To restore the full-featured version, click here. While many people undoubtedly will be celebrating the end of the 20th Century, many others around the world will be at their work stations just in case something goes wrong with their computer systems. The rooms that have been booked, she adds, have been reserved mostly by companies for employees put on holiday duty as the world spins into the next century. New Year's Eve is also shaping up as something of a bust for airlines. For example, Ansett Australia Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance with United Airlines, on Thursday canceled all flights from 11 p.m. Dec. 31 through noon Jan. 1.
High bidders get a special menu and a open bar.
By now, companies and government entities generally say that after spending billions of dollars, they're confident their computers won't fail because of the Y2K computer bug. The problem is that computers might misread dates because programmers used only the last two digits for years. Thus, the year 2000 might be read as the year 1900. Still, to play it safe, many employers are putting workers are standby for the New Year's weekend, forcing them and their families to call off vacations or hometown revelry. Airlines typically cut back on the number of flights they make around New Year's Eve each year.