Travel Service Aggregator

• US 20080294469A1
• Filed: 03/05/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Navitaire LLC (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services GmbH (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: Hornbaker, Terry Wayne, Walsh, Jefferson Bridger, Evans, David P., Drefs, Martin J., Caballero, Gerardino Canciller
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,692 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: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a system that includes a user interface to receive an electronic status change for an airline flight and an airline reservation system to determine whether at least one ancillary travel service associated with the airline flight should be modified based on the received electronic status change. The system includes a messaging interface to electronically transmit a request to modify the at least one ancillary travel service based on the electronic status change if the determination is made to modify the at least one ancillary travel service. The messaging interface further electronically transmits payment information to the travel service provider for use in crediting or debiting a payment associated with the at least one modified ancillary travel service. The payment information is associated with a customer that reserved the at least one ancillary travel service.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a user interface to receive an electronic status change for an airline flight;

an airline reservation system to determine whether at least one ancillary travel service associated with the airline flight should be modified based on the received electronic status change; and

a messaging interface to electronically transmit, from the airline reservation system to a remote travel service provider associated with the at least one ancillary travel service, a request to modify the at least one ancillary travel service based on the electronic status change if the determination is made to modify the at least one ancillary travel service,

wherein the messaging interface further electronically transmits payment information from the airline reservation system to the travel service provider for use in crediting or debiting a payment associated with the at least one modified ancillary travel service, wherein the payment information is associated with a customer that reserved the at least one ancillary travel service.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a travel record database at the airline reservation system to store travel records comprising reservations for the one or more ancillary travel services.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the travel record database stores the payment information associated with the customer.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein travel records associated with different types of ancillary travel services are stored in a substantially similar format as airline reservation records, which are also stored in the travel record database.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein ancillary services comprise travel insurance, hotel reservations, car reservations, cruise reservations, rail reservations, meal preferences, tour reservations, or event or activity reservations.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein determining whether the at least one ancillary travel service should be modified comprises determining whether the airline flight has been cancelled or rescheduled based on the electronic status for the airline flight.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the request to modify the at least one ancillary travel service comprises a message to cancel or reschedule the at least one ancillary travel service.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user interface comprises an airport user interface configured to receive input from airline agents about flight statuses.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the airline reservation system transmits the payment information to the travel service provider without crediting or debiting payments associated with the at least one or more modified ancillary travel services.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the travel service provider aggregates ancillary travel services from other travel service providers.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic status change indicates that the airline flight is cancelled, delayed, arrived early, or has a modified layover schedule.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a reservation interface for the airline reservation system to receive a request for a reservation of the at least one ancillary travel service.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the reservation interface further receives a request for a reservation of the airline flight.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the reservation interface comprises a web services interface, a web page interface, or a call center interface.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the messaging interface further electronically transmits a query to one or more travel service providers to determine if the one or more travel service providers can fulfill the request for the at least once ancillary travel service.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the airline reservation system previously received the payment information in association with a request to reserve a seat on the airline flight.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the airline reservation system debits an account of the customer for reserving the seat on the airline flight.

18. A computer-implemented process for managing travel services comprising:

receiving at a travel reservation system an electronic status change for a travel conveyance;

electronically accessing a digital travel record stored in the travel reservation system, the digital travel record comprising a reservation for at least one ancillary travel service associated with the travel conveyance;

determining whether the at least one ancillary travel service should be modified based on the electronic status change for the travel conveyance;

electronically transmitting, from the travel reservation system to a remote travel service provider associated with the at least one ancillary travel service, a request to modify the at least one ancillary travel service based on the electronic status change if the determination is made to modify the at least one ancillary travel service; and

electronically transmitting payment information from the travel reservation system to the travel service provider for use in crediting or debiting a payment associated with the at least one modified ancillary travel service, wherein the payment information is associated with a customer that reserved the at least one ancillary travel service.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the travel conveyance comprises an airline flight, rail travel, cruise travel, or vehicle travel.

20. A computer program product tangibly embodied in computer storage medium and comprising instructions that when executed by a processor cause the following operations to manage travel services, the operations comprising:

receiving at a travel reservation system an electronic status change for an airline flight;

determining by the travel reservation system whether at least one ancillary travel service associated with the airline flight should be modified based on the electronic status change for the airline flight;

electronically transmitting, from the travel reservation system to a remote travel service provider associated with the at least one ancillary travel service, a request to modify the at least one ancillary travel service based on the electronic status change if the determination is made to modify the at least one ancillary travel service; and

electronically transmitting payment information from the travel reservation system to the travel service provider for use in crediting or debiting a payment associated with the at least one modified ancillary travel service, wherein the payment information is associated with a customer that reserved the at least one modified ancillary travel service.