Rewarding frequent fliers with last seat availability
First Claim
1. A method of redeeming frequent flier miles associated with a frequent flier program, comprising:
- receiving a request from a customer to redeem frequent flier miles in the customer'"'"'s account for a ticket on a specified flight;
processing the request according to a first redemption procedure when the customer does not have a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program; and
processing the request according to a second redemption procedure when the customer has a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An airline may offer two procedures for redeeming frequent flier miles for tickets on a specified flight of that airline, with one procedure available to frequent flier program members that do not have transactional cards associated with the frequent flier program, and another redemption procedure available to frequent flier program members that have a transactional card associated with the frequent flier program. Cardmembers have improved award seat availability for frequent flier mile redemption, regardless of their status in the frequent flier program. Cardmembers are provided with last seat availability at a base redemption rate. Thus, cardmembers are not subject to limited award seat capacity controls and restrictions that airline frequent flier programs have in place, and cardmembers do not have to use higher redemption rates for last seat availability.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of redeeming frequent flier miles associated with a frequent flier program, comprising:
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receiving a request from a customer to redeem frequent flier miles in the customer'"'"'s account for a ticket on a specified flight;
processing the request according to a first redemption procedure when the customer does not have a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program; and
processing the request according to a second redemption procedure when the customer has a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for redeeming frequent flier miles associated with a frequent flier program, comprising:
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a processor; and
a memory in communication with the processor, the memory for storing a plurality of processing instructions for directing the processor to;
receive a request from a customer to redeem frequent flier miles in the customer'"'"'s account for a ticket on a specified flight;
process the request according to a first redemption procedure when the customer does not have a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program; and
process the request according to a second redemption procedure when the customer has a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having control logic stored therein for causing a computer to redeem frequent flier miles associate with a frequent flier program, said control logic comprising:
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first computer readable program code means for causing the computer to receive a request from a customer to redeem frequent flier miles in the customer'"'"'s account for a ticket on a specified flight;
second computer readable program code means for causing the computer to process the request according to a first redemption procedure when the customer does not have a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program; and
third computer readable program code means for causing the computer to process the request according to a second redemption procedure when the customer has a transactional account associated with the frequent flier program. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification