PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Wing members have a new tool to make reserving lodging for official travel easier when the Automated Lodging reservation System (ALRS) went live here this month.
The application is a way for members of the 920th Rescue Wing to reserve lodging for the monthly unit training assemblies (UTA). Previously, members were required to call in to a system or contact their unit lodging monitor to book a room. The app was created to make the process of reserving rooms more streamlined and efficient, while putting more responsibility on wing members.
“Ninety-eight percent of people have a cell phone and use apps to conduct their daily personal and professional business. This lodging app is the way forward and is user friendly,” said Staff Sgt. Ross Shiffren, 920th Force Support Squadron.
Once the app is downloaded and the member logs in it is the member’s responsibility to go into the system and book, cancel, or reschedule their room. All UTAs for the year are pre-loaded into ALRS for members to plan ahead and reserve lodging for the entire year. Members are able to reserve the hotel of their choice based on availability. Reservations get uploaded to the app and information is stored online instead of in a database or excel spreadsheet, creating less margin for error or information loss.
The system will send two text messages to the user as reminders to reserve their lodging; one on the sixth day and one on the 14th day of the month prior to a UTA. Members will receive a reminder of the last day to schedule or cancel a reservation as well as notifications if their lodging has been changed to another hotel.
“The FSS lodging team is in control of what is input into ALRS in terms of hotels available but the app will help significantly cut down on the manpower hours spent on assigning lodging to reserve members,” said SSgt Shiffren.
The app will provide a clear communication line between members and their reservations to help alleviate no-shows, saving the wing and Air Force time, money, and manpower.
The app can be found in Apple and Android app stores. Members can use this YouTube training video of step-by-step instruction on how to use the app: https://youtu.be/5xxq0jCuiBc.