Automated airlines reservations system

• US 20050203782A1
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Smith, Carline
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,614 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/025 Coordination of plural reservations, e.g. plural trip segments, transportation combined with accommodation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

Disclosed is an automated reservations system for use with a frequent flyer account or other similar awards account. The automated reservations system initially authenticates customers utilizing one or more forms of identification. The customer is then prompted to provide travel itinerary information to the reservations system by a series of voice prompt menus. Utilizing the customer-entered itinerary information, the automated reservations system queries a flight information database to determine if the requested itinerary is available. The automated reservations system then determines if the customer has the required amount of frequent flyer miles to book the requested itinerary. If the customer has the required amount of frequent flyer miles, the automated reservations system allows the customer to either ticket or hold the requested itinerary. The automated reservations system is also capable of assigning seats for each passenger in the customer'"'"'s itinerary.

Claims

1. A method of providing automated reservations comprising the steps of:

authenticating a user utilizing one or more forms of identification data to access an awards account;

acquiring itinerary data from said user;

querying an itinerary database with said itinerary data;

providing to said user a plurality of itineraries;

allowing a user to select an itinerary from said plurality of itineraries;

querying an awards database to determine if said user has sufficient awards in said awards account for said selected itinerary; and

acquiring payment information from said user for said selected itinerary.

2. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, further including the step of:

confirming said selected itinerary.

3. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, further including the steps of:

placing said selected itinerary on hold; and

providing said user a reference number indicative of said itinerary.

4. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1 wherein said user interacts with said automated reservations system utilizing vocal responses.

5. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, further including the step of:

assigning seats to said user for said selected itinerary.

6. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, wherein said user is transferred to an operator upon request.

7. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, wherein said itinerary data includes one or more of the group consisting of a departure date, an arrival date, a departure time, an arrival time, departure location, arrival destination, number of passengers, class of service, and seating preference.

8. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, wherein said identification data is biometric data.

9. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 8, wherein said identification data is voice data.

10. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, wherein said identification data is at least one of the group consisting of a user'"'"'s name, a personal identification number, a social security number, a telephone number, a birth date, and a frequent flyer number.

11. A method of providing automated reservations according to claim 1, wherein said awards database is a look-up table.