Method and apparatus for the sale of airline-specified flight tickets
First 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.
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Accused Products
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 3rd) 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.
84 Citations
143 Claims
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1. A method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 34)
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11. A method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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31. A method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39)
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40. A method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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49. A system comprising:
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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.
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58. A system comprising:
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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.
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67. A system comprising:
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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.
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76. A system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84)
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85. A system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92)
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93. A system comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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102. A method comprising the steps of:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109)
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 124, 125, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 132, 133, 134, 135, 136, 138, 139, 140, 141, 142, 143)
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116. A method of purchasing an airline ticket comprising the steps of:
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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.
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123. A system comprising:
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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.
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131. A system for electronically posting in a central reservation system flight records for airline flights having discount seats available for booking, comprising:
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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.
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137. A system for purchasing an airline ticket comprising:
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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.
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Specification