United Airlines is Relocating its Data Center

Travelport is relocating its Denver data center, which operates United Airlines' computerized reservations and check-in system, to Atlanta in coming weeks as part of a larger consolidation of its North American operations.

The move won't result in any local job losses because Travelport plans to "re-purpose" its Denver offices for disaster recovery related to its systems, company spokeswoman Jill Brenner said in an e-mail. Brenner did not respond to an e-mailed question about how many workers Travelport employs in Denver. In late 2006, the company cut 100 jobs here, leaving it with 400 employees in Denver.

The relocation could help ensure a smoother experience for passengers flying United, which has had several problems with its reservations and check-in system over the past few years. In several instances, for example, the system crashed, creating delays and long lines at airport ticketing counters.

That's exactly what happened in early 2005, when the system - then run by Cendant Corp. - went down for 45 minutes on a day when thousands of people were leaving Denver after the NBA All-Star Game.

Travelport will move the Denver operation into a new facility in Atlanta, allowing it to upgrade United's system.

"This will improve reliability and support," said United spokesman Jeff Kovick. "We will be able to offer our customers a more consistent experience."

United, which is the largest airline in Denver, said its reservations and check-in system will be down or could experience problems from 11:30 p.m. Saturday to 2 a.m. Sunday as part of the upgrade.

The carrier encourages passengers traveling during that time to check in online the day before or to arrive at the airport 30 minutes earlier than usual. United will check in customers manually during the outage.

But the move should have little impact overall, United said, as most of its flights during the upgrade are in Europe and Asia.