U.S. patent application number 09/238546 was filed with the patent office on 2002-10-31 for method and apparatus for the sale of airline-specified flight tickets.
Invention is credited to CASE, T. SCOTT, SPARICO, THOMAS M., WALKER, JAY S..
Application Number | 20020161610 09/238546 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 25394880 |
Filed Date | 2002-10-31 |
United States Patent
Application |
20020161610 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
WALKER, JAY S. ; et
al. |
October 31, 2002 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE SALE OF AIRLINE-SPECIFIED FLIGHT
TICKETS
Abstract
An unspecified-time airline ticket representing a purchased seat
on a flight to be selected later, by the airlines, for a
traveler-specified itinerary (e.g., NY to LA on March 3) is
disclosed. Various methods and systems for matching an
unspecified-time ticket with a flight are also disclosed. An
exemplary method includes: (1) making available an unspecified-time
ticket; (2) examining a plurality of flights which would fulfill
the terms of the unspecified-time ticket to determine which flight
to select; and (3) providing notification of the selected flight
prior to departure. The disclosed embodiments provide travelers
with reduced airfare in return for flight-time flexibility and, in
turn, permits airlines to fill seats that would have otherwise gone
unbooked. Because of the flexibilities required of the
unspecified-time traveler, unspecified-time tickets are likely to
attract leisure travelers unwilling to purchase tickets at the
available published fares and, at the same time, are likely to
"fence out" business travelers unwilling to risk losing a full day
at either end of their trip. Moreover, the flexibilities required
of the unspecified-time traveler need not be limited to a departure
time; the flexibilities may also include the airline, the departing
airport, the destination airport, or any other restriction that
increases the flexibility afforded the airline in placing the
traveler aboard a flight. The disclosed embodiments thus permit
airlines to fill otherwise empty seats in a manner that stimulates
latent and unfulfilled leisure travel demand while leaving their
underlying fare structures intact.
Inventors: |
WALKER, JAY S.; (RIDGEFIELD,
CT) ; SPARICO, THOMAS M.; (RIVERSIDE, CT) ;
CASE, T. SCOTT; (DARIEN, CT) |
Correspondence
Address: |
MORGAN AND FINNEGAN
345 PARK AVENUE
NEW YORK
NY
10154
|
Family ID: |
25394880 |
Appl. No.: |
09/238546 |
Filed: |
January 28, 1999 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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09238546 |
Jan 28, 1999 |
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08889304 |
Jul 8, 1997 |
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5897620 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G07G 1/00 20130101; G06Q
20/04 20130101; G07F 17/42 20130101; G06Q 20/12 20130101; G06Q
30/02 20130101; G06Q 20/0855 20130101; G06Q 10/02 20130101; G06Q
30/06 20130101; G06Q 20/00 20130101; G06Q 20/045 20130101; G07F
9/026 20130101; G06Q 20/403 20130101; G06Q 20/24 20130101; G06Q
20/02 20130101; G06Q 10/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/5 |
International
Class: |
G06F 017/60 |
Claims
We claim:
1. A method comprising the steps of: transmitting a request to
purchase a ticket to travel from a specified departure location to
a specified destination location within a specified time range;
receiving a commitment for carriage that satisfies said request but
does not specify a departure time; accepting said commitment for
carriage; and receiving at a time subsequent to said commitment an
identification of said departure time.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of accepting said
commitment for carriage includes one of reserving a ticket or
purchasing a ticket.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting a request
includes transmitting a request to purchase a ticket for a group of
two or more travelers.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a commitment for
carriage includes receiving a commitment for carriage that further
does not specify a price term.
5. The method of claim 3, further comprising the steps of:
transmitting a bid for said ticket; and receiving an acceptance of
said bid.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said bid is a guaranteed bid.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a commitment for
carriage includes receiving a commitment for carriage that further
does not specify an airline.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving a commitment for
carriage includes receiving a commitment for carriage that further
does not specify a parameter selected from the group consisting of
a departing airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a
number of stops, and a number of plane changes.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of receiving
a ticket without a departure time printed thereon.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said step of receiving at a
later time an identification of said departure time includes
receiving a ticket with said departure time printed thereon.
11. A method comprising the steps of: receiving a request to
purchase a ticket to travel from a specified departure location to
a specified destination location within a specified time range;
querying a central reservation system to determine a special fare
listing that satisfies said request but does not specify a
departure time; receiving said special fare listing; booking a
ticket relating to said special fare listing; receiving at a time
subsequent to said commitment an identification of said departure
time; and initiating a notice of said departure time.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving a request
includes receiving a request to purchase a ticket for a group of
two or more travelers.
13. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving a special fare
listing includes receiving a special fare listing that further does
not specify a price term.
14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:
transmitting a bid for said ticket; and receiving an acceptance of
said bid.
15. The method of claim 14, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
16. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving a special fare
listing includes receiving a special fare listing that further does
not specify an airline.
17. The method of claim 11, wherein said receiving a special fare
listing includes receiving a special fare listing that further does
not specify a parameter selected from the group consisting of a
departing airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a
number of stops, and a number of plane changes.
18. The method of claim 11, further comprising the step of
receiving a ticket without said departure time printed thereon.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein said step of receiving at a
later time an identification of said departure time includes
receiving a ticket with said departure time printed thereon.
20. A method comprising the steps of: creating a special fare
listing for air travel to a specified destination location from a
specified departure location within a specified time range, said
special fare listing excluding a specified departure time; making
available said special fare listing via an electronic reservation
system; examining a plurality of flights which would fulfill the
specified terms of a ticket relating to said special fare listing
to determine which of said plurality of flights to select for said
ticket, each of said plurality of flights including a specified
departure time; selecting one of said plurality of flights; and
providing notification of flight information, including a specified
departure time, corresponding to said selected flight.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of examining a flight
is performed after booking of said ticket.
22. The method of claim 20, wherein said step of examining a flight
is performed prior to booking of said ticket.
23. The method of claim 21, wherein said booking of said ticket
specifies groups of two or more travelers.
24. The method of claim 20, wherein said creating a special fare
listing includes creating a special fare listing that further does
not specify a price term.
25. The method of claim 23, further comprising the steps of:
receiving a bid for said ticket; and transmitting an acceptance of
said bid.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
27. The method of claim 20, wherein said creating a special fare
listing includes creating a special fare listing that further does
not specify an airline.
28. The method of claim 20, wherein said creating a special fare
listing includes creating a special fare listing that further does
not specify a parameter selected from the group consisting of a
departing airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a
number of stops, and a number of plane changes.
29. The method of claim 20, further comprising the step of: upon
booking of said ticket, printing a ticket without a departure time
indicated thereon.
30. The method of claim 29, wherein said step of providing
notification includes the step of printing a ticket with said
departure time indicated thereon.
31. A method comprising the steps of: receiving a special fare
listing for air travel to a specified destination location from a
specified departure location within a specified time range, said
special fare listing excluding a specified departure time;
providing said special fare listing to a buyer; receiving a booking
of a ticket corresponding to said special fare listing from said
buyer; transmitting said booking information to an airline;
receiving an identification of a flight selected by said airline
which fulfills the terms of said ticket, said selected flight
including a specified departure time.
32. The method of claim 31 wherein said airline includes a revenue
management system.
33. The method of claim 31, wherein said booking of a ticket is
limited in terms of availability to groups of two or more
travelers.
34. The method of claim 31, wherein said buyer is a travel
agent.
35. The method of claim 31, wherein said receiving a special fare
listing includes receiving a special fare listing that further does
not specify a price term.
36. The method of claim 35, further comprising the steps of: after
providing said special fare listing but before receiving a booking
of said ticket, receiving a bid for said ticket from said buyer;
and transmitting an acceptance of said bid to said buyer.
37. The method of claim 36, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
38. The method of claim 31, wherein said receiving a special fare
listing includes receiving a special fare listing that further does
not specify an airline.
39. The method of claim 31, wherein said receiving a special fare
listing includes receiving a special fare listing that further does
not specify a parameter selected from the group consisting of a
departing airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a
number of stops, and a number of plane changes.
40. A method comprising the steps of: receiving a booking of a
ticket to a specified destination location from a specified
departure location within a specified time range, said ticket
excluding a specified departure time; examining a plurality of
flights which would satisfy the specified terms of said ticket to
determine which of said plurality of flights to select for said
ticket; selecting one of said plurality of flights; and providing
notice of said selected flight, wherein said selected flight
includes a specified departure time.
41. The method of claim 40, wherein said receiving a booking of a
ticket includes receiving said booking limited to groups of two or
more travelers.
42. The method of claim 40, wherein receiving a booking of a ticket
includes receiving said booking from a central reservation
system.
43. The method of claim 40, wherein said receiving a booking of a
ticket includes receiving said booking from an airline reservation
system.
44. The method of claim 40, wherein said step of examining a
plurality of flights includes examining an actual quantity of
tickets booked within a fare class on each of said plurality of
flights relative to a forecasted quantity of tickets booked within
said fare class.
45. The method of claim 44, wherein said step of selecting a flight
includes selecting a flight for which said expected quantity of
tickets booked exceeds said actual quantity of tickets booked.
46. The method of claim 40, wherein said receiving a booking of a
ticket includes receiving a booking of a ticket that further does
not include a specified airline.
47. The method of claim 40, wherein said receiving a booking of a
ticket includes receiving a booking of a ticket that further does
not specify a flight parameter selected from the group consisting
of a departing airport, a destination airport, a total travel time,
a number of stops, and a number of plane changes.
48. The method of claim 40, further comprising the steps of:
analyzing route-based information for actual flights; and
allocating inventory to a special fare listing relating to said
ticket at a different fare/class than currently available on said
actual flights, based on said step of analyzing.
49. A system comprising: means for creating a special fare listing
for air travel to a specified destination location from a specified
departure location within a specified time range, said special fare
listing excluding a specified departure time; means for making
available said special fare listing via an electronic reservation
system; means for examining a plurality of flights which would
fulfill the specified terms of a ticket relating to said special
fare listing to determine which of said plurality of flights to
select for said ticket, each of said plurality of flights including
a specified departure time; means for selecting one of said
plurality of flights; and means for providing notification of
flight information, including a departure time, corresponding to
said selected flight.
50. The system of claim 49, wherein said means for examining a
flight examines said flight after booking of said ticket.
51. The system of claim 50, wherein said booking of said ticket is
limited to groups of two or more travelers.
52. The system of claim 49, wherein said means for creating a
special fare listing includes means for creating a special fare
listing that further does not specify a price term.
53. The system of claim 52, further comprising: means for receiving
a bid for said ticket; and means for transmitting an acceptance of
said bid.
54. The system of claim 53, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
55. The system of claim 49, wherein said means for creating a
special fare listing includes means for creating a special fare
listing that further does not specify an airline.
56. The system of claim 49, wherein said means for creating a
special fare listing includes means for creating a special fare
listing that further does not specify a parameter selected from the
group consisting of a departing airport, a destination airport, a
total travel time, a number of stops, and a number of plane
changes.
57. The system of claim 49, further comprising: upon booking of
said ticket, means for printing a ticket without a departure time
indicated thereon.
58. A system comprising: means for receiving a special fare listing
for air travel to a specified destination location from a specified
departure location within a specified time range, said special fare
listing excluding a specified departure time; means for providing
said special fare listing to a buyer; means for receiving a booking
of a ticket corresponding to said special fare listing from said
buyer; means for transmitting said booking to an airline; means for
receiving an identification of a flight selected by said airline
which fulfills the terms of said ticket, said selected flight
including a specified departure time.
59. The system of claim 58, wherein said airline includes a revenue
management system.
60. The system of claim 58, wherein said booking of a ticket is
limited in terms of availability to groups of two or more
travelers.
61. The system of claim 58, wherein said buyer is a travel
agent.
62. The system of claim 58, wherein said means for receiving a
special fare listing includes means for receiving a special fare
listing that further does not specify a price term.
63. The system of claim 62, further comprising: means for receiving
a bid for said ticket from said buyer; and means for transmitting
an acceptance of said bid to said buyer.
64. The system of claim 63, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
65. The system of claim 58, wherein said means for receiving a
special fare listing includes means for receiving a special fare
listing that further does not specify an airline.
66. The system of claim 58, wherein said means for receiving a
special fare listing includes means for receiving a special fare
listing that further does not specify a parameter selected from the
group consisting of a departing airport, a destination airport, a
total travel time, a number of stops, and a number of plane
changes.
67. A system comprising: means for receiving a booking of a ticket
to a specified destination location from a specified departure
location within a specified time range, said ticket excluding a
specified departure time; means for examining a plurality of
flights which would satisfy the specified terms of said ticket to
determine which of said plurality of flights to select for said
ticket; means for selecting one of said plurality of flights; and
means for initiating notice of said selected flight, wherein said
selected flight includes a specified departure time.
68. The system of claim 67, wherein said receiving a booking of a
ticket includes receiving said booking limited to groups of two or
more travelers.
69. The system of claim 67, wherein said means for receiving a
booking of a ticket receives said booking from a central
reservation system.
70. The system of claim 67, wherein said means for receiving a
booking of a ticket receives said booking from an airline
reservation system.
71. The system of claim 67, wherein said means for examining a
plurality of flights includes means for examining an actual
quantity of tickets booked within a fare class on each of said
plurality of flights relative to a forecasted quantity of tickets
booked within said fare class.
72. The system of claim 71, wherein said means for selecting a
flight includes means for selecting a flight for which said
expected quantity of tickets booked exceeds said actual quantity of
tickets booked.
73. The system of claim 67, wherein said means for receiving a
booking of a ticket includes means for receiving a booking of a
ticket that further does not include a specified airline.
74. The system of claim 67, wherein said means for receiving a
booking of a ticket includes means for receiving a booking of a
ticket that further does not specify a flight parameter selected
from the group consisting of a departing airport, a destination
airport, a total travel time, a number of stops, and a number of
plane changes.
75. The system of claim 67, further comprising: means for analyzing
route-based information for actual flights; and means for
allocating inventory to a special fare listing relating to said
ticket at a lower fare/class than currently available on said
actual flights.
76. A system comprising: a memory device having embodied therein
information relating to a plurality of flights; a processor in
communication with said memory device, said processor configured
to: create a special fare listing for air travel to a specified
destination location from a specified departure location within a
specified time range, said special fare listing excluding a
specified departure time; make available said special fare listing;
examine a plurality of flights which would fulfill the specified
terms of a ticket relating to said special fare listing to
determine which of said plurality of flights to select for said
ticket, each of said plurality of flights including a specified
departure time; select one of said plurality flights; and provide
notification of flight information, including a departure time,
corresponding to said selected flight.
77. The system of claim 76, wherein said processor examines said
flight after booking of said ticket.
78. The system of claim 77, wherein said booking of said ticket is
limited to groups of two or more travelers.
79. The system of claim 76, wherein said processor is configured to
make available flight information that further does not specify a
price term.
80. The system of claim 78, wherein said processor is further
configured to: receive a bid for said ticket; and transmit an
acceptance of said bid.
81. The system of claim 80, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
82. The system of claim 76, wherein said processor is configured to
create a special fare listing that further does not specify an
airline.
83. The system of claim 76, wherein said processor is configured to
create a special fare listing that further does not specify a
parameter selected from the group consisting of a departing
airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a number of
stops, and a number of plane changes.
84. The system of claim 76, further comprising: means for printing
a ticket without a departure time indicated thereon.
85. A system comprising: a memory device having embodied therein
information relating to a plurality of flights; a processor in
communication with said memory device, said processor configured
to: receive a special fare listing for air travel to a specified
destination location from a specified departure within a specified
time range, said special fare listing excluding a specified
departure time; provide said special fare listing to a buyer;
receive a booking of a ticket corresponding to said special fare
listing from said buyer; transmit said booking to an airline; and
receive an identification of a flight selected by said airline
which fulfills the terms of said ticket, said selected flight
including a specified departure time.
86. The system of claim 85, wherein said booking of a ticket is
limited in terms of availability to groups of two or more
travelers.
87. The system of claim 85, wherein said buyer is a travel
agent.
88. The system of claim 85, wherein said processor is configured to
receive a special fare listing that further does not specify a
price term.
89. The system of claim 88, wherein said processor is further
configured to: receive a bid for said ticket from said buyer; and
transmit an acceptance of said bid to said buyer.
90. The system of claim 88, wherein said bid is a guaranteed
bid.
91. The system of claim 85, wherein said processor is configured to
receive a special fare listing further does not specify an
airline.
92. The system of claim 85, wherein said processor is configured to
receive a special fare listing that further does not specify a
flight parameter selected from the group consisting of a departing
airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a number of
stops, and a number of plane changes.
93. A system comprising: a memory device having embodied therein
information relating to a plurality of flights; a processor in
communication with said memory device, said processor configured
to: receive a booking of a ticket to a specified destination
location from a specified departure within a specified time range,
said ticket excluding a specified departure time; examine a
plurality of flights which would satisfy the specified terms of
said ticket to determine which of said plurality of flights to
select for said ticket; select one of said plurality of flights;
and provide notice of said selected flight, wherein said selected
flight includes a specified departure time.
94. The system of claim 93, wherein said receiving a booking of a
ticket includes receiving said booking limited to groups of two or
more travelers.
95. The system of claim 93, wherein said processor is configured to
receive said booking from a central reservation system.
96. The system of claim 93, wherein said processor is configured to
receive said booking from an airline reservation system.
97. The system of claim 93, wherein said processor is configured to
examine an actual quantity of tickets booked within a fare class on
each of said plurality of flights relative to a forecasted quantity
of tickets booked within said fare class.
98. The system of claim 97, wherein said processor is configured to
select a flight for which said expected quantity of tickets booked
exceeds said actual quantity of tickets booked.
99. The system of claim 93, wherein said means for receiving a
booking of a ticket includes means for receiving a booking of a
ticket that further does not include a specified airline.
100. The system of claim 93, wherein said processor is configured
to receive a booking of a ticket that further does not specify a
flight parameter selected from the group consisting of a departing
airport, a destination airport, a total travel time, a number of
stops, and a number of plane changes.
101. The system of claim 93, wherein said processor is further
configured to: analyze route-based information for actual flights;
and allocate inventory to a special fare listing relating to said
ticket at a different fare/class than currently available on said
actual flights.
102. A method comprising the steps of: creating an alias flight
record based on an actual flight, said alias flight record
excluding a carrier name; and making available said alias flight
record for electronic posting in a central reservation system.
103. The method of claim 102, wherein said alias flight record is
made available for electronic posting through the Airline Tariff
Publishing Company.
104. The method of claim 102, wherein said alias flight record
includes a range of departure times.
105. The method of claim 104, further comprising the step of:
receiving information relating to a booking of a ticket
corresponding to said alias flight record, said information
including an identification of a customer who booked said
ticket.
106. The method of claim 105, further comprising the step of:
transmitting to said customer an actual flight number corresponding
to said actual flight after receiving said booking.
107. The method of claim 106, further comprising the step of:
transmitting to said customer a departure time of said actual
flight after receiving said booking.
108. The method of claim 107, wherein said departure time is within
said range of departure times.
109. The method of claim 107, wherein said steps of transmitting
are performed through a travel agent.
110. A method of electronically posting in a central reservation
system flight records for airline flights having discount seats
available for booking, comprising the steps of: posting an alias
flight record based on an actual flight, said alias flight record
excluding a carrier name; receiving a booking of a ticket relating
to said alias flight record.
111. The method of claim 110 wherein said alias flight record
includes an alias flight number.
112. The method of claim 110 wherein said alias flight record
includes a range of departure times.
113. The method of claim 110, further comprising the steps of:
correlating said alias flight record with said actual flight to
determine said name of said carrier; and transmitting booking
information relating to said booking of said ticket to said
carrier.
114. The method of claim 110, further comprising the step of:
updating inventory information relating to said alias flight record
to reflect said booking.
115. The method of claim 110, further comprising the step of:
updating inventory information relating to said actual flight to
reflect said booking.
116. A method of purchasing an airline ticket comprising the steps
of: accessing a central reservation system having stored therein an
alias flight record based on an actual flight, said alias flight
record excluding a carrier name; and booking a ticket corresponding
to said alias flight record.
117. The method of claim 116, wherein said alias flight record
includes an alias flight number.
118. The method of claim 116, wherein said alias flight record
includes a range of departure times.
119. The method of claim 116, further comprising the step of:
receiving confirmation of said booking without receiving an
identification of said carrier.
120. The method of claim 116, wherein said identification of said
carrier is said name of said carrier.
121. The method of claim 119, further comprising the step of:
receiving confirmation of said booking without receiving a
departure time of said actual flight.
122. The method of claim 121, further comprising the step of:
receiving an identification of said carrier and said departure
time, a predetermined period of time prior to departure of said
actual flight.
123. A system comprising: a memory device; a processor in
communication with said memory device; and said processor
configured in accordance with program instructions in said memory
device to: create an alias flight record based on an actual flight,
said alias flight record excluding a carrier name; and make
available said alias flight record for electronic posting in a
central reservation system.
124. The system of claim 123, wherein said CPU makes available said
alias flight record for electronic posting through the Airline
Tariff Publishing Company.
125. The system of claim 123, wherein said alias flight record
includes a range of departure times.
126. The system of claim 125, wherein said processor is further
configured to: receive information relating to a booking of a
ticket corresponding to said alias flight record, said information
including an identification of a customer who booked said
ticket.
127. The system of claim 126, wherein said processor is further
configured to: transmit an actual flight number corresponding to
said actual flight after receiving said booking.
128. The system of claim 127, wherein said processor is further
configured to: transmit a departure time of said actual flight
after receiving said booking.
129. The system of claim 128, wherein said departure time is within
said range of departure times.
130. The system of claim 128, wherein transmission of said actual
flight number and departure time is to said customer is performed
through a travel agent.
131. A system for electronically posting in a central reservation
system flight records for airline flights having discount seats
available for booking, comprising: a memory device; a processor in
communication with said memory device; and said processor
configured in accordance with program instructions in said memory
device to: post an alias flight record based on an actual flight,
said alias flight record excluding a carrier name; receive a
booking of a ticket relating to said alias flight record.
132. The system of claim 131 wherein said alias flight record
includes an alias flight number.
133. The system of claim 131 wherein said alias flight record
includes a range of departure times.
134. The system of claim 131, wherein said processor is further
configured to: correlate said alias flight record with said actual
flight to determine said name of said carrier; and transmit booking
information relating to said booking of said ticket to said
carrier.
135. The system of claim 131, wherein said processor is further
configured to: update inventory information relating to said alias
flight record to reflect said booking.
136. The system of claim 131, wherein said processor is further
configured to: update inventory information relating to said actual
flight to reflect said booking.
137. A system for purchasing an airline ticket comprising: a memory
device; a processor in communication with said memory device; and
said processor configured in accordance with program instructions
in said memory device to: access a central reservation system
having stored therein an alias flight record based on an actual
flight, said alias flight record excluding a carrier name; and book
a ticket corresponding to said alias flight record.
138. The system of claim 137, wherein said alias flight record
includes an alias flight number.
139. The system of claim 137, wherein said alias flight record
includes a range of departure times.
140. The system of claim 137, wherein said processor is further
configured to: receive confirmation of said booking without
receiving an identification of said carrier.
141. The system of claim 137, wherein said identification of said
carrier is said name of said carrier.
142. The system of claim 140, wherein said processor is further
configured to: receive confirmation of said booking without
receiving a departure time of said actual flight.
143. The method of claim 142, wherein said processor is further
configured to: receive an identification of said carrier and said
departure time, a predetermined period of time prior to departure
of said actual flight.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] This invention relates generally to a method and system for
selling airline tickets.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Airlines have developed Revenue Management Systems (RMS) to
optimize their revenue per flight. Revenue management can be
separated into two distinct parts: pricing and seat inventory
control. Pricing involves the establishment of fare classes and
tariffs within those classes for each flight. Seat inventory
control is the periodic adjustment of available seats for the
various fare classes so as to optimize the passenger mix and
thereby maximize the generated revenue. In particular, the
objective is to fly an aircraft as full as possible without
allowing the earlier-booking (discount-fare) leisure passengers to
displace the later-booking (full-fare) business passengers.
[0003] Presently, tickets offered for sale by the airlines specify
information including an itinerary (e.g., origin/destination
locations and dates for travel) together with a flight number and a
flight time. Once a passenger books a ticket, the airline is
required to place the passenger aboard the flight indicated on the
ticket rather than aboard a different flight for the same
itinerary. In particular, once a ticket is booked, an airline has
little or no flexibility in placing a discount-fare traveler aboard
a later flight for the same itinerary in order to make available a
seat for a full-fare business traveler. Even tour packages, once
completed, do not provide the airlines with any flight-time
flexibility.
[0004] Moreover, an airline's RMS typically knows well in advance,
based on available historical data, that it will have empty seats
on a given route (whether or not it will actually have empty seats
on a given flight)--with more seats empty at certain times of the
day or days of the week. However, the RMS cannot simply discount
the published fares for those seats without either starting a fare
war or compromising its underlying fare structure (i.e., without
also having to reduce its full-fare prices for business
travelers).
[0005] Placing a passenger on "standby" is one way for the airlines
to fill empty seats. However, this practice is limited to instances
where some oversight on the part of either the passenger or the
airline has occurred and the passenger is now attempting to get
aboard the next available flight. For example, the passenger may
have arrived too late and missed his flight, or the passenger may
have purchased a ticket at or near the time of the flight. However,
the airlines generally do not use standby because of the high costs
associated therewith. Moreover, standby is inconvenient for the
passenger because there is no guarantee that he will get a seat on
a flight departing that same day.
[0006] "Open" tickets are known in the field of airline travel
where a passenger buys a ticket that can be used for any flight
having an available seat. Open tickets, however, are utilized for
flights selected by passengers. Open tickets thus do not solve the
problem of how to fill available airline seats for the highest
revenue and/or without undermining established fare structures.
[0007] Tour packages are known wherein a traveler initially
receives a travel intinerary as part of a tour package purchase,
and subsequently receives a ticket including notification of the
flight number and time. In such tour packages, a tour operator is
typically involved in purchasing groups of tickets. Again, while
tour packages provide the operators with some flexibility in
obtaining group rates for tickets, they do not solve the airline's
problems of profitability filling empty seats.
[0008] Travel on military flights is typically according to orders,
which gives the military operators absolute control over their
flights. However, military flights are typically not paid for, and
hence the military does not face the problem of revenue managing
their seat allocation which is so problematic for commercial
airlines.
[0009] Furthermore, although various "businesses" have existed and
continue to exist which collect consumer demand for airline tickets
and then manually interact with the airlines by way of phone or fax
to purchase airline tickets for their clients at a reduced fare,
these services are not truly automated in that they do not operate
within the framework of the existing central reservation systems
(CRSs), through which all airlines offer tickets for sale and all
travel agents book such tickets.
[0010] As such, there is currently no way for the airlines to
routinely fill excess capacity without undermining their underlying
fare structures.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
[0011] The problems identified above are solved and a technical
advance is achieved in the art by providing, in accordance with the
present invention, a system and method for providing a flexible
airline ticket of unspecified departure/arrival time (i.e. an
"unspecified-time ticket"). Such a ticket represents a purchased
seat on a specific flight to be determined, by the airlines, for a
traveler-specified itinerary (e.g., origin and destination
locations together with the dates for travel).
[0012] A method according to one embodiment of the present
invention includes: (1) creating a special fair listing for air
travel to a specified destination from a specified origin on a
specified day, the special fare listing excluding a specified
departure time; (2) making available the special fare listing; (3)
examining a plurality of flights which would fulfill the terms of a
ticket corresponding to said special fare listing to determine
which of the plurality of flights to select for the ticket, each of
the plurality of flights including a specified departure time; (4)
selecting one of the plurality of flights; and (5) providing
notification of flight information, including the departure time,
corresponding to the selected flight.
[0013] Thus, one embodiment of the present invention provides
airlines with the flight-time flexibility necessary to fill
potentially thousands of seats that would otherwise have remained
empty each day. Airlines benefit from the additional flexibility of
being able to balance intra-day demand by placing unspecified-time
ticket holders aboard "low load" flights on a given day. Moreover,
because of the flexibilities required of the unspecified-time
traveler, unspecified-time tickets (and the reduced airfares
associated therewith) are likely to attract leisure travelers
unwilling to purchase tickets at the available published fares and,
at the same time, are likely to "fence out" business travelers
unwilling to risk losing the major part of the work day at either
end of their trips due to the uncertainty of the exact times of the
flight they might be placed on.
[0014] Moreover, the flexibilities required of the unspecified-time
traveler need not be limited to a departure time. Rather, the
flexibilities may include the airline, the departing airport, the
destination airport, or any other restriction that increases the
flexibility afforded the airline in placing the traveler aboard a
flight. The present invention therefore permits airlines to fill
otherwise empty seats in a manner that stimulates latent and
unfulfilled leisure travel demand while leaving their underlying
fare structures intact.
[0015] A system and method is also disclosed for providing a
concealed carrier airline ticket, which permits an airline to
conceal its identity when offering for sale through a CRS
discounted tickets for flights on a specific route on a specific
day.
[0016] A method according to this alternate embodiment includes:
(1) creating an alias flight record based on an actual flight, the
alias flight record excluding a carrier name; and (2) making
available the alias flight record for electronic posting in a
CRS.
[0017] Further aspects of the present invention will become
apparent during the course of the following description and by
reference to the attached drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0018] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of the
present invention.
[0019] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary revenue
management system (RMS).
[0020] FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary central
reservation system (CRS).
[0021] FIG. 4 illustrates the interaction between the RMS, the CRS,
the airline reservation system (ARS) and the various databases
depicted in FIGS. 2 and 3.
[0022] FIG. 5 illustrates the actual demand over time for airline
tickets within a given fare class, relative to forecasted
demand;
[0023] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary forecasted demand analysis
database.
[0024] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary flight schedule
database.
[0025] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary seat allocation
database.
[0026] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary pricing and restrictions
database.
[0027] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary reservation database.
[0028] FIGS. 11a-11c are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which an airline's RMS creates both actual flights and
special fare listings.
[0029] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by
which an airline's RMS initially allocates inventory to a special
fare listing.
[0030] FIGS. 13a and 13b are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which an airline's RMS dynamically increases or
decreases the allocation of inventory to a special fare
listing.
[0031] FIGS. 14a and 14b are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which travelers book unspecified-time tickets.
[0032] FIGS. 15a and 15b are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which an airline's RMS selects an actual flight on which
to place an unspecified-time ticket holder.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0033] Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates one
embodiment of the present invention.
[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, an airline's 100 revenue management
system (RMS) 200 analyzes historical demand and pricing data for
previous flights along a specific route (e.g., NY-LA) during the
relevant time period to determine the number of actual flights to
offer for a specific route on a specific day. Once this
determination is made, the RMS 200 instructs the airline scheduling
system 160 to create the actual flights. The RMS 200 also instructs
the airline scheduling system 160 to create a special fare listing
for the same route on the same day. The term "special fare listing"
as used herein is as a listing in an Airline Reservation System 150
(ARS), CRS 300 or the like for which a traveler 105 may purchase an
"unspecified-time" ticket. The "unspecified-time ticket, in
accordance with the present invention, is an official airline
ticket that represents a seat on an actual flight to be determined
later, by the airline 100, for a traveler-specified itinerary
including the origin and destination locations together with the
travel dates. The airline scheduling system 160 creates both the
actual flights and the special fare listing, as instructed, and
transmits the scheduling information to the ARS 150.
[0035] The RMS 200 also establishes a plurality of fare classes for
the actual flights, utilizes historical data to forecast an
expected demand over time (i.e., a demand curve) for tickets within
a given fare class at a given price, and initially allocates and
prices inventory sufficient to satisfy the expected demand. The RMS
200 transmits this inventory and pricing information to the ARS
150.
[0036] The RMS 200 also initially allocates inventory to the
special fare listing corresponding to seats on the actual flights
for the same route and day, which are forecasted to be empty at the
time of departure. As is well-known in the art, the RMS 200 can
predict, based on available historical data, whether it will have
empty seats on a given route. Moreover, the inventory initially
allocated to the special fare listing is preferably offered at a
lower fare/class than the available fare/class on the actual
flights to encourage sales of unspecified-time tickets. In this
regard, fare discounts associated with the special fare listing are
preferably commensurate with the degree of flexibility afforded the
airline in placing the traveler aboard an actual flight. For
example, the wider the "window of departure" (e.g., 8 AM to 8 PM)
associated with the special fare listing, the greater the discount.
Conversely, the narrower the window, the smaller the discount.
[0037] For the actual flights, the RMS 200 will monitor the actual
demand within each fare class relative to the forecasted demand to
dynamically reevaluate the inventory allocated to both the actual
flights and the special fare listing. In accordance with the
present invention, if the actual demand is less than the expected
demand, the RMS 200 will allocate additional inventory to the
special fare listing at a lower fare/class than the currently
available fare/class on the actual flights. Conversely, if the
actual demand is greater than the expected demand, the RMS 200 will
reduce or eliminate inventory for the special fare listing. In
either case, the RMS 200 transmits inventory and pricing
information for the special fare listing to the ARS 150 in the same
manner as for the actual flights.
[0038] The inventory and pricing information for both the special
fare listing and the actual flights is transmitted by the ARS 150
to the CRS 300, either directly or, via the Airline Tariff
Publishing Company (ATP Co.) 115. As such, in the embodiment shown
in FIG. 1, the unspecified-time tickets are made available to
travel agents 110 and their customers 105 through the CRS 300. The
present invention thus minimizes investment in specialized systems
since it is operable using a conventional CRS. Examples of such a
CRS are known under the trade names Apollo, Sabre, System One and
the like. Alternatively, the traveler 105 can purchase an
unspecified-time ticket directly from the airline 100. However,
purchasing an unspecified-time ticket through a travel agent,
rather than directly from the airline, has many advantages. For
example, purchasing an unspecified-time ticket through a travel
agent provides the traveler with flexibility in choosing an airline
and thus, permits the traveler to "shop around" for the best fares
on unspecified-time tickets.
[0039] As shown in FIG. 1, a traveler 105 contacts his travel agent
110 by way of phone, fax, online connection, e-mail or in-person,
and provides the travel agent 110 with information regarding a
specific itinerary. An itinerary includes the origin and
destination locations together with the travel dates. The travel
agent 110 then logs into the CRS 300 and obtains flight records for
all flights that satisfy the requested itinerary. One of the flight
records may be designated a "special fare listing" indicating that
a traveler can purchase an unspecified-time ticket for a flight
that satisfies the requested itinerary, although the actual flight
itself and thus, the flight time, has not yet been determined by
the airline. In any event, the unspecified-time ticket represents a
commitment for carriage (i.e., an obligation by the airline to
provide a seat on a flight) for the requested itinerary.
[0040] The travel agent 110 would then discuss the benefits of
booking an unspecified-time ticket for a special fare listing with
the traveler 105. One example of such benefits includes reduced
airfare as compared with conventional airline tickets. If
instructed by the traveler 105 and, if there is available inventory
for the special fare listing, the travel agent 110 will book the
unspecified-time ticket through the CRS 300 and create a passenger
name record (PNR) number. Upon purchasing the unspecified-time
ticket, the traveler 105 is provided with a special fare listing
number and a notification date, by which date the traveler 105 will
be provided with the actual flight number and a departure time.
[0041] The CRS 300 transmits in real-time, or on a periodic basis,
as determined by the airline 100, information regarding
unspecified-time tickets booked for each airline to that airline's
ARS 150, which then forwards this information to the RMS 200. For
each booking, the RMS 200 will obtain a listing of all actual
flights that satisfy the travel parameters (i.e., O/D pair and
date) of the unspecified-time ticket. The RMS 200 then analyzes the
expected vs. the actual demand for each class on each actual flight
and determines whether the actual demand is less than the expected
demand for tickets for one or more of the actual flights. To narrow
any discrepancy, the RMS 200 instructs the ARS 150 to place a
passenger from a special fare listing onto an actual flight. In the
case where bookings are transmitted to the CRS 300 in real-time,
the travel agent notifies the passenger of the actual flight
information in real-time (within seconds or minutes after
transmission of the booking) or, alternatively, by a notification
date, as will be discussed in detail hereinafter. The airline 100
prints the ticket for the actual flight with the actual flight
number and the departure/arrival times and, transmits the ticket to
the traveler 105, either directly or via the travel agent 110,
depending upon whether the traveler 105 purchased the
unspecified-time ticket through a travel agent 110 or directly from
the airline 100.
[0042] Moreover, the flight record for a special fare listing, in
addition to not specifying an actual flight number and departure
time, may also not specify a ticket price. In this embodiment, the
airline 100 effectively solicits travelers 105 to submit bids for
the unspecified-time tickets in the manner discussed in co-pending
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/707,660, filed Sep. 4, 1996,
and entitled, "Method and Apparatus for a Cryptographically
Assisted Commercial Network System Designed to Facilitate
Buyer-Driven Conditional Purchase Offers" and in a U.S. patent
application entitled, "Conditional Purchase Offer Management" filed
concurrently herewith, both of which are incorporated herein by
reference. For example, a bid so submitted may specify that the
traveler 105 wants to purchase an unspecified-time ticket for a
specific itinerary, and that the traveler is willing to pay $375
for the ticket. Moreover, the airline 100 may require that payment
be guaranteed (e.g., by supplying a credit card number with a bid)
upon acceptance by the airline.
[0043] The traveler 105 could submit a bid to the airline 100 in
any number of ways. For example, a bid could be submitted via an
online direct connection. The travel agent 110 could also submit a
bid on behalf of the traveler 105 using the e-mail capabilities of
the CRS 300. Alternatively, the traveler 105 could submit a bid via
an Interactive Voice Response Unit (IVRU) (not shown) coupled to
the airline's RMS 120. In either case, an airline will be able to
fill excess seating capacity without lowering its published fares
and thus, without initiating a fare war.
[0044] The RMS 200 would render a decision to either accept or
reject the bid based on the inventory and pricing guidelines in the
RMS 200. The traveler 105 would be notified of the RMS's decision
via the IVRU or a live operator. Also, if the bid were accepted by
the RMS 200, the RMS 200 would then select an actual flight to
place the unspecified-time traveler 105 aboard, as described above,
and the traveler 105 would be notified of the actual flight number
and flight time accordingly.
[0045] Moreover, although the foregoing illustrates
unspecified-time tickets offered by an individual airline, a
"generic" unspecified-time ticket may also be offered, which, in
addition to not specifying a flight number and flight time, would
also not specify an airline. The "generic" unspecified-time ticket,
like the airline-specific unspecified-time ticket, would be
assigned a special fare listing number. As such, any airline
offering actual flights that satisfy the travel parameters of the
generic unspecified-time ticket and seeking to fill excess seating
capacity could then query the CRS for bookings of generic
unspecified-time tickets and place the traveler aboard one of its
flights.
[0046] FIG. 2 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary RMS 200
maintained by airline 100. The RMS 200 performs all the operations
of a conventional RMS and, performs additional operations in
accordance with the present invention, as will be discussed in
detail hereinafter. The RMS 200 includes a CPU 205 together with
associated memory (210, 215) for: (1) creating both actual and
special fare listings; (2) allocating inventory and fare/class to
those flights; and (3) selecting an actual flight on which to place
unspecified-time ticket holders, as will be discussed in detail
hereinafter. The CPU 205 is coupled to an airline reservation
system (ARS) via a communications port 220 for obtaining
unspecified-time bookings from the ARS. As shown in FIG. 2, the CPU
205 is also coupled to a data storage device 225.
[0047] Data storage device 225 includes a variety of databases
including a forecasted demand analysis database 230, a flight
schedule database 240, a seat allocation database 245, a pricing
and restrictions database 250, and a reservation database 255.
[0048] The flight schedule database 240 of data storage device 225
contains flight information including the origin and destination
locations together with a departure date. The flight information
also includes an actual flight number and the flight times, except
in the case of a special fare listing. The seat allocation database
245 contains available inventory for each fare class on a given
flight. The pricing and restrictions database 250 contains pricing
information and related restrictions for each fare class on a given
flight. The reservation database 255 contains each booking of a
ticket for a given fare class on a given flight. Finally, the
forecasted demand analysis database 230 contains information on
each selling price for each fare class for a given flight, and the
forecasted demand at each selling price, as established by the RMS
200. Each of these databases will be discussed in detail
hereinafter in conjunction with FIGS. 6-10.
[0049] FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of an exemplary central
server 301 of a central reservation system 300. The CRS 300
performs all the operations of a conventional CRS and, performs
additional operations in accordance with the present invention, as
will be discussed in detail hereinafter. The server 301 includes a
CPU 305 together with associated memory (310, 315) for processing:
(1) flight information received from the airlines; (2) itinerary
inquiries regarding flight availability; and (3) ticket bookings.
The CPU 305 is coupled to the CRS 300 and the airlines 100 via a
communications port 320. The CPU 305 is also coupled to an
electronic mail processor 322 for processing and storing (in
storage device 323) e-mail messages transmitted between the CPU 305
and the various travel agents, airlines and the like.
[0050] As shown in FIG. 3, the CPU 305 is further coupled to a data
storage device 325. Data storage device 325 may include a variety
of databases including flight schedule database 240, seat
allocation database 245, pricing and restrictions database 250, and
reservation database 255. These databases contain essentially the
same information as the like-identified databases (240, 245, 250,
255) in the RMS 200.
[0051] FIG. 4 illustrates the manner in which the RMS 200 utilizes
the databases discussed in connection with FIG. 2 in implementing a
pricing and inventory allocation process with respect to both
actual flights and special fare listings. The format and content of
the databases depicted in FIG. 4 are discussed in detail
hereinafter in conjunction with FIGS. 6-10. It is to be noted that
the pricing and inventory allocation process may be executed by the
RMS 200 initially when a flight is first added to the flight
schedule and thereafter periodically to reallocate and price
available inventory in response to demand and external events.
[0052] When either an actual flight or special fare listing is
first added to the flight schedule of an airline 100, a record of
the flight with the appropriate itinerary information is created by
the RMS 200 in the flight schedule database 240. In addition, the
RMS 200 will perform inventory allocation and pricing for both
actual flights and special fare listings, to initially populate the
fields of the seat allocation database 245, pricing and
restrictions database 250 and forecasted demand analysis database,
as shown in FIG. 4.
[0053] Generally, during the initial pricing and allocation process
for an actual flight, the RMS 200 attempts to maximize revenue by
first establishing a plurality of fare classes and thereafter
allocating the number of seats and price assigned to each fare
class. To this end, the RMS 200 will utilize historical demand
information stored in the forecasted demand analysis database 230
for prior periods, which essentially provides a demand curve for
each selling price of a given fare class on each actual flight. For
example, when allocating and pricing inventory for an actual
flight, the RMS 200 may analyze demand trends for similar flights
from previous relevant time periods, in a known manner. Moreover,
it is to be understood that conventional RMS systems typically
respond to competitive forces and other external events, such as
fare wars or increased demand due to a large event, such as the
Olympics, as indicated by the external events database 252,
depicted in FIG. 4. Once calculated, the initial seat allocation
and pricing information is stored in the seat allocation database
245 and the pricing and restrictions database 250, respectively.
The initial price for each fare class and the forecasted demand is
also preferably stored in the forecasted demand analysis database
230.
[0054] In accordance with the present invention, the RMS 200 also
initially allocates inventory to the special fare listing
corresponding to seats on the actual flights for the same route and
day, which are forecasted to be empty at the time of departure. The
RMS 200 can predict, based on available historical data, whether it
will have empty seats on a given route (whether or not it will
actually have empty seats on a given flight)--with more seats empty
at certain times of the day or weeks of the year. Moreover, the
inventory initially allocated to the special fare listing is
offered at a lower fare/class than the currently available
fare/class on the actual flights to encourage sales of
unspecified-time tickets.
[0055] As shown in FIG. 4, the airline reservation system (ARS) 150
and the central reservation system (CRS) will each access the
established flight schedule database 240, seat allocation database
245, and pricing and restrictions database 250 to perform itinerary
queries. In addition, as tickets are sold by the airline 100, the
ARS 150 or CRS 300 will decrement the available inventory in the
seat allocation database 245. In this manner, the seat allocation
database 245 maintains an up-to-date representation of the
available inventory for both actual flights and special fare
listings.
[0056] For the actual flights, the RMS 200 will continue to monitor
the actual demand 510 within each fare class relative to forecasted
demand 520, as maintained in the forecasted demand analysis
database 230 and illustrated in FIG. 5. The RMS 200 monitors
current actual demand information by retrieving detailed inventory
data from the seat allocation database 245 or summary inventory
data from the forecasted demand analysis database 230.
[0057] An airline 100 can correct for forecasting errors, or other
competitive forces which have produced unanticipated excess
capacity 530 on a specific route by lowering its fare/class on the
actual flights. In accordance with the present invention, the
airline 100 can also correct for such forecasting errors by
increasing the inventory allocated to the special fare listing at a
lower fare/class than the currently available fare/class on the
actual flights. Due to the discouraged use of unspecified-time
tickets by full-fare business travelers, an airline 100 can sell
such excess capacity at a discount, without undermining its
existing published fare structure. Thus, in a preferred embodiment,
the RMS 200 will periodically execute the process discussed below
in conjunction with FIGS. 13a and 13b, to make unspecified-time
tickets available for purchase by travelers.
[0058] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary forecasted demand analysis
database 230, which records each selling price for each fare class
for a given actual flight, and the forecasted demand at each
selling price as established by the RMS 200. As previously
indicated, when a flight is first added to the flight schedule
database of an airline 100, a record of the initial price for each
fare class and the forecasted demand is preferably established in
the forecasted demand analysis database 230. In addition, new
records are preferably created for each new selling price that is
established for each fare class by the RMS 200, as part of the
dynamic inventory reallocation process.
[0059] The forecasted demand analysis database 230 includes a
plurality of records, each associated with a different selling
price for a given fare class on a given flight. For each flight
number in field 605, the forecasted demand analysis database 230
includes the departure date in field 610, the origin and
destination locations, in fields 615 and 620 respectively, and the
corresponding offered prices and fare classes, in fields 625 and
630 respectively. Finally, the forecasted demand analysis database
230 preferably records the actual quantity of tickets sold by the
airline at each offered price for each fare class in field 640 and
the corresponding expected quantity in field 650. The actual
quantity of tickets sold may be recorded in real-time as tickets
are actually sold or by means of batch processing on a periodic
basis.
[0060] FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary flight schedule database 240
which preferably stores specific flight information for each origin
and destination location pair (O & D Pair). The flight schedule
database 240 maintains a plurality of records, each associated with
a different flight. For each O&D pair listed in fields 705-710,
the flight schedule database 240 includes the date of each flight
in field 715, as well as the departure and arrival times of the
respective flight in fields 720 and 725. The airline and flight
number associated with each flight are preferably indicated,
respectively in fields 730 and 735, and any required connections
are also indicated in field 740.
[0061] FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary seat allocation database 245
which maintains available inventory information for each fare class
on a given flight offered by the airlines 100, as allocated and
updated by the RMS 200. In addition, as inventory is sold by an
airline, the ARS 150 will preferably decrement the available
inventory recorded in the seat allocation database 245. The seat
allocation database 245 includes a plurality of records, each
associated with a different flight. For each flight identified by a
flight number in field 805, the seat allocation database 245
includes the departure date of the flight in field 810 and the
respective inventory available in each inventory class in fields
815 and 820. In addition, the seat allocation database 245
preferably includes an indication of the total number of seats
booked on the flight in field 825.
[0062] FIG. 9 illustrates an exemplary pricing and restrictions
database 250 which maintains pricing information and related
restrictions for each flight offered by an airline 100, as
established and updated by the RMS 200. The pricing and
restrictions database 250 includes a plurality of records, each
associated with a different flight. For each flight identified by
flight number in field 905, the pricing and restrictions database
245 includes the date of the flight in field 910 and the respective
price and restrictions associated with each inventory class in
fields 915-930.
[0063] FIG. 10 illustrates an exemplary reservations database 255
which maintains booking information for each flight offered by an
airline 100. The reservations database 255 includes a plurality of
records, each associated with the booking of a ticket for a
particular flight. Each record includes fields for a flight number
in field 1005, the O&D pair for the flight in field 1010, the
carrier in field 1015, the class of ticket booked in field 1020,
the price of the ticket in field 1025, and the passenger name
record (PNR) number created upon booking in field 1030.
[0064] FIGS. 11a-11c are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which an airline's RMS creates both actual flights and
special fare listings.
[0065] In step 1100, the airline's RMS 200 determines the number of
actual flights to be offered for a specific route (e.g., NY-LA) on
a specific day. In this regard, the RMS 200 accesses the forecasted
demand analysis database 230 and analyzes route-based information
stored therein. Such information includes historical demand and
pricing data for similar flights from previous relevant time
periods.
[0066] In step 1110, the RMS 200 transmits the O&D pair, the
flight date, the number of flights to be offered, and the departure
times to the airline scheduling system 160. The scheduling system
160, in step 1115, then creates a flight record for each flight.
The flight record includes a flight number, the O&D pair, the
departure date and time, an arrival date and time, an airline, and
any restrictions.
[0067] The RMS 200, in step 1120, also instructs the airline
scheduling system 160 to create a special fare listing for the same
route on the same day. In step 1125, the scheduling system 160 then
creates a flight record for the special fare listing. The flight
record will contain essentially the same information as the records
created in step 1115, except that the departure and arrival times
in fields 720 and 725 (See FIG. 7), respectively, will be
unpopulated and, the flight number in field 735 will be preceded by
an "A" indicating a special fare listing, rather than an actual
flight.
[0068] Referring to FIG. 11b, in step 1130, the airline scheduling
system 160 enters the flight records (corresponding to both actual
flights and special fare listings) into the ARS 150. In steps
1135-1140, the ARS 150 stores the flight records in the flight
schedule database 240 and then transmits the records to the RMS
200. In step 1145, the RMS 200 also stores the flight records in
the flight schedule database 240. The RMS 200, in step 1150, uses
the information corresponding to each actual flight (i.e., flight
number, O&D pair, and departure date) to generate a record for
the actual flight in the forecasted demand analysis database
230.
[0069] In step 1155, the airline's RMS 200 forecasts an expected
quantity of booked seats for each actual flight (i.e., the expected
demand for the actual flight) and calculates a fare/class for the
actual flight. In this regard, the RMS 200 accesses the forecasted
demand analysis database 230 and analyzes route-based information
for each actual flight, including: (1) the total number of actual
flights for the specified route on the specified day; (2)
historical demand and pricing data from past flights for the
specified route during the relevant time period; and (3) current
pricing information (e.g., external events, which may affect
pricing, such as the Olympics or a fare war). The RMS 200 then
enters the expected quantity of booked seats for each actual flight
together with the fare/class for the actual flight into the
forecasted demand analysis database 230.
[0070] With reference to FIG. 11c, in step 1160, the RMS 200
allocates inventory for each class on each actual flight sufficient
to satisfy the expected demand calculated in step 1155. The RMS 200
then stores the inventory allocated in step 1160 and the fare/class
calculated in step 1155, in the seat allocation database 245 and
the pricing and restrictions database 250, respectively. The RMS
200 also allocates inventory and pricing for the special fare
listing. The allocation of inventory and pricing to the special
fare listing is discussed in detail below in conjunction with FIG.
12.
[0071] In step 1165, the RMS 200 transmits the inventory and
fare/class for each flight (both the actual flights and the special
fare listing) to the ARS 150. The ARS 150 provides the scheduling,
inventory and pricing information for each flight to the Airline
Tariff Publishing Company (ATP Co.) 115 in step 1170. Thereafter,
in step 1175, the ATP Co. 115 sells this information to the central
reservation system (CRS) 300. The CRS 330 then creates records
similar to those created by the RMS 200 in the flight schedule
database 240, seat allocation database 245, and pricing and
restrictions database 250. Tickets are thus made available to
travel agents 110 and their customers through the CRS 300 or,
alternatively, to travelers 105 directly via the ARS 150.
[0072] FIG. 12 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary process by
which an airline's RMS 200 initially allocates inventory to a
special fare listing.
[0073] In step 1200, the RMS 200 analyzes route-based information
stored in the forecasted demand analysis database 230, the seat
allocation database 245 and pricing and restrictions database 250,
including: (1) the total number of actual flights for the specified
route for the specified day; (2) the current fare/class on those
flights; (3) the actual quantity of seats booked within each fare
class on those flights relative to the expected quantity of seats
booked; and (4) historical demand and pricing data for similar
flights from previous relevant time periods.
[0074] In an effort to encourage sales, and thus, minimize the
difference or gap (See FIG. 5) between the expected and actual
quantity of tickets booked on the actual flights, the RMS 200, in
step 1205, allocates inventory to the special fare listing at a
lower fare/class than the currently available fare/class for the
actual flights, based on the analysis in step 1200. As determined
by the airline, inventory may be allocated to the special fare
listing either at the time actual flights are created or, some time
thereafter, as a gap develops between the actual and the expected
quantity of seats booked on the actual flights. In step 1210, the
RMS 200 generates and stores a record of the inventory allocated to
the special fare listing and the associated fare/class in the seat
allocation database 245 and pricing and restrictions database 250,
respectively.
[0075] It is to be understood that the RMS 200 may also track the
inventory allocated to the special fare listing and the associated
fare/class together with the actual quantity of inventory booked at
the fare/class in the forecasted demand analysis database 230. Over
time, this will provide the RMS 200 with a demand curve for each
selling price at a given fare/class for the special fare listing.
This information can then be used by the RMS 200 in step 1205, in
addition to the information in step 1200, to determine how much
inventory to allocate to the special fare listing and, how much
lower than the current fare/class on the actual flights to price
each class of the special fare listing.
[0076] In step 1210, the RMS 200 also transmits the inventory and
fare/class information to the ARS 150. In step 1215, the ARS 150
stores the information locally and then transmits it to the CRS
300, directly, or via the ATP Co. 115. In step 1220, the CRS 300
also stores the allocated inventory and fare/class in the seat
allocation database 245 and pricing and restrictions database 250,
respectively.
[0077] It is to be understood that an airline may allocate
inventory to a special fare listing which requires traveler
concessions in addition to flight-time flexibility. Fare discounts
would then be commensurate with the degree of flexibility afforded
the airline in placing the traveler aboard an actual flight. For
example, the airline may offer unspecified-time tickets for
particular fare classes only, such as first class (K Class), coach
(Y Class), one-stop, etc. The airline may also choose to limit
unspecified-time tickets to "groups" of travelers (e.g., two or
more, or any other number specified by the airline). Further
examples of such concessions of flexibility include, but are not
limited to, (1) the origin (if there is more than one airport in
the area local to the traveler); (2) the destination (if there is
more than one airport accessible for the traveler's ultimate
destination); (3) the maximum travel time; (4) the number of stops;
(5) the number of plane changes; and (6) whether or not non-jet
aircraft (e.g., propeller planes) are involved.
[0078] FIGS. 13a and 13b are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which an airline's RMS dynamically increases or
decreases the allocation of inventory to a special fare
listing.
[0079] In step 1300 of FIG. 13a, the RMS 200 accesses route-based
information stored in the forecasted demand analysis database 230,
including the actual quantity of seats booked within each fare
class relative to the expected quantity of seats booked on a
specific route on a specific day, to determine whether there is
unanticipated excess capacity associated with the route on that
day.
[0080] In step 1305, the RMS 200 accesses the seat allocation
database 245 and retrieves the records corresponding to each actual
flight for the specific route on the specific day. The RMS also
retrieves the record corresponding to the special fare listing for
the same route on the same day.
[0081] In step 1310, the RMS analyzes the records retrieved from
database 245 corresponding to each actual flight to determine
whether each actual flight is completely booked (e.g., in FIG. 8,
"Remaining Inventory"=0). If each flight is completely booked, the
RMS 200, in step 1315, accesses database 245 and eliminates the
remaining inventory allocated to the special fare listing (e.g.,
"Remaining Inventory"-->0). For example, a special fare listing
during Christmas week may not have any inventory allocated to it
because of the heavy traffic that historically comes during the
holiday seasons.
[0082] If each flight is not completely booked, the RMS 200, in
step 1320, determines whether the "Total Inventory Booked" (See
FIG. 8) for the special fare listing exceeds the remaining
inventory for the actual flights. If it does, the RMS 200, in step
1315, accesses database 245 and eliminates the remaining inventory
allocated to the special fare listing. However, if the total
inventory booked for the special fare listing does not exceed the
remaining inventory for the actual flights, the RMS proceeds to
step 1325 and determines whether the remaining inventory for the
actual flights exceeds the remaining inventory for the special fare
listing. If the remaining inventory for the actual flights does not
exceed the remaining inventory for the special fare listing, in
step 1330, the RMS 200 maintains the current remaining inventory
for the special fare listing. If the remaining inventory for the
actual flights exceeds the remaining inventory for the special fare
listing, the RMS 200, in step 1335 of FIG. 13b, increases the
remaining inventory for the special fare listing at a fare/class
below the currently available fare/class on the actual flights and
updates the seat allocation database 245 and pricing and
restrictions databases 250, accordingly.
[0083] FIGS. 14a and 14b are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which travelers book unspecified-time airline
tickets.
[0084] In step 1400 of FIG. 14a, a traveler 105 contacts his travel
agent 110 and requests flight information for a specific itinerary.
A specific itinerary necessarily includes the origin and
destination locations together with the dates for travel, but may
also include such information as travel times, airlines, etc. In
step 1405, the travel agent 110 logs into a CRS 300 and queries the
CRS 300 for all flights that meet the traveler's specifications. In
step 1410, the CRS 300 retrieves the relevant flight information
from the flight schedule database 240 and lists the information for
the travel agent 110. In step 1415, the travel agent 110 reviews
the information and determines whether there is a special fare
listing for the requested itinerary. If there is, the travel agent
110 notifies the traveler 105 of the potential availability of an
unspecified-time ticket for the requested itinerary and informs the
traveler 105 that unspecified-time tickets are offered by the
airlines at a lower fare/class than conventional airline
tickets.
[0085] In step 1420, the traveler 105 instructs the travel agent
110 to purchase the unspecified-time ticket. The travel agent 110,
in step 1425, obtains additional details regarding the
unspecified-time ticket by retrieving inventory and pricing data
for the special fare listing from the seat allocation database 245
and pricing and restrictions database 250, respectively. If there
is no inventory remaining for the special fare listing (step 1430),
the travel agent 115 will simply re-review the flight information
listed by the CRS 300 in step 1410 for actual flight listings.
Otherwise, the travel agent 110, in step 1435 of FIG. 14b, will
book the unspecified-time ticket for the traveler 105 by creating a
passenger name record and reserving a seat at the special fare
listing in the CRS 300.
[0086] In step 1440, the CRS 300 stores the reservation in the
reservation database 255. In step 1445, the CRS 300 modifies the
record for the special fare listing in the seat allocation database
245 by decrementing the "Remaining Inventory" by "1" and
incrementing the "Total Inventory Booked" by "1". In step 1446, the
CRS 300 receives the actual flight information from RMS 200,
including a flight number and departure time, in real-time (e.g.,
minutes or even seconds after booking the unspecified-time ticket
in step 1435) and displays it for the travel agent 110. In step
1448, the CRS 300 accesses the seat allocation database 245 and
modifies the record for the actual flight by incrementing the
"Total Inventory Booked" by "1" and decrementing the "Total Seats
Remaining" by "1". The CRS 300 also modifies the record for the
special fare listing by decrementing the "Total Inventory Booked"
by "1". In step 1450, the traveler 105 purchases the
unspecified-time ticket and is immediately notified by the travel
agent 110 of the actual flight information, including a flight
number and departure time. In step 1455, the traveler receives an
airline ticket for the actual flight.
[0087] In an alternate embodiment, the CRS 300 does not receive the
actual flight information in real-time. Thus, when the traveler 105
purchases the unspecified-time ticket in step 1450, he receives
only the flight number for the special fare listing and a
notification date, by which date the traveler 105 will be provided
with the actual flight number and a departure time. In step 1455,
the traveler 105 then receives an airline ticket, including an
actual flight number and departure time, either prior to, or by,
the notification date.
[0088] FIGS. 15a and 15b are flow charts illustrating an exemplary
process by which an airline's RMS selects an actual flight on which
to place an unspecified-time ticket holder. In step 1500, the CRS
300 transmits the booking records stored in the reservation
database 255 for each airline to that airline's ARS 150 on a
real-time basis. The ARS 150, in step 1505, stores the information
locally and then transmits it to the RMS 200. In step 1510, the RMS
200 accesses the reservation database 255 and retrieves the booking
records corresponding to a given special fare listing. In step
1515, the RMS 200 accesses the flight schedule database 240 and
retrieves the records of all actual flights which satisfy the
itinerary (i.e., O/D pair and date) of the special fare
listing.
[0089] In step 1520, the RMS 200 analyzes on a flight-by-flight
basis information stored in the forecasted demand analysis database
230, including: (1) the total number of actual flights for the
specified route for the specified day; (2) the current fare/class
on each flight; and (3) the expected vs. the actual quantity of
booked seats for each class on each actual flight.
[0090] In step 1525, the RMS 200 determines whether the expected
bookings on one or more of the actual flights exceeds the actual
bookings for those flights. The RMS 200, in step 1530 of FIG. 15b,
selects one of the actual flights as the flight on which to place
the unspecified-time ticket holder. In step 1535, the RMS 200
updates the forecasted demand analysis database 230 and seat
allocation database 245, accordingly. In particular, the RMS 200
accesses the forecasted demand analysis database 230 and modifies
the record for the actual flight by incrementing the "Actual
Quantity Booked" by "1". The RMS 200 also accesses the seat
allocation database 245 and modifies the record for: (1) the actual
flight by incrementing the "Total Inventory Booked" by "1" and
decrementing the "Total Seats Remaining" by "1"; and (2) the
special fare listing by decrementing the "Total Inventory Booked"
by "1".
[0091] In an alternate embodiment, the RMS 200 performs steps 1515
through 1535 for a predetermined number of bookings, even before
receiving the booking records from the CRS 300. Thereafter, the RMS
200 can access this information upon receiving each booking record
from the CRS 300 to further expedite the placement of the
unspecified-time ticket holder aboard an actual flight.
[0092] In step 1540, the RMS 200 instructs the ARS 150 to place the
passenger on the actual flight. The ARS 150, in step 1545, places
the passenger on the actual flight and updates the seat allocation
database 245 in the same manner updated by the RMS 200 in step
1535. In step 1547, the ARS 150 transmits the actual flight
information back to the CRS 300. The CRS 300 receives the actual
flight information in real-time (e.g., minutes or even seconds
after it transmits the booking records to the ARS 150 in step
1500). The CRS 300 also updates the seat allocation database 245 in
the same manner updated by the RMS 200 in step 1535.
[0093] In step 1550, the airline 100 prints the ticket for the
actual flight with the actual flight number and the
departure/arrival times. In step 1555, the airline 100 transmits
the ticket to the traveler 105, either directly or via the travel
agent 110.
[0094] In step 1560, the process of selecting an actual flight on
which to place an unspecified-time ticket holder repeats for either
another booking record corresponding to the same special fare
listing (e.g., return to step 1530) or a booking record
corresponding to a different special fare listing (e.g., return to
step 1510).
[0095] In an alternate embodiment, the selection of an actual
flight on which to place an unspecified-time ticket holder is not a
real-time transaction. For example, the CRS 300 may transmit the
booking records stored in the reservation database 255 to the ARS
150 on a periodic, rather than a real-time, basis. Similarly, the
CRS 300 and the ARS 150 may receive the actual flight information
from the RMS 200 hours, days or even weeks, after transmitting the
booking records to the ARS 150.
[0096] With respect to this alternate embodiment, in the event that
a traveler purchases an unspecified-time ticket close to the date
of departure (e.g., a week or less), the travel agent or airline
may have insufficient time to forward to the traveler a ticket with
the actual flight data printed thereon. In that case, the airline
can issue a ticket with the actual flight data except for the
flight number and departure time. Once the airline has selected an
actual flight for the traveler, the airline would provide the
traveler directly, or through his travel agent, with a verification
code together with the flight number and departure time. The
traveler would then present both the initial ticket and the
verification code when boarding the plane. Alternatively, the
airline could forego issuing the initial ticket and the traveler
would simply receive the verification code and use it to pick up
the actual ticket at the airline's desk prior to departure. The
traveler would then present the actual ticket when boarding. In
addition, the airlines could use electronic ticketing ("E-Tickets")
to fulfill short term ticketing requirements.
[0097] An alternate embodiment of the present invention permits an
airline to conceal its identity when offering for sale, via a CRS,
discounted tickets for flights on a specified route (e.g., NY-LA)
on a specified day. As such, this alternate embodiment permits an
airline to fill empty seats on its flights without having to lower
its own published air fares and initiating a fare war.
[0098] The airline conceals its identity from users of the CRS
(e.g., travel agents or other airlines) by creating, and submitting
to the CRS for posting, an alias flight record corresponding to
each actual flight on a specified route on a specified day. The
alias flight record is stored in the flight schedule database of
the CRS (as well as the ARS and RMS) and contains all of the
relevant flight information except for a carrier name, an actual
flight number and precise departure/arrival times. The alias flight
record is, as its name implies, an "alias" for the corresponding
actual flight record, which is also stored in the flight schedule
database, but for which discounted tickets are not offered.
[0099] Instead of an actual flight number and precise
departure/arrival times, the alias flight record contains an alias
flight number and time windows (e.g., 8:00 am to 11:00 am,
"afternoon", etc.), respectively. As such, users accessing the
alias flight record are unable to ascertain the identity of the
airline (either by way of an actual flight number or a precise
departure/arrival times) offering the discounted tickets. The time
windows provide customers with useful information regarding the
departure/arrival times of the actual flight, but not enough
information for a travel agent or another airline to identify the
carrier. As with unspecified-time tickets, the time windows
(coupled with the discounted fares) make these "concealed carrier"
tickets particularly attractive to leisure travelers. It is to be
understood that the alias flight record may also optionally include
the model of the plane (e.g., Boeing 737), the number of seats on
the plane, or any other means by which a travel agent querying the
CRS could assure his customer that the customer, upon booking a
concealed carrier ticket, will be flying on a reputable
airline.
[0100] Moreover, although inaccessible to its users, the CRS
contains an alias flight database, which it uses to correlate alias
flight numbers with actual flights numbers and carriers (e.g.,
Alias Flight No. CC78969 corresponds to Continental Airlines Flight
No. 36535). This correlation capability permits the CRS to relay
bookings of tickets relating to alias flight records to the
appropriate carrier and update inventory for the actual flights
based on these bookings.
[0101] The alias flight records (and the related records in the
forecasted demand analysis, seat allocation, pricing and
restrictions, and reservation databases) in the RMS, ARS and CRS
are created and updated in substantially the same manner as records
for special fare listings relating to unspecified-time tickets. The
primary difference is as follows: When a customer books an
unspecified-time ticket corresponding to a special fare listing,
the CRS is unaware of the actual flight upon which the customer
will be placed and thus, the CRS must wait to receive this
information from the airline before it can update inventory for
both the special fare listing and the actual flight. In contrast,
when a customer books a concealed carrier ticket corresponding to
an alias flight record, the CRS knows the corresponding actual
flight and thus, can update inventory immediately. Another
difference is that the special fare listing for an unspecified-time
ticket is created by the RMS on a "one-per-route" basis, whereas
the alias flight record for the concealed carrier ticket is created
on a "one-per-flight" basis.
[0102] Furthermore, the ticketing process for concealed carrier
tickets is also similar to one of the ticketing processes discussed
above with respect to unspecified-time tickets. Upon booking a
concealed carrier ticket in the CRS, the travel agent issues and
transmits to the customer a certified voucher containing the alias
flight number and the PNR number created in the CRS. Once the
airline receives the booking information from the CRS, it provides
the travel agent with a predetermined notification date (e.g., 24
hours prior to departure), by which date the customer directly or,
through the travel agent, will be provided with the carrier
identity, actual flight number, and actual departure time. On the
day of departure, the customer presents the certified voucher at
the airline's flight desk, where the airline confirms the PNR
number in the CRS and, if all is in order, presents the customer
with a stub from the voucher for boarding the plane. Alternatively,
as with unspecified-time tickets, the airline could use electronic
ticketing to fulfill such short term ticketing requirements.
[0103] The many features and advantages of the present invention
are apparent from the detailed specification, and thus, it is
intended by the appended claims to cover all such features and
advantages of the invention which fall within the true spirit and
scope of the present invention.
[0104] Furthermore, since numerous modifications and variations
will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired
that the present invention be limited to the exact construction and
operation illustrated and described herein, and accordingly, all
suitable modifications and equivalents which may be resorted to are
intended to fall within the scope of the claims.
* * * * *