U.S. patent application number 13/625045 was filed with the patent office on 2013-01-17 for system and method for boarding passengers based on bids.
The applicant listed for this patent is Shaun Beheruz Sethna. Invention is credited to Shaun Beheruz Sethna.
Application Number | 20130018681 13/625045 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41653751 |
Filed Date | 2013-01-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20130018681 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Sethna; Shaun Beheruz |
January 17, 2013 |
System and Method for Boarding Passengers Based on Bids
Abstract
Systems and methods for boarding passengers on flights or other
transportation according to bids received from the passengers are
provided. Passengers seeking to fly standby on an undersold flight
can submit a bid representing the amount the passengers are willing
to pay to board the flight. The airline can determine the number of
seats available on the flight, and board the highest bidding
passengers until the flight is full. Similarly, passengers willing
to be bumped from an oversold flight can submit a bid representing
the incentive the passengers are willing to accept to be bumped
from the flight. The airline can determine the number of passengers
that must be bumped from the flight, and bump the lowest bidding
passengers (i.e., those willing to accept the least costly
incentive) until a sufficient number of passengers have been bumped
from the flight.
Inventors: |
Sethna; Shaun Beheruz;
(Houston, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Sethna; Shaun Beheruz |
Houston |
TX |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
41653751 |
Appl. No.: |
13/625045 |
Filed: |
September 24, 2012 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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13051816 |
Mar 18, 2011 |
8275641 |
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13625045 |
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12221734 |
Aug 6, 2008 |
8050950 |
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13051816 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/5 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 10/02 20130101;
G06Q 30/08 20130101; G06Q 10/025 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/5 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 10/02 20120101
G06Q010/02 |
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for bumping passengers from a
transportation vehicle comprising: receiving, with a computer, a
bump bid for each of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket
for the transportation vehicle; and selecting, with a computer, at
least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle
based on the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, with a
computer, an incentive to the each of the selected bump passengers,
wherein the incentive provided to each of the selected bump
passengers is based on the bump bid of each respective selected
bump passenger.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, with a
computer, a cost associated with providing an incentive based on
each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger.
4. The method of claim 3, wherein selecting the at least one bump
passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the bump
bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the at
least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle
based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at
least one bump passenger.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transportation vehicle has a
number of total seats and a number of checked-in passengers, and
wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the
transportation vehicle based on the cost associated with providing
the incentive to the at least one bump passenger comprises:
determining, with a computer, a number of needed seats by
subtracting the number of total seats from the number of checked-in
passengers; and iteratively selecting, with a computer, a bump
passenger from the plurality of bump passengers to bump from the
transportation vehicle according to a selection process until the
number of bump passengers selected is equal to or greater than the
number of needed seats.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein each iteration of the selection
process comprises: identifying a first bump passenger from the
plurality of bump passengers to bump from the transportation
vehicle, the first bump passenger being identified in response to a
determination that the cost associated with providing the incentive
based on the bump bid of the first bump passenger is lower than or
equal to the cost associated with providing the incentive based on
the bump bid of each other bump passenger in the plurality of bump
passengers that have not already been selected to be bumped from
the transportation vehicle; identifying all bump passengers in the
plurality of bump passengers traveling in a group with the first
bump passenger; determining a group size of the group, the group
size being the number of passengers traveling in the group;
calculating a number of still-needed seats by subtracting the
number of bump passengers already selected to be bumped from the
transportation vehicle from the number of needed seats; selecting
the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the
group with the first bump passenger from the plurality of bump
passengers to be bumped from the transportation vehicle in response
to a determination that the group size is less than or equal to the
number of still-needed seats; removing the first bump passenger and
any bump passengers traveling in the group from the plurality of
bump passengers.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein each iteration of the selection
process comprises: identifying a first bump passenger from the
plurality of bump passengers to bump from the transportation
vehicle, the first bump passenger being identified in response to a
determination that the cost associated with providing the incentive
based on the bump bid of the first bump passenger is lower than or
equal to the cost associated with providing the incentive based on
the bump bid of each other bump passenger in the plurality of bump
passengers that have not already been selected to be bumped from
the transportation vehicle; identifying all bump passengers in the
plurality of bump passengers traveling in a group with the first
bump passenger; determining a group size of the group, the group
size being the number of passengers traveling in the group;
calculating a number of still-needed seats by subtracting the
number of bump passengers already selected to be bumped from the
transportation vehicle from the number of needed seats; determining
whether to bump the first passenger and any bump passengers
traveling in the group from the plurality of bump passengers; and
removing the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling
in the group from the plurality of bump passengers, wherein
determining whether to bump the first passenger and any bump
passengers traveling in the group from the plurality of bump
passengers comprises: if the group size is less than or equal to
the number of still-needed seats, selecting the first passenger and
any bump passengers traveling in the group to be bumped from the
transportation vehicle; and if the group size exceeds the number of
still-needed seats, comparing a first cost of bumping the group
from the transportation vehicle with a second cost of bumping a
number of other bump passengers from the transportation vehicle,
the number of other bump passengers being equal to the number of
still-needed seats, and if the second cost exceeds the first cost,
selecting the first passenger and any bump passengers traveling in
the group to be bumped from the transportation vehicle.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein in at least one iteration of the
selection process, the group size exceeds the number of
still-needed seats.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, with a computer, a
bump bid for each of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket
for the transportation vehicle comprises: determining, with a
computer, whether at least one bump passenger in the plurality of
bump passengers is traveling in a group with at least one other
bump passenger; associating, with a computer, the bump bid of the
at least one bump passenger with any bump passengers traveling in a
group with the at least one the at least one other bump
passenger.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bump bid is
received via one of: an electronic mail message, a text message, a
website interface, and a kiosk interface.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one bump bid comprises
one or more of: a request for credits to a frequent traveler
account, a request for an upgrade to a higher class of travel, and
a selection of a confirmed seat for a replacement transportation
vehicle.
12. The method of claim 3, further comprising adjusting the bump
bids from each of the bump passengers based on additional factors,
wherein the additional factors comprise at least one of: a frequent
flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class of the bump
passenger, and a transportation class of the bump passenger.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the cost associated
with providing an incentive based on each received bump bid to each
respective bump passenger comprises determining a cost associated
with providing an incentive based on each adjusted bump bid, and
wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the
transportation vehicle based on the bump bid of the at least one
bump passenger comprises selecting the at least one bump passenger
to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the cost
associated with providing the incentive to the at least one bump
passenger.
14. The method of claim 6, further comprising providing, with a
computer, an incentive to the each of the selected bump passengers;
and adjusting the bump bids from each of the bump passengers based
on additional factors, the additional factors comprising at least
one of: a frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class
of the bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump
passenger, wherein receiving, with a computer, a bump bid for each
of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket for the
transportation vehicle comprises: determining, with a computer,
whether at least one bump passenger in the plurality of bump
passengers is traveling in a group with at least one other bump
passenger; associating, with a computer, the bump bid of the at
least one bump passenger with any bump passengers traveling in a
group with the at least one the at least one other bump passenger;
wherein determining the cost associated with providing an incentive
based on each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger
comprises determining a cost associated with providing an incentive
based on each adjusted bump bid, wherein selecting the at least one
bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the
bump bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the
at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle
based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at
least one bump passenger, wherein at least one bump bid is received
via one of: an electronic mail message, a text message, a website
interface, and a kiosk interface, wherein at least one bump bid
comprises one or more of: a request for credits to a frequent
traveler account, a request for an upgrade to a higher class of
travel, and a selection of a confirmed seat for a replacement
transportation vehicle, and wherein the incentive provided to each
of the selected bump passengers is based on the unadjusted bump bid
of each respective selected bump passengers.
15. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing, with a
computer, an incentive to the each of the selected bump passengers;
and adjusting the bump bids from each of the bump passengers based
on additional factors, the additional factors comprising at least
one of: a frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class
of the bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump
passenger, wherein receiving, with a computer, a bump bid for each
of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket for the
transportation vehicle comprises: determining, with a computer,
whether at least one bump passenger in the plurality of bump
passengers is traveling in a group with at least one other bump
passenger; associating, with a computer, the bump bid of the at
least one bump passenger with any bump passengers traveling in a
group with the at least one the at least one other bump passenger;
wherein determining the cost associated with providing an incentive
based on each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger
comprises determining a cost associated with providing an incentive
based on each adjusted bump bid, wherein selecting the at least one
bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the
bump bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the
at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle
based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at
least one bump passenger, wherein at least one bump bid is received
via one of: an electronic mail message, a text message, a website
interface, and a kiosk interface, wherein at least one bump bid
comprises one or more of: a request for credits to a frequent
traveler account, a request for an upgrade to a higher class of
travel, and a selection of a confirmed seat for a replacement
transportation vehicle, and wherein the incentive provided to each
of the selected bump passengers is based on the unadjusted bump bid
of each respective selected bump passengers.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having
computer-readable program code embodied therein for selecting bump
passengers to be bumped from a transportation vehicle, the
computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable
program code for receiving a bump bid for a plurality of bump
passengers having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle;
computer-readable program code for sorting the plurality of bump
passengers having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle
based on the bump bid for each bump passenger in the plurality of
bump passengers, thereby creating a sorted plurality of bump
passengers; and computer-readable program code for selecting which
bump passengers having a ticket to bump from the transportation
vehicle based on the sorted plurality of bump passengers.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16,
wherein the transportation vehicle has a number of needed seats,
the number of needed seats being a number of total seats subtracted
from a number of checked-in passengers, wherein the number of
needed seats and the bump bids for bump passengers other than each
respective bump passenger are inaccessible to each respective bump
passenger when each respective bump bid is received for each
respective bump passenger. wherein the computer-readable program
code for receiving a bump bid for a plurality of bump passengers
having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle comprises:
computer-readable program code for receiving a bump bid from a
given bump passenger having a ticket to board the transportation
vehicle; computer-readable program code for associating the bump
bid from the given bump passenger with any bump passenger traveling
in a group with the given bump passenger; and computer-readable
program code for adjusting the bump bid based on additional
factors, the additional factors comprising at least one of: a
frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class of the
bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump passenger,
wherein the sorted plurality of bump passengers has a first bump
passenger, and wherein the computer-readable program code for
selecting which bump passengers having a ticket to board to the
transportation vehicle based on the sorted plurality of bump
passengers comprises: computer-readable program code for
determining a number of still-needed seats on the transportation
vehicle, by subtracting a number of bump passengers already
selected to be bumped from the transportation vehicle from the
number of needed seats; computer-readable program code for
identifying the first bump passenger in the sorted plurality of
bump passengers; computer-readable program code for identifying a
group size of the first bump passenger, the group size being equal
to a number of bump passengers traveling in the group with the
first bump passenger including the first bump passenger;
computer-readable program code for selecting the first bump
passenger and any bump passengers traveling in a group with the
first bump passenger to be bumped from the transportation vehicle
in response to a determination that the group size of the first
bump passenger does not exceed the number of still-needed seats on
the transportation vehicle; and computer-readable program code for
removing the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling
in a group with the first bump passenger from the sorted plurality
of bump passengers.
18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having
computer-readable program code embodied therein for selecting
passengers to board on a transportation vehicle, the
computer-readable program code comprising: computer-readable
program code for determining whether the transportation vehicle is
oversold or undersold; computer-readable program code for selecting
standby passengers to board the transportation vehicle based on
standby bids received from the standby passengers in response to
determining that the transportation vehicle is undersold; and
computer-readable program code for selecting bump passengers to
bump from the transportation vehicle based on bump bids received
from the bump passengers in response to determining that the
transportation vehicle is oversold.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18,
wherein the standby bid received from at least one standby
passenger is associated with standby passengers traveling in a
group with the at least one standby passenger.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 18,
wherein at least one of the standby bid or at least one bump bid
comprises at least one of: an amount of frequent traveler credits
and a change of transportation class.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation application of U.S.
patent application Ser. No. 13/051,816 titled "System and Method
for Boarding Passengers Based on Bids," filed on Mar. 18, 2011,
which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser.
No. 12/221,734 titled "System and Method for Boarding Passengers
Based on Bids," filed on Aug. 6, 2008, the complete disclosures of
which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The invention relates to systems and methods for receiving
bids from passengers and boarding passengers based on those bids.
More particularly, the invention relates to receiving bids from
passengers--such as airline passengers--seeking to travel standby
or willing to be "bumped" from their reserved seat and selecting
which passengers to board based on those bids.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Airlines and other transportation carriers generally seek to
maximize the number of passengers on each flight. Empty seats can
represent lost revenue, and the marginal cost incurred by an
airline by boarding an extra passenger is relatively small. Thus,
minimizing the number of empty seats on a flight can maximize the
profit for the airline.
[0004] Because of the lost revenue associated with empty seats on a
given flight, airlines generally sell a greater number of tickets
for a flight than there are total seats. The airlines assume that
at least a portion of the tickets will go unused, and therefore
overselling can help the airline minimize the number of empty seats
on each flight.
[0005] Except in the rare case where an airline will successfully
oversell a flight by the precisely correct number of seats, as
flights approach their departure time there are generally either
too many or too few passengers ready to board the flight. For
example, if the airline oversold the flight, and in doing so,
overestimated the number of passengers that would cancel their
reservation, the flight is considered overbooked or oversold. In
such cases, certain passengers, even though they may have boarding
passes for the flight, may be asked to give up their seats on the
flight and board a different flight to their destination, otherwise
known as "bumping" the passenger from their original flight.
[0006] In other cases, flights may be underbooked or undersold.
This may be because the airline oversold the flight but
underestimated the number of passengers that would cancel their
reservation. Alternatively, the airline may not have oversold the
flight in the first place. Regardless of the reason, when a given
flight is undersold, the airline may allow other passengers to
board the flight, even if they did not have a ticket for the
flight. Often times, these so-called passengers may have a ticket
for a later flight to the same destination on the same airline, but
have arrived in time to catch the earlier flight and seek to fly
standby on the earlier flight. These standby passengers can board
the earlier flight and give up their seat on the later flight. This
can be advantageous to the airline because it reduces the number of
empty seats on the earlier flight, and allows the airline
additional time to replace the passenger's seat on the later
flight.
[0007] Conventional policies for boarding standby passengers on
undersold flights and "bumping" passengers from oversold flights
can vary. For example, conventional airlines often charge a fee to
standby passengers, in an attempt to capture extra revenue from
passengers seeking to change their flight. Conversely, when
determining which passengers to bump from oversold flights,
airlines often provide a voucher or other financial incentive to
passengers willing to give up their seats in exchange for seats on
a later flight.
[0008] These conventional policies and methods for charging fees to
standby passengers and providing financial incentives to those
passengers willing to give up their seats both pose certain
problems for airlines. For example, airlines charging fees for
standby passengers often struggle to determine the optimal standby
fee. They often must use principles of supply and demand to set a
fee sufficiently high to generate significant revenue, but not so
high to deter a significant number of passengers from flying
standby. This optimal fee can be difficult to estimate, and any fee
other than the optimal fee can result in lost profits. Furthermore,
setting one optimal--or even near optimal--fee for all flights can
be impossible, given that different flights of an airline may have
vastly different passenger demands based on a variety of factors
such as the routes, time of year, and time of departure for the
flight.
[0009] With respect to incentivizing passengers willing to be
bumped from their flights, airline policies generally involve
offering a certain incentive to passengers to exchange their seat
for a later flight, and repeatedly increasing the incentive until a
sufficient number of passengers have given up their seats.
According to conventional airline policies, all bumped passengers
may receive the identical incentives, equal to the latest (and
highest) amount offered by the airline. Thus, under the
conventional model, some passengers may receive a greater financial
incentive than what they would be willing to accept to give up
their seats, thus representing an extra cost to the airline.
[0010] Another deficiency with the conventional model for providing
financial incentives to bumped passengers is that the airline
generally announces the type and amount of financial incentive and
the number of seats by which the flight has been oversold. This
often occurs at the departure gate for the flight, with willing
passengers approaching the airline staff to accept a given
financial incentive. This model can allow passengers to see how
many seats are needed, and how many passengers have given up their
seats. Passengers thus can try to "game" the system, by waiting for
the incentive to increase until it seems that almost enough
passengers have given up their seats before giving up theirs, even
if they would have been willing to take a lower financial incentive
to do so. This behavior, allowed by the conventional model, also
can result in increased cost to the airline.
[0011] Thus, a need in the art exists for a system and method for
determining which standby passengers to board an undersold flight
and for determining which passengers to bump from an oversold
flight that lacks the deficiencies associated with conventional
models. Specifically, a need in the art exists for a method for
determining which standby passengers to board a flight that reduces
or eliminates the need for an airline to determine a set standby
fee to charge passengers. A need in the art also exists for a
method for determining which standby passengers to board a flight
that increases the airline's profits by accounting for the
different supply and demand for standby seats on different flights.
Another need in the art exists for a method for determining which
passengers to bump from an oversold flight that reduces the extra
costs to the airline associated with providing each bumped
passenger with the same financial incentive. Yet another need in
the art exists for a method for determining which passengers to
bump from an oversold flight that reduces the costs associated with
passengers knowing the financial incentives that other passengers
are willing to accept to be bumped from the flight.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0012] The invention described herein can provide a system and
method for seating passengers on oversold and undersold flights or
other transportation that address the deficiencies in the prior
art. Specifically, the inventions can receive bids from ticketed or
potential passengers, and determine which of those passengers to
board on a flight based on those bids.
[0013] In one aspect, the invention can provide a system and method
for receiving bids from passengers seeking to fly standby on an
undersold flight, and determining which of those passengers to
board on the flight. After determining that a flight has been
undersold (i.e., that empty seats would remain after boarding all
ticketed passengers), the airline can announce to standby
passengers that seats are available on the flight. The airline can
invite interested standby passengers to submit a bid, representing
the amount of money that the passengers would be willing to pay to
be seated on the flight.
[0014] After receiving bids from the standby passengers, the
airline can determine how many seats are available on the flight.
The airline then can select the highest bid, board the passenger
who submitted the highest bid, and continue boarding passengers in
descending order of the bid they submitted until the flight is
full. For example, if there are forty total seats on a flight and
there are thirty ticketed passengers, the airline can board the
standby passengers who submitted the ten highest bids.
[0015] Boarding standby passengers according to the bids they
submitted can increase the revenue and/or profits to the airline
when compared to conventional systems and methods. By allowing each
standby passenger to submit a bid, the need for the airline to set
a predetermined standby fee is removed. Such a system therefore can
reduce or remove the problems of setting a standby fee too low
(thereby forgoing revenue on high demand flights where passengers
would be willing to pay more than the standby fee) or too high
(thereby forgoing revenue on lower demand flights where passengers
would be willing to pay less than the standby fee). Receiving bids
from the passengers can automatically adjust the standby fees
charged to the passengers for the relative supply and demand for a
given flight. Only the highest bidding passengers will obtain seats
on high demand flights. Conversely, on lower demand flights where
many seats are available, more seats may be filled with standby
passengers as long as they are willing to bid on the seats, even if
some passengers bid less than a conventional airline's standby
fee.
[0016] In another aspect, the invention can provide a system and
method for receiving bids from ticketed passengers on an oversold
flight, and determining which of those passengers to move or bump
from the flight based on the passengers' bids. After determining
that an airline's flight is oversold, the airline can announce to
the passengers of the flight that it is oversold, and that
passengers may volunteer to be bumped from the flight. The airline
can invite interested passengers to submit a bid, representing the
incentive that the passenger would accept to be bumped from the
flight. The bids received by the passengers can include a monetary
reward, such as a cash payment or a voucher to use on future travel
for the airline. The bid also can include a request for a
replacement seat on a specific later flight to the passenger's
destination.
[0017] After receiving the bids from the passengers, the airline
can determine how many passengers it needs to bump from the flight
by subtracting the total number of seats on the flight from the
number of ticketed passengers for the flight. The airline then can
sort the bids according to the value of the bids. The airline then
can select the lowest bid, bump the passenger who submitted the
lowest bid, and provide the appropriate incentive to the bumped
passenger. Providing the incentive to the bumped passenger can
include paying the passenger the value of the passenger's bid, as
well as providing a confirmed ticket and/or boarding pass for the
specific later flight selected by the passenger. The airline then
can continue bumping passengers and providing appropriate
incentives to the bumped passengers in ascending order of the bid
they submitted until a sufficient number of passengers have been
bumped from the flight.
[0018] Bumping passengers according to the bids they submitted can
reduce the costs and/or increase the profits to the airline when
compared to conventional systems and methods. By allowing ticketed
passengers to submit a bid corresponding to the incentive they
would accept to be bumped from the oversold flight, the need for
the airline to announce a incentive and gradually increase the
incentive until a sufficient number of passengers have been bumped
is removed. Such a system therefore can reduce or remove the
problem of rewarding an identical incentive to all bumped
passenger, and instead can provide each passenger the minimum
incentive that the passenger is willing to accept.
[0019] Bids from ticketed passengers willing to be bumped from a
flight, as well as bids from standby passengers seeking to board a
flight, can be received by the airline in secret, such that
passengers may not be aware of other passenger's bids.
Additionally, when an airline announces to the passengers that
seats are available for standby bidding, the airline may not
announce to the passengers the number of seats standby seats
available. Similarly, when an airline announces that a flight is
oversold, the airline may not announce to the number of passengers
that need to be bumped from the flight. By not announcing the
number of seats in these situations, passengers may be more likely
to submit an accurate bid, rather than hoping to "game" the system.
For example, if a passenger seeking to fly standby knows that the
desired flight has a relatively large number of seats available,
the passenger may submit a bid lower than what the passenger is
truly willing to pay, hoping that the passenger would nonetheless
be able to secure one of the available seats. Similarly, if a
passenger on an oversold flight knows that the airline needs to
bump a relatively large number of passengers from the flight, the
passenger may submit a bid higher than what the passenger is truly
willing to accept. If the same passenger did not know the number of
seats available, the passenger may be more inclined to submit the
true bid, to improve the chances of obtaining a seat.
[0020] These and other aspects, objects, and features of the
present invention will become apparent from the following detailed
description of the exemplary embodiments, read in conjunction with,
and reference to, the accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0021] FIG. 1 is a block diagram depicting a system for receiving
bids from passengers seeking to fly standby on an undersold flight
and from passengers willing to be bumped from an oversold flight,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0022] FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting a method for selecting
passengers to board a flight, according to an exemplary embodiment
of the invention.
[0023] FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting a method for checking the
availability of seats on a flight, according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention.
[0024] FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting a method for determining
which standby passengers to add to a flight based on standby bids,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0025] FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting a method for receiving a
standby bid for a passenger seeking to fly standby on a flight,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
[0026] FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting a method for determining
which passengers to bump from a flight based on bump bids,
according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS
[0027] The invention enables airlines or other transportation
providers to receive bids from ticketed or standby passengers, and
to use those bids to determine which passengers to board on an
oversold or undersold flight (or other similar transportation
vehicles). A method and system for receiving bids from passengers
and determining which passengers to board a flight will now be
described with reference to FIGS. 1-6, which depict representative
or illustrative embodiments of the invention.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a diagram depicting components of a system 100 for
receiving bids from passengers 102, 103B according to an exemplary
embodiment of the invention. The exemplary system 100 depicted in
FIG. 1 includes an airline 118 with two exemplary flights: an
oversold flight 106A and an undersold flight 106B. Each flight
106A, 106B includes a number of total seats 104A, 104B, and a
number of passengers 102A, 102B with a confirmed seat or checked in
for the flights 106A, 106B. In the oversold flight 106A, the number
of passengers 102A exceeds the number of seats 104A on the flight
106A. In the undersold flight 106B, the number of seats 104B
exceeds the number of passengers 102B. FIG. 1 additionally depicts
a standby list 108 including standby passengers 103B desiring to
board the undersold flight 106B.
[0029] The exemplary system 100 further depicts communication of a
bump bid 110 from passengers 102A on the oversold flight 106A to
the airline 118, and communication of a standby bid 114 from the
passengers 103B on the standby list 108 to the airline 118. FIG. 1
further depicts incentives 112 being provided to certain passengers
102A on the first flight 106A and standby boarding passes 116 being
provided to certain passengers 103B on the standby list 108 for the
second flight 106B. In accordance with exemplary embodiments, a
portion of the passengers 102A on the oversold flight 106A may be
bumped from the flight 106A, and a portion of the passengers 103B
on the standby list 108 may be allowed to board the undersold
flight 106B. The airline 118 can determine which passengers 102A to
bump and which standby passengers 103B to board based on bump bids
110 and standby bids 114, respectively, received from the
passengers 102A, 103B. The elements depicted in FIG. 1 will be
discussed in more detail with reference to the methods illustrated
in FIGS. 2-6.
[0030] FIG. 2 is a flow chart depicting a method 200 for selecting
passengers 102, 103B to board a flight 106, according to an
exemplary embodiment of the invention. In step 205, the airline 118
sells tickets to the flight 106. The airline 118 can sell tickets
to the flight 106 according to various exemplary methods known to
one of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present
disclosure. For example, the airline 118 can sell tickets to the
flight 106 via the Internet, such as through the airline's 118
website. Alternatively, or additionally, the airline 118 can sell
tickets to the flight 106 at kiosks, over the phone, in or near an
airport, or at a physical office of the airline 118.
[0031] Regardless of the particular method for selling tickets, the
tickets sold by the airline 118 can be electronic or physical.
Additionally, the airline 118 can sell tickets to the flight 106
according to different fares or fare classes. For example, the
airline 118 can sell both refundable and non-refundable tickets to
the flight 106, with refundable tickets being more expensive.
Additionally, the fare class of the ticket, and therefore the price
of the ticket, may vary based on the time the ticket is purchased.
For example, tickets may get more expensive as the date of the
flight 106 approaches.
[0032] In step 210, the airline 118 issues boarding passes to
passengers 102 checking in for the flight 106. These passengers 102
can be those passengers 102 who purchased tickets to the flight 106
in step 205. In various exemplary embodiments, the passengers 102
can check in for the flight 106 according to a variety of methods.
These methods can include checking in on the airline's 118 website,
at a kiosk at the airport, or with an airline 118 employee at a
ticket counter.
[0033] In step 215, the airline 118 checks the availability of
seats 104 on the flight 106. Checking the availability of seats 104
can include a comparison of the number of total seats 104 on the
flight 106 and the number of passengers 102 who have checked in for
the flight 106. Step 215 will be described in more detail with
reference to FIG. 3.
[0034] In step 220, the airline 118 determines whether the flight
106 is oversold or undersold. In an exemplary embodiment, this
determination can be based upon the availability of seats 104
determined in step 215. Thus, if the airline 118 determines that
the flight 106B is undersold (i.e., that the number of passengers
102 checked in is less than the number of seats 104 on the flight
106B), the method 200 branches to step 225, where the airline 118
determines which standby passengers 103B to add to the flight 106B
based on standby bids 114. However, if the airline 118 determines
that the flight 106A is oversold, the method 200 branches to step
235, where the airline 118 determines which ticketed passengers
102A to bump from the flight 106A based on bump bids 110. FIG. 1
depicts an oversold flight 106A and an undersold flight 106B. If
the airline 118 determines that the flight 106 is neither oversold
nor undersold (i.e., that the number of passengers 102 checked in
is equal to the number of seats 104 on the flight 106), then the
method 200 branches to step 245, where the airline 118 boards
passengers 102 with boarding passes.
[0035] In step 225, the airline 118 determines which standby
passengers 103B to add to the flight 106B based on standby bids
114. In an exemplary embodiment, this determination can include
receiving standby bids 114 from standby passengers 103B, and
determining which standby passengers 103B to add to the flight 106B
based on those standby bids 114. In an exemplary embodiment, as
shown in FIG. 1, the airline 118 can maintain a standby list 108 of
passengers 103B seeking to fly standby on the flight 106B.
[0036] In one embodiment, all available seats 104B can be assigned
to standby passengers 103B based at least in part upon the standby
bids 114. In an alternative embodiment, a portion of available
seats 104B can be assigned to standby passengers 103B at least in
part upon the standby bids 114, and the remainder of the available
seats 104B can be assigned to standby passengers 103B by other
methods, such as conventional methods or other methods known to one
of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the present
disclosure. Step 225 will be described in more detail with
reference to FIG. 4.
[0037] In step 230, the airline 118 issues standby boarding passes
116 to the standby passengers 103B added to the flight 106B in step
225. In an exemplary embodiment, the standby boarding passes 116
issued to standby passengers 103B in step 230 can be equivalent to
the boarding passes issued to ticketed passengers 102 in step 210,
and therefore can entitle the standby passengers 103B with standby
boarding passes 116 to a confirmed seat on the flight 106B. The
method 200 then proceeds to step 245, where the airline 118 boards
all passengers 102 with boarding passes, including those standby
passengers 103B with standby boarding passes 116.
[0038] In step 235, the airline 118 determines which ticketed
passengers 102A to bump from the flight 106A based on bump bids
110. In an exemplary embodiment, this determination can include
receiving bump bids 110 from ticketed passengers 102A, and
determining which ticketed passengers 102A to bump from the flight
106A based on those bump bids 110. In one embodiment, as described
previously with respect to step 225, all bumped passengers 102A can
be selected by the airline 118 based at least in part upon the bump
bids 110. In an alternative embodiment, a portion of the bumped
passengers 102A can be selected at least in part upon the bump bids
110, and the remainder of the bumped passengers 102A can be
selected by other methods, such as conventional methods or other
methods known to one of ordinary skill in the art having the
benefit of the present disclosure. Step 235 will be described in
more detail with reference to FIG. 6.
[0039] In step 240, the airline 118 replaces the boarding passes
for the passengers 102A that the airline 118 determines to bump in
step 235. In an exemplary embodiment, replacing the boarding passes
can include taking the boarding pass from the bumped passenger
102A, and issuing a new boarding pass for a different flight 106 to
the passenger 102A. The replacement boarding pass can be for a
later flight 106 that was selected by the passenger 102A when the
passenger 102A submitted its bump bid 110.
[0040] In step 245, the airline 118 boards all passengers 102, 103B
with boarding passes for the flight 106. In an exemplary
embodiment, where the flight 106A was oversold, the passengers 102
boarded on the flight 106A can include all passengers 102A who
checked in for the flight 106A in step 210 whom the airline 118 did
not bump from the flight 106A in step 235. In another exemplary
embodiment, where the flight 106B was undersold, the passengers 102
boarded on the flight 106B can include all passengers 102B who
checked in for the flight 106B in step 210, as well as those
standby passengers 103B who obtained standby boarding passes 116 in
step 230. After the passengers 102, 103B are boarded in step 245,
the method 200 ends.
[0041] FIG. 3 is a flow chart depicting a method 215 for checking
the availability of seats 104 on a flight 106, according to an
exemplary embodiment of the invention. In step 305, the total
number of seats 104 on the flight 106 are counted. In one
embodiment, the total number of seats 104 can be broken down by
various sections. For example, the airline 118 can count the total
number of first class, business class, and coach class seats 104
separately. In another embodiment, the airline 118 may store data
for its airplane flights 106 that track the total number of seats
104 on a given flight 106. Thus, instead of explicitly counting the
total seats 104, the total number of seats 104--whether or not
broken down by class--can be retrieved from stored data.
[0042] In step 310, the number of passengers 102 that have checked
in for a flight 106 are counted. In exemplary embodiments, the
airline 118 can count the number of passengers 102 that have
checked in for the flight 106 at various different times. For
example, the airline 118 can count the number of checked-in
passengers 102 a fixed amount of time before the flight 106 is
scheduled to depart. In an exemplary embodiment, the airline 118
can count the number of checked-in passengers 102 multiple times,
or alternatively, the airline 118 can use a server, computer, or
other information processing unit to count the number of checked-in
passengers 102 continuously. Additionally, as with counting the
total number of seats 104 in step 305, the airline 118 count the
number of checked-in passengers 102 separately by seat class. The
method 215 then returns to step 220, as described previously with
reference to FIG. 1.
[0043] FIG. 4 is a flow chart depicting a method 225 for
determining which standby passengers 103B to add to a flight 106B
based on standby bids 114, according to an exemplary embodiment of
the invention. In step 405, the airline 118 receives the standby
bids 114 for each passenger 103B attempting to fly standby on the
flight 106B. In an alternative embodiment, as described previously,
the airline 118 may receive standby bids 114 from only a portion of
those passengers 103B attempting to fly standby on the flight 106B,
as the airline 118 may only seat a portion of the standby
passengers 103B according to a standby bid 114, and use other
methods for determining which other passengers (not shown) to
seat.
[0044] The set of passengers 103B that are seeking to fly standby
on a given flight 106B can be determined by a variety of methods.
Regardless of the method or methods used to determine the
passengers 103B seeking to fly standby, the identity of the
passengers 103B can be maintained on a standby list 108. The
standby list 108 can be stored in a database that also stores a
corresponding standby bid 114 for each passenger 103B on the
standby list 108.
[0045] In certain embodiments, some standby passengers 103B may be
traveling in groups, such as a family. In such cases, the group of
passengers 103B may submit the same bid for each passenger 103B in
the group. Alternatively, the group may submit one bid for the
entire group of passengers 103B, in which case the airline 118,
after receiving the bid, can divide the bid by the number of
passengers 103B in the group so that the airline 118 can compare
the bid to other bids received from individual passengers 103B.
Additionally, a group of passengers 103B can indicate whether the
group would be willing to travel even if they could not be seated
together on the flight 106B. Step 405 will be described in more
detail with reference to FIG. 5.
[0046] In step 410, the standby bid 114 received by each passenger
103B can be adjusted based on additional factors. In exemplary
embodiments, a variety of additional factors can be used to adjust
the standby bid 114 received by each passenger 103B in step 405. In
one embodiment, the airline 118 can adjust a standby bid 114
entered by a passenger 103B based on the fare class of the
passenger's 103B ticket. For example, if a passenger 103B purchased
a full fare ticket rather than a discounted ticket, the passenger's
103B standby bid 114 may be increased by a certain percentage
(e.g., 10%) or amount (e.g., $50). The increase in the bid need not
affect the actual amount the passenger 103B would pay for the
standby seat 104B if the passenger's 103B bid is eventually
accepted. Rather, the increase in the bid can be an adjustment made
by the airline 118 to provide a benefit to passengers 103B who pay
for full fare tickets instead of discounted tickets.
[0047] Another factor that can be used to adjust a passenger's 103B
bid is the frequent flier status of the passenger 103B. Many
airlines 118 offer frequent flier programs to reward those
passengers 102, 103B who repeatedly travel with the airline 118 or
its partners. Some airlines 118 further provide different tiers of
frequent flier status, such as providing a first level for
occasional travelers, a second level for those traveling at an
intermediate frequency, and a third level for those that travel
very regularly. Thus, in one embodiment, an airline 118 can adjust
a passenger's 103B bid based on the passenger's 103B status at a
frequent flier, and the particular level of frequent flier status.
For example, the bid of an occasional traveler who participates in
an airline's 118 frequent flier program can be increased by a
certain small percentage (e.g., 5%), while bids of intermediate and
very regular travelers can be increased by greater percentages
(e.g., 15% and 25%, respectively).
[0048] In another embodiment, the airline 118 can offer passengers
103B an option to pay a fee in advance in exchange for increasing
their standby bid 114 by a given percentage, should the passenger
103B later attempt to fly standby. For example, an airline's 118
website that allows passengers 103B to purchase tickets on-line can
include such an option during the purchasing process for passengers
103B. The same or similar options can be offered to a passenger
103B during the purchasing process--or at a different
time--regardless of the purchasing method (e.g., kiosks, in-person,
over the telephone) used. In a particular embodiment, an airline
118 can offer the passenger 103B the option to pay a variety of
fees in exchange for increasing their standby bid 114 by a
corresponding variety of amounts in the event the passenger 103B
eventually seeks to exchange the seat 104 on the ticketed flight
106 to fly standby on a different flight 106B. For example, the
airline 118 can offer the passenger 103B the option of paying an
extra $10.00, $25.00, or $50.00 in return for increasing the
passenger's 103B bid by 10%, 25%, or 50% respectively, in the event
the passenger 103B submits a standby bid 114 for one or more
flights 106B.
[0049] In another embodiment, the airline 118 can offer the
passenger 103B the option to pay a one-time or recurring fee to
increase all standby bids 114 the passenger 103B submits over a
given time period. For example, the airline 118 can offer
passengers 103B the option to pay a $100 fee in exchange for
increasing the passenger's 103B standby fee by a fixed percentage
for a one-year period.
[0050] In yet another embodiment, an airline 118 can adjust the
standby bid 114 of a passenger 103B if the passenger 103B is
seeking to fly standby on a flight 106B because the flight 106 for
which the passenger 103B was ticketed was canceled by the airline
118, or if the passenger 103B missed the ticketed flight 106 due to
a late connecting flight 106. Additionally, an airline 118 can
adjust the standby bid 114 based on how long the passenger 103B has
been attempting to board a standby flight 106B, whether in terms of
the amount of time or in terms of the number of flights 106B on
which the passenger 103B has attempted to fly standby.
[0051] In various other embodiments, a variety of behaviors that
the airline 118 seeks to encourage can lead to an increase in a
passenger's 103B bid. For example, an airline 118 can increase a
standby bid 114 for a passenger 103B who purchased a ticket far in
advance of the flight 106. Similarly, an airline 118 can increase a
standby bid 114 for a passenger 103B who does not have check-in
baggage, or alternatively, carry-on baggage. Other additional
factors that can be used to adjust a standby bid 114, including
those based on behaviors that the airline 118 may want to
encourage, can be determined by one of ordinary skill in the art
having the benefit of the present disclosure.
[0052] Additionally, although each of the foregoing examples for
adjusting a standby bid 114 relate to increasing the bid,
decreasing a bid under reverse circumstances (e.g., decreasing a
bid for purchasing a discounted ticket) is also possible. However,
given that the standby bids 114 may be adjusted only internally to
help the airline 118 organize the list 108 of standby passengers
103B, rather than the actual standby bids 114 that the standby
passengers 103B would pay being affected, decreasing the bids
instead of increasing them may not have any practical effect.
[0053] Moreover, the airline 118 can determine whether or not to
indicate to the passenger 103B the "adjusted" value of the
passenger's 103B standby bid 114. In one embodiment, the airline
118 may determine that providing the adjusted value of the standby
bid 114 to the passenger 103B can allow passengers 103B to submit a
well informed bid, and therefore choose to provide this
information. Alternatively, the airline 118 may believe that
providing the adjusted value of the standby bid 114 to the
passenger 103B may prevent the passenger 103B from entering the
maximum value that the passenger 103B would be willing to pay, and
therefore decline to provide this information.
[0054] In step 415, a number N corresponding to the number of
available seats 104B on the flight 106B is determined. This can be
accomplished by subtracting the number of checked-in passengers 102
from the total number of seats 104 on the flight 106B. In an
exemplary embodiment, different flight classes (e.g., first,
business, and coach) can have a separate corresponding number N,
and as such, the bidding process and seating process for standby
passengers 103B can be performed separately by flight class.
[0055] In step 420, the N-highest standby bids 114 are identified.
In an exemplary embodiment, the N-highest bids can be identified
based on the values for the bids as adjusted in step 410.
Identifying the N-highest bids can include sorting all bids
received by the airline 118 in descending order, selecting the
highest bid, and then continuing to select each next highest bid
until N bids have been selected.
[0056] In an exemplary embodiment, the airline 118 can take into
account groups traveling standby together in identifying the
N-highest bids. For example, if there are five available seats 104B
(i.e., N=5), and the two highest bidders have been identified so
only three seats 104B are available, a family of four passengers
103B each having the next highest bid may not be identified as the
next highest bidders, since there are not sufficient seats for all
members of the family. Then, an individual passenger 103B (or
smaller group of passengers 103B) with the next highest bid after
the family's bid can be identified. In an alternative embodiment, a
family or other group in such a position can indicate whether a
subset of the family or group is willing to board the flight
106B.
[0057] In step 425, the standby passengers 103B with the N-highest
bids (i.e., those passengers 103B identified in step 420) are
notified that they may board the flight 106B. In exemplary
embodiments, these passengers 103B can be informed via an audio
and/or video announcement that they have been selected to board the
flight 106B.
[0058] In step 430, the standby passengers 103B notified in step
425 are charged an amount equal to their standby bid 114. As
described previously, the amount charged may not be the adjusted
standby bid 114 determined in step 410, but rather the standby bid
114 received by the airline 118 in step 405. In an exemplary
embodiment, the notified passengers 103B can provide a credit card
or other form of payment to the airline 118 to pay for their
standby bids 114 after they are notified of their selection. In an
alternative embodiment, passengers 103B can provide a credit card
or other form of payment to the airline 118 when they submit their
standby bids 114, and then the airline 118 can charge the credit
card only if and when their standby bids 114 are selected. In yet
another embodiment, the airline 118 can charge a credit card that
the passenger 103B originally used to purchase the ticket for the
flight 106B to pay for the standby bid 114.
[0059] In step 435, the airline 118 notifies the remaining standby
passengers 103B (i.e., those that were not notified in step 425)
that they will not board the flight 106B. These passengers 103B may
not be charged by the airline 118. In one embodiment, these
passengers 103B can be automatically transferred to the standby
list 108 for the next flight 106 to the same destination. In a
particular embodiment, the standby bids 114 for each of these
passengers 103B that were received by the airline 118 in step 405
also can be transferred to the next flight's 106 standby list 108.
In an alternative embodiment, these passengers 103B can be given
the opportunity to enter a new standby bid 114 for the new flight
106B. After step 435, the method 225 proceeds to step 230, as
referenced in FIG. 2.
[0060] FIG. 5 is a flow chart depicting a method 405 for receiving
a standby bid 114 for a passenger 103B seeking to fly standby on a
flight 106B, according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention.
In step 505, the method 405 determines whether the passenger 103B
has already checked in for the passenger's 103B booked flight 106.
The booked flight 106 can refer any flight 106 for which the
passenger 103B has a confirmed seat 104, ticket, or boarding pass.
If the passenger 103B has already checked in, the method 405
branches to step 510. If the passenger 103B has not already checked
in, then the method 405 branches to step 520. In an alternative
embodiment, the passenger 103B seeking to fly standby on a flight
106B may not already have a confirmed seat 104, ticket, or boarding
pass for a given flight 106. For example, an airline 118 can have a
policy or promotion that allows certain passengers 103B to fly
standby without having a confirmed seat 104. In such an embodiment,
the method 405 can proceed directly to step 525, where the
passenger 103B is prompted to select the desired standby flight
106B.
[0061] In step 510, the passenger 103B is checked in for the booked
flight 106. Various methods exist for checking in a passenger 103B
for a flight 106. Passengers 103B can be checked in, for example,
via the airline's 118 website, via a kiosk, or in person at a
ticket counter. Other suitable methods of checking in passengers
103B can be used as well.
[0062] In step 515, a boarding pass is issued to the passenger
103B. The boarding pass can correspond to the flight 106 for which
the passenger 103B checked in during step 510. In an exemplary
embodiment, once a boarding pass is issued to a passenger 103B in
step 515, the airline 118 can update its count of checked-in
passengers 103B and available seats 104 as described previously
with reference to step 215. The method 405 then proceeds to step
520.
[0063] In step 520, the method 405 determines whether a passenger
103B wants to fly standby on a different flight 106B (i.e., a
flight 106B other than the one for which the passenger 103B has
checked in). If the passenger 103B wants to fly standby on a
different flight 106B, the method 405 branches to step 525.
Otherwise, the method 405 proceeds to step 410, as referenced in
FIG. 4.
[0064] In various embodiments, the passenger 103B can indicate a
desire to fly standby on a different flight 106B in a variety of
ways. For example, the passenger 103B can use the airline's 118
website to indicate a desire to fly standby on another flight 106B.
Alternatively, the passenger 103B can use a kiosk at the airport,
or indicate to an airline 118 employee--whether at a ticket
counter, or to an employee at the departure gate for the desired
standby flight 106B--that the passenger 103B would like to be added
to a standby list 108 for a different flight 106B.
[0065] In an alternative embodiment, the airline 118 can determine
whether a passenger 103B wants to fly standby before the passenger
103B has checked in for a flight 106, or during the check-in
process. For example, in one embodiment, a passenger 103B can check
in for a flight 106 using the airline's 118 website or an airline
118 kiosk, and during the check-in process, the passenger 103B can
be prompted to indicate whether the passenger 103B wants to be
added to the standby list 108 for a given flight 106B.
[0066] In step 525, the passenger 103B is prompted to select the
desired standby flight 106B. In one embodiment, the passenger 103B
can be prompted to enter this selection immediately after
indicating a desire to fly standby. Additionally, to facilitate the
passenger's 103B entry of this selection, the airline 118 can
provide to the passenger 103B a list of flights 106 to the
passenger's 103B desired destination. Such a list can include only
those flights 106B where there is at least one seat 104B available.
Then, in step 530, the passenger's 103B selection of the desired
standby flight 106B is received by the airline 118.
[0067] In step 535, the passenger 103B is prompted to enter a
standby bid 114. The standby bid 114 can represent the maximum
amount that the passenger 103B is willing to pay to be able to fly
on the desired flight 106B. In one embodiment, the passenger 103B
can be prompted to enter this selection immediately after selecting
the desired standby flight 106B in step 525. Then, in step 540, the
passenger's 103B entry of the standby bid 114 is received by the
airline 118.
[0068] The steps 520 through 535 can be performed in a variety of
ways and by utilizing a variety of interfaces. Additionally, the
steps can be performed at a variety of times--such as during the
check-in process, or after the check-in process. For example, in
some embodiments, where the passenger 103B checks in for a ticketed
flight 106 using the airline's 118 website or kiosk, the airline
118 can perform steps 520 through 535 using the website or
kiosk.
[0069] Alternatively, where the airline 118 performs steps 520
through 535 after the check-in process, the airline 118 can provide
a separate website interface or kiosk for interfacing with the
passenger 103B. An exemplary kiosk can be located at or near the
departure gate for each flight 106. Additionally, an exemplary
website interface for interacting with a passenger 103B in
performing steps 520 through 535 can be specially configured for
mobile or handheld Internet devices. Thus, passengers 103B who have
already checked in for a flight 106, and may be seated in an
airport terminal near the departure gate for another flight 106B on
which they may desire to fly standby can use a mobile Internet
device to access the airline's 118 website, which can receive a
passenger's 103B indication of a desire to fly standby on a
particular flight 106B, as well as the passenger's 103B standby bid
114 for the flight 106B.
[0070] In another embodiment, the airline 118 can provide an
interface with a passenger 103B for performing steps 520 through
535 via electronic mail, text messaging, or other similar messaging
interface. For example, a passenger 103B can send an email or text
message to a specific address that includes information that can
allow the airline 118 to perform steps 520 through 535. In an
exemplary embodiment, a passenger 103B can send an email or text
message to an address provided by the airline 118 that indicates
the desired flight 106B and the passenger's 103B standby bid 114
for the flight 106B. In one embodiment, the message also can
include an identification of the passenger 103B, such as the
passenger's 103B ticket number or confirmation number.
Alternatively, the identification of the passenger 103B can include
the telephone number or email address from which the passenger 103B
sent the message. If the passenger 103B is part of a family or
group, as described previously, the passenger's 103B message can
include an identification of the other passengers 103B within the
group, as well as an indication of whether the group is willing to
fly without sitting next to each other. Other interfaces for
interacting with a passenger 103B in performing steps 520 through
535, such as an automated telephone system, may be recognized by
one of ordinary skill in the art and can be utilized as
appropriate. Additionally, an airline 118 can utilize a combination
of two or more of the foregoing interfaces to perform steps 520
through 535.
[0071] Regardless of the interfaces used by the airline 118 to
perform steps 520 through 535, the airline 118 can choose the
amount of information regarding the standby list 108 to share with
passengers 103B seeking to fly standby on a given flight 106B. For
example, the airline 118 can announce the number of available seats
104B on a flight 106B to passengers 103B within proximity of the
flight's 106B departure gate. For flights 106B on which only a few
seats 104B are available, providing such information may encourage
passengers 103B to enter a high bid to improve their chances of
securing a seat 104B on the flight 106B. Alternatively, especially
in cases where there may be many available seats 104B on a fight,
the airline 118 may not share the number of available seats 104B
with potential passengers 103B, because such information may
encourage passengers 103B to enter a lower standby bid 114 than
they would truly be willing to spend to board the flight 106B.
[0072] Additionally, the airline 118 can choose to keep all
passengers' 103B bids hidden from other passengers 103B. Not
sharing this information also can encourage passengers 103B to
enter a standby bid 114 equal to the maximum amount they are
willing to spend, rather than entering a standby bid 114 minimally
above another passenger's 103B standby bid 114. Alternatively, if
the airline 118 believes that sharing passengers' 103B bids with
other passengers 103B may increase competitive bidding between
passengers 103B, thereby driving standby bids 114 upward, the
airline 118 can display (or otherwise provide to passengers 103B) a
list of the top passengers' 103B standby bids 114 to other
passengers 103B.
[0073] Moreover, the airline 118 also can choose whether to allow
passengers 103B to submit only one standby bid 114, or instead, to
allow passengers 103B to edit or adjust the standby bid 114, or to
submit a subsequent standby bid 114. In one embodiment, the airline
118 can permit passengers 103B only to submit one standby bid 114
per flight 106B. This can encourage passengers 103B to submit their
true, maximum standby bid 114, rather than to attempt to enter a
lower bid with hopes of increasing the standby bid 114 should the
passenger 103B later receive more information (such as learning
that the flight 106B is nearly full) that suggests it may be
difficult to receive a seat 104B on the flight 106B with a low
standby bid 114.
[0074] In step 545, the passenger 103B and the passenger's 103B
standby bid 114 are added to the standby list 108 for the desired
flight 106B. After step 545, the method 405 proceeds to step 410,
as referenced in FIG. 4.
[0075] FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting a method 235 for
determining which passengers 102A to bump from a flight 106A based
on bump bids 110, according to an exemplary embodiment of the
invention. In step 605, the passengers 102A are prompted to enter a
bump bid 110. In exemplary embodiments, the airline 118 can prompt
passengers 102A to enter a bump bid 110 in a variety of ways. In
one embodiment, the airline 118 can prompt passengers 102A by
announcing (whether via an audio announcement, a video display, or
other means) that the flight 106A has been oversold, and that any
passengers 102A that have boarding passes or confirmed seats 104A
on the flight 106A that are willing to be bumped from the flight
106A and instead board a later replacement flight 106 can submit a
bump bid 110.
[0076] The bump bid 110 submitted by the passengers 102A can
include a desired incentive 112 representing what each passenger
102A would be willing to accept in exchange for being bumped from
the flight 106A. In one embodiment, the bump bid 110 can include
the amount of money that the passenger 102A would be willing to
accept. The amount of money can be in the form of a cash payment or
an airline 118 voucher. In another embodiment, the bump bid 110 can
include a number of frequent flier miles--or other non-monetary
incentives 112--that would be added to the passenger's 102A account
in exchange for being bumped from the flight 106A. In yet another
embodiment, the bump bid 110 can include an offer to be bumped from
the flight 106A in exchange for receiving an upgrade to another
flight class (e.g., first class) on the passenger's 102A
replacement flight 106.
[0077] Moreover, the bump bid 110 submitted by any passenger 102A
can include a combination of one or more types of desired
incentives 112. An exemplary bump bid 110 thus can include a
monetary incentive 112, a request for frequent flier miles, and a
request for a class upgrade on a replacement flight 106.
[0078] In one embodiment, the bump bids 110 can specify a
particular incentive 112, and the bumped passengers 102A can be
bumped to a replacement flight 106, such as the next flight 106 to
the same destination. In another embodiment, the bump bids 110 can
specify, along with the desired incentive 112, the desired
replacement flight 106.
[0079] In step 610, the bump bids 110 the passengers 102A entered
in step 605 are received. In an exemplary embodiment, after
receiving the passengers' 102A bump bids 110, the airline 118 can
standardize the bump bid 110 values. In other words, the airline
118 can determine the cost associated with providing each incentive
112 requested by the passengers' 102A bump bids 110. For example,
the airline 118 can determine that a bump bid 110 that includes a
request for 5,000 frequent flier miles can cost $150 to the airline
118, while a bump bid that includes a request for a $175 airline
voucher can cost the airline 118 only $140. Similarly, the airline
118 can determine that seating a bumped passenger 102A on a popular
replacement flight 106 may cost the airline 118 more than seating a
bumped passenger 102A on a less popular flight 106. Thus, the
particular replacement flight 106 selected by the passenger 102A
also can affect the airline's 118 cost calculation and
standardization. In one embodiment, the airline 118 can utilize a
computer program or database that estimates or calculates the cost
of each bump bid 110 (including the incentive 112 and the
replacement flight 106) received from a passenger 102A.
[0080] In step 615, each passenger's 102A bump bid 110 is adjusted
based on additional factors. As described previously with respect
to adjusting standby bids 114 with reference to step 410 of FIG. 4,
the airline 118 can use a variety of additional factors to adjust
the bump bids 110. In various embodiments, the airline 118 can
adjust bump bids 110--such as by decreasing the value of the bump
bids 110--based on the fare class of the passenger's 102A ticket,
the passenger's 102A frequent flier status, whether the passenger
102A has paid a one-time or recurring fee in return for having the
bump bid 110 adjusted, or any other suitable factor. As described
previously with reference to adjusting standby bids 114, the
adjustment of the bump bids 110 may not affect the amount or type
of the incentive 112 that the passenger 102A will actually receive
if the passenger's 102A bump bid 110 is accepted. Rather, the
adjustment may affect only how the passenger's 102A bump bid 110 is
compared to other passenger's 102A bump bids 110.
[0081] In step 620, a number N corresponding to the number of
needed seats 104A on the flight 106A is determined. This can be
accomplished by subtracting the total number of seats 104A on the
flight 106A from the number of checked-in passengers 102A.
[0082] In step 625, the N-lowest bump bids 110 are identified. In
an exemplary embodiment, the N-lowest bump bids 110 can be
identified based on the values for the bids as standardized, and
then adjusted in step 615. Identifying the N-lowest bids can
include sorting all bump bids 110 received by the airline 118 in
ascending order, selecting the lowest bid, and then continuing to
select each next lowest bid until N bids have been selected. As
described previously with reference to standby bids 114, the
airline 118 can take into account groups traveling together who
submit bump bids 110. For example, if only three seats 104A are
needed on a flight 106A, and a four-person family has submitted the
lowest bump bid 110, the airline 118 can skip over that family and
move to the next lowest bump bids 110. Alternatively, if the
airline 118 determines that the four-person family's bid is so much
lower than the next lowest bump bid 110 that the airline 118 would
lose less revenue by paying the incentives 112 to the four-person
family than by bumping three individual passengers 102A, the
airline 118 can bump the four-person family and have an empty seat
104A. In a particular embodiment, the airline 118 then can fill the
empty seat 104A with a standby passenger 103B, such as the standby
passenger 103B with the highest standby bid 114.
[0083] In step 630, the passengers 102A with the N-lowest bids
(i.e., the passengers 102A with the bump bids 110 identified in
step 625) are notified that their bump bids 110 have been accepted
and that they have been bumped from the flight 106A. In exemplary
embodiments, these passengers 102A can be informed via an audio
and/or video announcement that they have been bumped from the
flight 106A.
[0084] In step 635, the passengers 102A notified in step 630 are
provided with incentives 112 based on their bump bids 110. In an
exemplary embodiment, the incentives 112 can be provided
immediately, such as by crediting a cash reward to a credit card or
other electronic account associated with the passenger 102A. If
frequent flier miles or airline 118 vouchers are provided as part
of the incentive 112, then those incentives 112 can be added to the
passenger's frequent flier account with the airline 118.
[0085] After step 635, the method 235 returns to step 240.
[0086] The exemplary methods and steps described in the embodiments
presented previously are illustrative, and, in alternative
embodiments, certain steps can be performed in a different order,
in parallel with one another, omitted entirely, and/or combined
between different exemplary methods, and/or certain additional
steps can be performed, without departing from the scope and spirit
of the invention. For example, although the exemplary methods and
steps disclosed herein largely relate to airline 118 flights, the
invention can be similarly used with any mode of transportation.
Additionally, the invention also can be used in other contexts
beyond transportation, where tickets can be oversold or undersold,
and where wait list, standby lists, or the like are used to fill
remaining seats. Accordingly, such alternative embodiments are
included in the invention described herein.
[0087] The invention can comprise a computer program that embodies
the functions described herein and illustrated in the appended flow
charts. However, it should be apparent that there could be many
different ways of implementing the invention in computer
programming, and the invention should not be construed as limited
to any one set of computer program instructions. Further, a skilled
programmer would be able to write such a computer program to
implement an embodiment of the disclosed invention based on the
flow charts and associated description in the application text.
Therefore, disclosure of a particular set of program code
instructions is not considered necessary for an adequate
understanding of how to make and use the invention.
[0088] The invention can be used with computer hardware and
software that performs the methods and processing functions
described above. Specifically, in describing the functions,
methods, and/or steps that the airline 118 can perform in
accordance with the invention, the airline 118 can accomplish any
or all of these steps by using an automated or computerized
process. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the
systems, methods, and procedures described herein can be embodied
in a programmable computer, computer executable software, or
digital circuitry. The software can be stored on computer readable
media. For example, computer readable media can include a floppy
disk, RAM, ROM, hard disk, removable media, flash memory, memory
stick, optical media, magneto-optical media, CD-ROM, etc. Digital
circuitry can include integrated circuits, gate arrays, building
block logic, field programmable gate arrays (FPGA), etc.
[0089] Although specific embodiments of the invention have been
described above in detail, the description is merely for purposes
of illustration. Various modifications of, and equivalent steps
corresponding to, the disclosed aspects of the exemplary
embodiments, in addition to those described above, can be made by
those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and
scope of the invention defined in the following claims, the scope
of which is to be accorded the broadest interpretation so as to
encompass such modifications and equivalent structures.
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