Method and system for reserving air charter aircraft
First Claim
1. A method for pricing and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
- receiving, using a computer, itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location and at least one departure date;
accessing a charter aircraft information database containing information about a plurality of charter aircraft;
identifying suitable charter aircraft by comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information;
determining a charter price for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft; and
transmitting, using a computer, the charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft for which a charter price has been determined.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method and system for pricing and reserving charter aircraft. In a preferred embodiment, itinerary information is received, via computer, from a user and is compared with information contained in maintained databases to identify charter aircraft suitable for accommodating the user. The system then determines a charter price by calculating total charter prices for each of the suitable charter aircraft. Several factors including flight costs, relocation costs, repositioning costs and layover costs are considered in calculating the total charter prices. Finally, the total charter prices are preferably selectively categorized and transmitted, via computer, to the user who is then able to complete the reservation process. In another preferred embodiment, lowest charter prices are transmitted to the user for alternative charter aircraft travel. In another preferred embodiment, users can engage in either a reverse auction or a real-time auction for available charter aircraft travel.
60 Citations
72 Claims
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1. A method for pricing and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
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receiving, using a computer, itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location and at least one departure date;
accessing a charter aircraft information database containing information about a plurality of charter aircraft;
identifying suitable charter aircraft by comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information;
determining a charter price for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft; and
transmitting, using a computer, the charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft for which a charter price has been determined. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
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56. A method for bidding on and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
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receiving a posting from a charter aircraft operator specifying a departure location, a destination location, an occupancy limit, a starting price and an auction end time for at least one space on a charter aircraft;
transmitting, using a computer, the posting;
receiving, before the auction end time, an initial charter price bid that is equal to or greater than the starting price;
enabling users to specify at least one higher charter price bid before the auction end time;
determining the greatest charter bid at the auction end time based on the initial charter price bid and the at least one higher charter price bid; and
reserving space on a charter aircraft for the user with the greatest higher bid price.
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57. A method for pricing and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
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receiving, using a computer, itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location and at least one departure date;
accessing a charter aircraft information database containing information about a plurality of charter aircraft;
identifying suitable charter aircraft by comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information;
calculating a flight cost for flying each of the suitable charter aircraft from the user'"'"'s at least one departure location to the user'"'"'s at least one destination location;
determining an applicability of repositioning each of the identified suitable charter aircraft from a pre-charter location to the user'"'"'s at least one departure location;
calculating a repositioning cost if applicable;
determining an applicability of relocating each of the identified suitable charter aircraft from the user'"'"'s at least one destination location to at least one post-charter location;
calculating a relocation cost if applicable;
determining a total charter price for each of the suitable charter aircraft based on the calculated flight cost, the calculated repositioning cost and the calculated relocation cost; and
transmitting, using a computer, the total charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft.
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58. A method for pricing and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
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receiving, using a computer, itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location and at least one departure date;
accessing a charter aircraft information database containing information about a plurality of charter aircraft;
accessing an airport information database containing information about a plurality of airports;
identifying suitable charter aircraft, suitable departure airports and suitable destination airports by comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information and airport information;
calculating a flight cost for flying each of the suitable charter aircraft from each of the suitable departure airports to each of the suitable destination airports;
determining an applicability of repositioning each of the identified suitable charter aircraft from a pre-charter location to each of the suitable departure airports;
calculating a repositioning cost if applicable;
determining an applicability of relocating each of the identified suitable charter aircraft from each of the suitable destination airports to at least one post-charter location;
calculating a relocation cost if applicable;
determining a total lowest charter price for each of the suitable charter aircraft based on the calculated flight cost, the calculated repositioning cost and the calculated relocation cost; and
transmitting, using a computer, the total lowest charter price accompanied by corresponding charter airport information and corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft.
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59. A system for scheduling and reserving charter aircraft, comprising:
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a data storage system;
at least one charter aircraft information database containing information about a plurality of charter aircraft stored on the data storage system;
means for receiving itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location and at least one departure date;
means for accessing the at least one charter aircraft information database;
means for comparing the itinerary information to with the at least one charter aircraft information database to identify suitable charter aircraft;
means for determining a charter price for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft; and
means for transmitting the charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft for which a charter price has been determined. - View Dependent Claims (60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72)
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Specification