Co-pay options for frequent traveler award redemption by rule

• US 20060053053A1
• Filed: 09/09/2004
• Published: 03/09/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Daughtrey, Rodney S., Baggett, David M., Thumim, Daniel J., Vogel, Thomas C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,151 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.330
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward

Abstract

Techniques, for automatically determining frequent traveler award redemptions by rule are disclosed. The frequent travel award redemption program is encoded in rules using predefined data structures based on fare by rule data structures. The techniques automatically determine a travel itinerary based on a query and the rules. Also included is a graphical user interface that displays a plurality of possible travel options for redemption using a frequent travel award. The rules include fields to determine co-pay options and for calculating mileage purchase options.

Claims

1. A method executed in a computer-based network comprising:

receiving rules for frequent travel award redemption programs, with the rules encoded in predefined data structures including fields to indicate a first fare and a second fare;

automatically calculating a cost for a travel itinerary based on the rules and values associated with the first fare and the second fare fields, with the cost comprising a first component expressed as an award credit and a second component expressed in a currency.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the fields to indicate the mileage credit comprises a specified fare field and a currency field.

3. The method of claim 2 comprising applying a value associated with the specified fare field on a pricing unit basis.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the predefined data structures comprise a category 25 record 3 ATPCO data structure.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a value for the currency field indicates the fare is associated with a co-payment in addition to an award credit.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein a value for the fare calculation indicator indicates that the co-payment in the second currency field is in addition to the award credit.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising defining an “

AND”

relationship between the first fare and second fare fields.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the predefined data structures comprise a category 25 record 3 ATPCO data structure.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined data structures comprise a category 25 record 3 ATPCO data structure.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein the predefined data structures comprise a category 25 record 3 ATPCO data structure.

10. A system comprising:

a computing device adapted to;

receive rules for frequent travel award redemption programs, with the rules encoded in predefined data structures including fields to indicate a first fare and a second fare;

automatically calculate a cost for a travel itinerary based on the rules and values associated with the first fare and the second fare fields, with the cost comprises a first component expressed as an award credit and a second component expressed in a currency.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the fields to indicate the mileage credit comprises a specified fare field and a currency field.

12. The system of claim 11 comprising applying a value associated with the specified fare field on a pricing unit basis.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the predefined data structures comprise a category 25 record 3 ATPCO data structure.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein a value for the currency field indicates the fare is associated with a co-payment in addition to an award credit.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a value for the fare calculation indicator indicates that the co-payment in the currency field is in addition to the award credit.

17. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in an information carrier, the computer program product comprising instructions operable to cause data processing apparatus to:

receive rules for frequent travel award redemption programs, with the rules encoded in predefined data structures including fields to indicate a first fare and a second fare;

automatically calculate a cost for a travel itinerary based on the rules and values associated with the first fare and the second fare fields, with the cost comprises a first component expressed as an award credit and a second component expressed in a currency.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the fields to indicate the mileage credit comprises a specified fare field and a currency field.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 further comprising instructions to apply a value associated with the specified fare field on a pricing unit basis.

20. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the predefined data structures comprise a category 25 record 3 ATPCO data structure.

21. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein a value for the currency field indicates the fare is associated with a co-payment in addition to an award credit.

22. The computer program product of claim 21 wherein a value for the fare calculation indicator indicates that the co-payment in the currency field is in addition to the award credit.