System, method, and computer program product for detecting and resolving pricing errors for products listed in an inventory system

• US 20070061174A1
• Filed: 09/12/2005
• Published: 03/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Travelocity.com LP (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Travelocity.com LP (Expedia Group, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bernard
• Application Number:
  US11/224,164
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061174A1
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising

Abstract

The present invention generates a concise display of travel products, received from an inventory system, that are associated with potentially erroneous fare prices. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention compare travel product sales parameters such as, for example, price and sales volume, to averages of comparable sales parameters from stored and/or real-time data in order to identify and/or display travel products having pricing and/or sales volume that differs substantially from comparable average sales parameters. Thus, the present invention may alert an operator of the system of potentially erroneous fare prices that may be displayed to a customer in response to a search for travel products.

Claims

1. A system for detecting and displaying pricing errors corresponding to one or more travel products selected from an inventory system, the system comprising:

a database comprising a plurality of first travel products in at least one category having a corresponding plurality of first parameters,

a host computing element in communication with the inventory system and said database;

wherein said host computing element receives, from the inventory system, a second travel product in the at least one category having a corresponding second parameter;

wherein said host computing element determines an average of the first parameters associated with each of a plurality of first travel products in the at least one category;

wherein said host computing element compares the second parameter and the average; and

wherein said host computing element displays the second travel product when the second parameter associated therewith is different from the average so as to identify potential pricing errors corresponding to the displayed second travel product.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the parameter is at least one of:

price;

sales volume; and

combinations thereof.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one category is at least one of:

a travel product geographical market area;

a travel product supplier;

a travel product itinerary;

an airline fare having a selected fare code;

an airline fare for travel on a selected itinerary; and

combinations thereof.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element further comprises a memory device for storing the average.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a user interface in communication with said host computing element, and wherein said host computing element further displays the second travel product via the user interface when the second parameter associated therewith is different from the average.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element further displays the second travel product when the second parameter associated therewith is different from the average by a selected margin.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element further transmits the displayed second travel product to a travel product provider in communication with the host computing element.

8. A system according to claim 7, wherein said host computing element further comprises a network interface in communication with a computer network and wherein said host computing element further transmits the displayed second travel product to the travel product provider by at least one of:

sending an email to the travel product provider via the computer network;

displaying the second travel product via a travel product provider user interface;

publishing the displayed second travel product via the computer network; and

combinations thereof.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element further verifies the comparison of the second parameter and the average.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein said host computing element further comprises a computer network interface in communication with a computer network and wherein said host computing element further verifies the comparison of the second parameter and the average by at least one of:

searching for the second parameter associated with the second travel product on a travel product provider website via the computer network;

searching for a comparable parameter associated with a comparable second travel product within the at least one category via the computer network;

searching for the second parameter associated with the second travel product on the inventory system; and

combinations thereof.

11. A system according to claim 1, wherein said host computing element further removes the displayed second travel product from the inventory system.

12. A method for detecting and displaying pricing errors corresponding to one or more travel products selected from an inventory system, the inventory system comprising travel products and parameters associated with the travel products, the method comprising:

determining an average of a parameter associated with each of a plurality of first travel products in at least one category;

comparing a second travel product in the at least one category, the second travel product being associated with the parameter, to the plurality of first travel products so as to determine a relation between the parameter associated with the second travel product and the average;

displaying the second travel product when the parameter associated with the second travel product is different from the average so as to identify possible pricing errors corresponding to the displayed second travel product.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein the parameter is at least one of:

price;

sales volume; and

combinations thereof.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one category is at least one of:

a travel product geographical market area;

a travel product supplier;

a travel product itinerary;

an airline fare having a selected fare code;

an airline fare for travel on a selected itinerary; and

combinations thereof.

15. A method according to claim 12, further comprising storing the average of the parameter in a memory device in communication with the inventory system.

16. A method according to claim 12, wherein said displaying step further comprises displaying the second travel product when the parameter associated with the travel product is different from the average by a selected margin.

17. A method according to claim 12, further comprising transmitting the displayed travel product to a travel product provider.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein said transmitting step comprises transmitting the displayed travel product to the travel product provider by at least one of:

sending an email to the travel product provider;

displaying the travel product via a travel product provider user interface;

publishing the displayed travel product via a network portal; and

combinations thereof.

19. A method according to claim 12, further comprising verifying the determined relation between the parameter associated with the second travel product and the average.

20. A method according to claim 19, wherein said verifying step further comprises verifying by at least one of:

searching for the parameter associated with the second travel product on a travel product provider website;

searching for a comparable parameter associated with a comparable second travel product within the at least one category via a computer network;

searching for the parameter associated with the second travel product on the inventory system; and

combinations thereof.

21. A method according to claim 12, further comprising removing the displayed second travel product from the inventory system.

22. A computer program product for detecting and displaying pricing errors corresponding to one or more travel products selected from an inventory system, the inventory system comprising travel products and parameters associated with the travel products, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code instructions stored therein comprising:

first computer instruction means for determining an average of a parameter associated with each of a plurality of first travel products in at least one category;

second computer instruction means for comparing a second travel product in the at least one category, the second travel product being associated with the parameter, to the plurality of first travel products so as to determine a relation between the parameter associated with the second travel product and the average; and

third computer instruction means for displaying the second travel product when the parameter associated with the second travel product is different from the average so as to identify possible pricing errors corresponding to the displayed second travel product.

23. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the parameter is at least one of:

price;

sales volume; and

combinations thereof.

24. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein the at least one category is at least one of:

a travel product geographical market area;

a travel product supplier;

a travel product itinerary;

an airline fare having a selected fare code;

an airline fare for travel on a selected itinerary; and

combinations thereof.

25. A computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising fourth computer instruction means for storing the average of the parameter in a memory device in communication with the inventory system.

26. A computer program product according to claim 22, wherein said third computer instruction means for displaying further comprises fifth computer instruction means for displaying the second travel product when the parameter associated with the travel product is different from the average by a selected margin.

27. A computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising sixth computer instruction means for transmitting the displayed travel product to a travel product provider.

28. A computer program product according to claim 27, wherein said sixth computer instruction means further comprises seventh computer instruction means for transmitting the displayed travel product to the travel product provider by at least one of:

sending an email to the travel product provider;

displaying the travel product via a travel product provider user interface;

publishing the displayed travel product via a network portal; and

combinations thereof.

29. A computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising eighth computer instruction means for verifying the determined relation between the parameter associated with the second travel product and the average.

30. A computer program product according to claim 29, wherein said eighth computer instruction means for verifying further comprises ninth computer instruction means for verifying by at least one of:

searching for the parameter associated with the second travel product on a travel product provider website;

searching for a comparable parameter associated with a comparable second travel product within the at least one category via a computer network;

searching for the parameter associated with the second travel product on the inventory system; and

combinations thereof.

31. A computer program product according to claim 22, further comprising tenth computer instruction means for removing the displayed second travel product from the inventory system.