Everything You Need To Know To Get Your AOL Membership & Connection Going (Return to the download screen) Please note that the current version of BidPlus Millennium (9.0.0.0 Service Pack 6) is AOL specific. You **MUST ** have an AOL account in order to use this version. It will not work with any CompuServe membership. Please Read Everything On This Page Very Carefully!!!!!!!! AOL Topics: Fast Facts Getting An AOL Membership Activating The UAL Access Part Of Your Membership Connecting To Unimatic & Apollo Through BidPlus Millennium With Your AOL Membership   AOL Connection vs. AOL Membership - What's The Difference? BYOA (Bring Your Own Access) Trouble Shooting ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fast Facts    (Top) 1) United Air Lines requires that you have an AOL membership in order to access Unimatic and Apollo. You must be able to get into Unimatic through your AOL software at least once before you attempt Unimatic access via BidPlus. If you are a former CS2000 member using the same computer that you will use for AOL, there is a file that you need to remove. Please click here for details. 2) You do not need to keep AOL installed in order to use BidPlus if you have your own Internet connection. 3) You need to have BidPlus Millennium version 9.0.0.0 Service Pack 6 installed!! To check what version you have, click on the Help menu, and then choose the "About BidPlus" menu item. Click here if you need to upgrade.  4) If you have Virtual Key installed, it must be removed. Otherwise AOL will not work. 5) If you sign up for AOL with a disc from the US, and you use a US address and a US credit card, then if you travel overseas with your laptop, you should still be OK. However, if you sign up with an AOL package from overseas, using a non-US address and a non-US credit card, then you may be limited to using AOL in your country only. 6) If you are a former CompuServe member and are committed to a contract with them, you can convert that contract to a "Bundled AOL and CompuServe membership" for $29.95/month. 7) Contacts:    AOL Membership: 877-340-1014.    AOL Tech Support: 800-466-5463    AOL Question for UAL:  1-877-340-1014 (1-703-476-0514 for outside the US)    BidPlus Tech Support: support@bidplus.com     Unimatic and Apollo Questions: UAL Help Desk 800-255-5801 Please read this page very carefully. It contains all of the information about AOL that we have at this time, and it is updated as quickly as we get new information.  If you need assistance, then we need to know exactly which step on this page that you are stuck on. We will also need to know if you have completed all of the trouble shooting suggestions found at the bottom of this page. Please be specific about any error messages as well. The more details that you can provide, the easier it is to diagnose your problem and get you the answers you need. The difference between AOL and BidPlus Millennium: America Online - Is a premium online connection service. UAL requires an AOL  membership to this service as your "permission" to access Unimatic and Apollo from your home computer. Basically, they will provide you with an Internet connection and email service. You can use that connection to surf the web, download your bids, and access Unimatic and Apollo. There is no UAL information management with AOL. It is simply access. You must do everything manually. Even though you can download your bids, they must be done so as individual files (LOFs, Key Pages, Cover pages). You must then locate those files and then either attempt to read them on the screen, which is nearly impossible, or you must print them out and go through them by hand, which will use a tremendous amount of paper and time. Then you need to type the results into Unimatic yourself. BidPlus Millennium - Is a robust software suite that is based on an Internet browser design. It does not contain its own Internet connection capabilities or email. This allows you to use any Internet connection service that you chose. UAL requires that you have an AOL membership, but not necessarily their connection. Those are two different things as explained in one of the sections below . Once you provide an Internet connection, BidPlus Millennium will allow you to surf the web, download your bids, and access Unimatic and Apollo. The difference is that the entire bid package is downloaded as one convenient file with just a couple of mouse clicks, and then processed using our patented user controlled bidding software. No printing is necessary, but it is optional. Paychecks, holiday pay, and vacation pay are automatically calculated and displayed. And you can search through the LOFs in a matter of seconds using any combination of criteria you can think of, and then automatically arrange them in any order you like. Completed bids, including position bidding, are automatically submitted to Unimatic regardless of how many you have. The Unimatic and Apollo modules in the software provide powerful data management control. You can submit dozens of trip trades or look up the schedules and loads for flights to a dozen cities in a matter of seconds. Our Unimatic screen provides interactivity allowing you to click directly on the screen to request information without typing. Save your BLDNOT address book and compose your messages offline. Create a filing cabinet of DSPLOFs or DSPIDs. This is complete power and flexibility. The Millennium browser is a full functioning Internet tool. You can access any web page on the world wide web at any time including Skynet and checking your UAL email. All of the standard features are included such as the ability to download and listen to music and video, as well as bookmark all of your favorite sites. And because it was constructed using Internet Expolorer components, accessing and utilizing java script and active-x enabled web pages is no problem. About the only thing that BidPlus Millennium does not have is permission from UAL to access Unimatic and Apollo without an AOL membership. Four bucks a month. What a deal! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Getting An America Online Membership    (Top) Existing AOL members can go directly to the next step: Activating The UAL Access Part Of Your Membership One way to obtain an AOL membership is by downloading the software from AOL. To get to their web site, click here . (It's a pretty big program - a high speed connection will probably be needed.)  You can also use any one of the zillions of AOL CDs that you see everywhere you look. The main thing is that you will need to get the software installed first. Just so you know, you don't have to keep it installed once you establish your membership - as long as you have another way to connect to the Internet. But you must install it and access Unimatic at least once first. Once your membership is all setup, you can then remove it. For further details on this subject, click on the AOL Connection vs. AOL Membership topic on this page. Once the software is installed, you need to establish your connection, create a screen name and password, and establish your AOL membership. AOL tech support can help you get going if necessary. They can be reached at 800-466-5463. If you have not previously done so, once your connection is established, you can create your BidPlus profile and activate your BidPlus Millennium membership. Any Internet connection, including AOL or your own ISP, will work for creating and updating your profile, or surfing the web through BidPlus. However, you must have both a BidPlus and an AOL membership in order to download and upload your bids or access Unimatic and Apollo through BidPlus. Current AOL Pricing Plans: Free - In order to have your membership converted to a free one, please call 877-340-1014 and choose billing option. Unfortunately, you must use AOL to access Unimatic and Apollo from your home computer whether or not you even have BidPlus. This is a requirement of UAL. However, it is not necessary to install the AOL software. That is because it is an AOL membership that is required as your "permission". You don't need the AOL connection. Those are two different things. You can sign up and get an AOL membership on the AOL web site (http://www.aol.com). You can then go to http://airlinesignup.compuserve.com/ualprofile/profile.asp and complete your UAL security profile. Once that is complete, you can use the Internet connection of your choice (AT&T, MSN, Yahoo, Cable, DSL, etc.), and then use the BidPlus software to download bids, access Unimatic and Apollo, and surf the web.   $9.95/month - 10 Hours of access per month (You must call AOL to get it applied to your account.) $14.95/month -   BYOA - Unlimited access as long as you use a different Internet connection other then AOL. $23.95/month - Unlimited access. $29.95/month - Unlimited AOL and CompuServe bundled access (for those that may be obligated to a prior CompuServe contract). For further details, use your AOL software and go to Keyword: BILLING Once the software is installed and you have your screen name and password (write them down and put them somewhere safe!), you can move on to the next step which is "Activating The UAL Access Part Of Your Membership. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Activating The UAL Access Part Of Your Membership   (Top) Now that you have your AOL membership, it's time to get your UAL access up and running . Open up the AOL software and locate the Keyword button at the extreme upper right hand corner, and click it. Now type in the Keyword: UALCREW, and then click Go (or hit Enter). You will now be asked to enter some personal security information that will establish the fact that you are a UAL employee. You will only have to fill this information in one time. Once that is complete, click OK. This will take you to the UAL Crew Channel. Those of you that are former CS2000 members will recognize this page. It will look similar to this: At this point, your UAL access is all set and verified. You will now need to click on the Unimatic/Apollo button and access Unimatic through your AOL software at least once. Once the netlet is downloaded, click on the "Click here to Proceed to Unimatic/Apollo" button. If you are not able to do this, then you will not be able to access Unimatic via BidPlus either. At this point, you still need to contact AOL for help. **NOTE** You may be able get things setup WITHOUT installing your AOL software!!! The only reason that you need to install AOL (aside from the fact that they want to advertise to you) is so that you can complete the online employee verification survey. However, if you got to http://airlinesignup.compuserve.com/ualprofile/profile.asp, you will be able to enter your employee information there. Additionally, you can go to http://www.aol.com and establish your membership screen name and password. That way, you don't have to install the AOL software at all. You can now go to the next topic: Connecting BidPlus Millennium With Your AOL Membership. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connecting To Unimatic & Apollo Through BidPlus Millennium With Your AOL Membership   (Top) These options assume that you have your Profile and Personal Information already setup in BidPlus. Also note that the BidPlus Millennium browser will work whether or not you are a BidPlus member. All you need is an Internet connection, which AOL (or any other ISP) can provide. However, you cannot download your bids or access Unimatic and Apollo through BidPlus without being an active BidPlus member. To gain access to Unimatic and Apollo, from the Offline homepage (the first screen), click on the Terminal button at the top. Now click on the Terminal function of your choice (Unimatic, Unimatic Plus, Apollo, or Apollo Plus). Details on each of their operations can be found by clicking Help-->Knowledge Base-->(Unimatic, Unimatic Plus, Apollo, or Apollo Plus). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AOL Connection vs. AOL Membership - What's The Difference?   (Top) United Air Lines requires you to have a AOL membership, not an AOL  connection . Those are two different things. A connection (Internet connection) is anything that will get you connected to the Internet. In addition to the AOL software, it can be any other ISP (Internet Service Provider) including AT&T, MSN, Cable, DSL, a freebie, Billy Bob's Super Cool ISP...it doesn't matter. As long as you can get to the Internet, you're good to go. If you have another ISP, then you DO NOT need to use AOL's software to connect. In that case, you would also be a perfect candidate for the BYOA program. A membership consists of your AOL Screen Name and Password. This is the only thing that UAL requires. It is your "permission" to access Unimatic and Apollo from your personal computer whether or not you even have BidPlus. That membership permission information is stored as a "cookie" on your computer and does not have to come from AOL's software. In fact, when you use Millennium, you do not need to have AOL's software installed at all, unless of course you use AOL's software for your connection and e-mail.  This process has nothing to do with the AOL software.   In summary,  what you need is an Internet connection (which can be provided by any ISP), and an AOL membership. And of course BidPlus Millennium. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BYOA (Bring Your Own Access)   (Top) The BYOA program is something that is offered by AOL. It is a condition that is placed on your membership that allows you unlimited AOL access for $14.95/month - as long as you don't use AOL to make your connection to the Internet. You do not need to keep the AOL software installed in order to make use of this offer once it is in place. To sign up for BYOA, use the AOL Keyword: Billing. Or you can call 877-340-1014. You can also send an email to aolquestions@ual.com if you have any further questions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Trouble Shooting Your AOL/BidPlus Millennium Connection    (Top) Please click here.