Travel fares packaging system and method
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of packaging travel services for a customer comprising the steps of:
- defining a travel package profile;
communicating with a plurality of travel service providers, wherein each of said plurality of providers is associated with one or more travel service inventories;
identifying a plurality of travel services available from said travel service inventories;
selecting two or more travel services from said plurality of travel services in accordance with said travel package profile; and
presenting said two or more selected travel services as a travel package to said customer.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for packaging travel services for a customer is provided, wherein a travel package profile is defined. Communication is established with a plurality of travel service providers, wherein each of the providers is associated with one or more travel service inventories. A plurality of travel services available from the travel service inventories is identified, and one or more of the travel services is selected. The selected travel services are then presented as a travel package to the customer.
51 Citations
27 Claims
-
1. A method of packaging travel services for a customer comprising the steps of:
-
defining a travel package profile;
communicating with a plurality of travel service providers, wherein each of said plurality of providers is associated with one or more travel service inventories;
identifying a plurality of travel services available from said travel service inventories;
selecting two or more travel services from said plurality of travel services in accordance with said travel package profile; and
presenting said two or more selected travel services as a travel package to said customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
13. A method of packaging travel services for a customer, comprising the steps of:
-
communicating with a plurality of travel service providers, wherein each of said plurality of providers is associated with one or more travel service inventories;
identifying a plurality of travel services available from said travel service inventories, wherein said plurality of travel services includes a plurality of special fare travel services;
selecting two or more travel services from said plurality of travel services, wherein said selected two or more travel services includes at least one special fare travel service selected from said plurality of special fare travel services; and
presenting said selected travel services as a travel package to said customer.
-
-
14. A system for packaging travel services for a customer, said system comprising:
-
a travel package profile including at least a plurality of data relating to a desired travel service package;
a market place engine in communication with one or more travel service provider inventory systems, said market place engine being programmable to query said travel service provider inventory systems for updated travel service provider inventory information;
a dynamic packaging engine in communication with said market place engine and said customer preference database, said dynamic packaging engine being programmable to select a plurality of available travel services according to said updated travel service provider inventory information and said plurality of data included in said travel package profile; and
a customer interface programmable to present said selected plurality of travel services as a package to said customer.
-
-
22. A system for packaging travel services for a customer, said system comprising:
-
an exchange means for sharing information with one or more travel service provider inventory systems to receive one or more updated inventories of available travel services;
a packaging means, in communication with said exchange means, for selecting a plurality of travel services from said inventories of available travel services, wherein said selection is based upon a travel package profile; and
a presentation means, in communication with said packaging means, for presenting said selected plurality of travel services as a package to said customer. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 26, 27)
-
-
25. A system for packaging travel services for a customer, said system comprising:
-
an exchange means for sharing information with one or more travel service provider inventory systems via an open-standard distributed computer network to receive one or more updated inventories of available travel services associated with one or more travel service providers;
a storage means for storing said updated inventories of available travel services;
a packaging means, in communication with said exchange means, for selecting a plurality of travel services from said inventories of available travel services, wherein said selection is based upon a package profile;
a presentation means, in communication with said packaging means, for presenting said selected plurality of travel services as a package to said customer via a TCP/IP network;
an order processing means for receiving and processing orders for said selected plurality of travel services from said customer via said TCP/IP network; and
a fulfillment means for sharing information with one or more of said travel service providers via said open-standard distributed computer network to reserve said selected plurality of travel services on behalf of said customer.
-
Specification