Mac OS X or above.

3. What is the customer support number for AOL issues or inquiries?

If you need technical assistance, please call 877/340-1014 from within the United States or 703/476-0514 from outside the United States. This line is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is specifically designated for United support. You can also e-mail AOL at UnitedSupport@aol.com.

4. If I need technical support, whom should I call and what are the phone numbers?

If you are having problems with any element of AOL up to the point where you see the Unimatic and Apollo screens, contact AOL customer support at 877/340-1014 from within the United States or 703/476-0514 from outside the United States. If you are having problems with Unimatic and/or Apollo after they appear on your screen (after the point of Unimatic/Apollo sign-on) contact the United Support Desk at 800/255-5801.

5. I do not want to use AOL because it is so intrusive. (It installs applications I don’t want on my computer) What are my options?

If you do not want to use the AOL software, you can connect using Internet Explorer 5.5 or above by typing in the URL http://airline.compuserve.com/ual/launch_mb2.asp. You will initially be prompted to enter your AOL screen name and password to access Unimatic and Apollo.

Technical FAQ's

1. What versions of AOL are still supported after the changeover?

AOL 7.0 & higher.

2. When entering the Unimtic/Apollo link for the first time, what should the user answer to questions regarding the use of the “CTC Core Product,” “Microsoft” and “Sun Microsystems”?

Click “Yes” for all prompts. Check “yes” when asked “always trust software from this source?”

3. What happens if the user answers “No” to the certificate prompts?

You will be unable to connect to Unimatic and Apollo.

4. Is there support or help documentation available on AOL that will help users understand the system requirements necessary for successful connection using the new software?

Yes. In the lower left-hand corner of the current AOL Crew Channel page is an “Assistance” link. When users click on “Assistance,” there are two links at the bottom of the page that can be accessed that provide support. These two links are “UAL Guide.doc” and “UAL Guide.pdf.” You need Adobe Acrobat to access files with the .pdf extension. Download Adobe Acrobat here http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.htmlUnited does not provide support for Adobe documents.

5. I am getting an Authentication Error, what should I do?

If you are using Internet Explorer 6.0, go to “Start, ” “Settings,” “Control Panel,” and “Internet Options;” click the “Security” tab; select “Default;” click on the “Privacy” tab; select “Default” and then “Advanced.” Ensure a check mark is next to “Override Automatic Cookie Handling” and the following is selected: “First-Party Cookies is Accepted,” “Third-Party Cookies is Accepted” and ensure a check mark is next to “Always Allow Session Cookies.” If you add checkmarks in the checkbox, make sure you click ‘OK’.

If you are using Internet Explorer 5.5, go to “Start,” “Settings,” “Control Panel,” “Internet Options” and click the “Security” tab. Click on “Default” and then click on “Custom Level” and scroll down to “Cookies.” Ensure that “Enable” is selected on the following: “Allow cookies that are stored on your computer and allow per-session cookies (not stored).”

6. If I have installed any PopUp stopping utilities on my computer, will this affect my ability to access Unimatic and Apollo?

No. Pop Up blockers should no longer be a problem. In testing the most popular pop up blockers with the Sun JRE, the Unimatic and Apollo terminals loaded properly.

7. I want to connect to Unimatic/Apollo from an Internet café when I'm on vacation. Can I?

Yes, open Internet Explorer 5.5 or higher, go to http://airline.compuserve.com/ual/launch_mb2.asp enter your screen name and password when prompted.

This will only work provided the following:

• You have a valid and current AOL account.
• The computer you are using will allow the installation of the Sun JRE. To download the Sun JRE, go to the page http://airline.compuserve.com/ual/launch_mb2.asp and follow the instructions.. If the Internet Café prohibits downloads, you will be advised in a message window.
• The computer you are using meets the minimum system requirements.

8. I have a personal firewall installed. Will that cause problems?

It might cause problems. If you are having connection problems, try disabling the firewall and then reconnecting. If you are unsuccessful at this point, you may need to contact your firewall vendor for additional support.

9. I use another provider (MSN, Earthlink, AT&T, etc.) as my primary ISP. I installed AOL for the sole purpose of accessing Unimatic and Apollo. But, now AOL has taken over my other ISP. Why did this happen and how do I change this?

More than likely, you inadvertently checked the box during AOL installation that asks if you want to “Make AOL Your Default Browser.” To change this setting, go to “Start, ” “Settings,” “Control Panel,” and “Internet Options and -click on the Connections tab. In the box in the middle of the page, change the default to whatever ISP you want to primarily use and click the “Apply” button.

Windows FAQ's

1. Will I be able to access Unimatic/Apollo through AOL if my computer has Windows 95?

AOL will not provide technical support for Windows 95 or lower. However, you may still be able to download the Applet and continue to use AOL to access Unimatic and Apollo from home.

2. I use Windows XP. Will Unimatic/Apollo work?

Yes. Make sure your cookies are enabled if you cannot access Unimatic/Apollo. Go to “Start,” “Control Panel-Network and Internet Connections” and “Internet Options.” Click the “Security” tab; then click on “Default.” Click the “Privacy” tab; click on “Default;” click on “Advanced.” Ensure there is a check mark is next to “Override Automatic Cookie Handling” and that the following is selected: “First-Party Cookies is Accepted,” “Third-Party Cookies is Accepted” and ensure a check mark is next to “Always Allow Session Cookies.”

Please note that you may be asked to restart your computer to complete installation of the Sun JRE. If asked, please do so.

Macintosh FAQ's

1. Will AOL work on Macintosh for Unimatic/Apollo access?

A: Yes, as long as your Mac supports OS X.

System Requirements

In order to use a Macintosh computer with AOL to access Unimatic and Apollo, you must be using OS X. Mac OS versions8.x or 9.x are not supported.

All Mac users must have at least 64MB of RAM to run Sun Microsystems Java applications. More RAM will improve the performance of your access to Unimatic/Apollo.

Mac OS 10.2.6 Users

For Mac OS version 10.2.6 users, Sun Java Runtime Environment 1.4.1 is required. Obtain Java 1.4.1 for Mac >>

Mac OS 10.3.1 Users

For Mac OS version 10.3.1 and above, Sun Java Runtime Environment 1.4.2 is required. Use the following link for the update for Sun JRE 1.4.2:

http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/java/

Internet Explorer (IE) for Mac

For Mac OS X users, you must have Internet Explorer (IE) 5.2.3 or higher for the Mac installed. You may download it at this Web address: http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/ie/ie_default.asp.

Mac OS 8.x or 9.x users

These versions of the Mac OS are not supported by United/AOL but you could install Apple's Mac Runtime for Java (MRJ) version 2.2.3 or higher and use the URL http://airline.compuserve.com/ual/launch_mb2.asp in your browser (IE) address field to get access to Unimatic/Apollo. To obtain the latest version of the Apple MRJ (2.2.5), download the file at http://developer.apple.com/java/classic.html. Bear in mind that this procedure is not supported and is provided as a helpful hint only to get connected to Unimatic/Apollo.

You must CONFIGURE IEas follows: START IE. CLICK “Edit” on the pull-down menu at the top of IE, and then SELECT “Preferences.” CLICK on “Java” on the left-hand side. In the “Java Options” box, make sure there is a check in the box next to “Enable Java (Apple MRJ),” “Log Java output” and “Log Java Exceptions.” You may, but are not required to, check “Alert on exception.” In the “Security Options” section, make sure “Network Access” is listed as “Unrestricted Access.” CLICK “OK” to close the dialog box.

You must have the AOL client installed on your Mac.

How to Report the Problems

If you encounter problems while trying to use Unimatic or Apollo, send an email to: UnitedSupport@aol.com.

Please describe the problem/symptoms/experiences in as much detail as possible. Include the date, time and your time zone (or location) so AOL can match against our system error logs. Reference the steps given above, tell us the last successful step, and then what happened after that. Then tell us how your experience differed from the description offered in the steps listed above.

Please also send a copy of your Java console log. This file is called "Java Message Log" and can be found in the folder where you installed Internet Explorer. If you have trouble locating this file, you can find it with the Finder or Sherlock.

2. How do I access the new system with my Mac?

Open Internet Explorer, and enter the following web address: http://airline.compuserve.com/ual/launch_mb2.asp in the browser address bar. An applet will take several minutes to load, but will stay on the computer until you shut it down.

3. I have a Mac and I want to print my Unimatic/Apollo sessions. How do I do this?

You can now use the print function built into the Unimatic and Apollo terminal windows for printing. To use this feature, click on ‘Print’ from within the terminal window. Behind your terminal window, a new window will open with the screen capture that you want to print. You can continue to add other screens to this window or you can print from that window immediately by clicking on ‘Print'.

Where to Find More Information

1. Is there support or help documentation available on AOL that will help users understand the system requirements necessary for successful download of the new software?

Yes. Reference materials are available on the AOL Employee Channel. For additional help, contact unitedsupport@aol.com or 877/340-1014.

2. Where can I find more information about these technical enhancements?

There has been information on Front Page News, in Onboard Updates, NewsReal, under ‘Important News’ on the Onboard home page on Skynet and the United Airlines Channel on AOL.