MULTI-TRAVEL AGGREGATOR

• US 20110137666A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 06/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Original Assignee: Amadeus (Amadeus Global Travel Distribution S.A.)
• Inventors: Zuida, Valerie, Forde, Fintan, Warbington, William, Labrit, Yvan
• Application Number:
  US12/812,510
• Publication Number:
  US 20110137666A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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 50/14 Travel agencies
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method and a system for aggregating travel solutions from a plurality of travel sources are described which first includes setting up: markets, each made of a pair of geographic criteria with an optional directional indicator; sources of travel solutions per market; baskets of compatible travel sources including provider types and travel product characteristics; and basket rules for grouping baskets per market and product characteristics. Then, upon receiving a travel request including an itinerary and preferences, the basket rule best fitting the travel request is selected; the appropriate baskets for the selected basket rule are identified. After which, for each basket, the sources of travel solutions are determined and travel requests forwarded to each determined source. Responses are aggregated and displayed in a common format; thereby, allowing a transparent comparison of the travel solutions from the plurality of travel providers.

Claims

1. A method for aggregating travel solutions from a plurality of travel sources, characterized in that the method first comprising setting up:

markets (110), each made of a pair of geographic criteria with an optional directional indicator;

sources (100) of travel solutions per market;

baskets (200) of compatible sources including provider types (220) and travel product characteristics (210);

basket rules (610) for determining the baskets associated to market and product characteristics;

the method further comprising the steps of;

receiving a travel request (510) including an itinerary;

determining the basket rule (520) best fitting the travel request;

identifying the appropriate baskets (530) for the determined basket rule;

selecting, for each basket, the sources (540) that could possibly provide a travel result to the request;

forwarding to each determined source the travel requests (550);

receiving travel results from the sources;

aggregating travel results (560);

displaying aggregated travel results (570).

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the sources of travel solutions comprise any travel planning systems provided by any ground or air travel providers (460).

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the sources of travel solutions are travel planning systems of third party travel providers including global distributions systems (GDS'"'"'s) and GDS new entrants (GNE'"'"'s).

4. The method of claim 1 wherein a source of travel solutions is eligible on all markets (115).

5. The method of claim 2 wherein a source plug-in (450) is provided for interfacing with each travel planning system used as a source of travel solutions.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the travel provider provide at least one transportation mode amongst rail, air, ground and sea transportation modes.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the travel product characteristics (210) include service classes (212) and/or travel restrictions (214) and/or traveler profile and/or traveler preferences.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein service classes include first, business, premium, coach and any class of service (212).

9. The method of claim 7 wherein travel restrictions include refundable, cancelable, no penalties, full flexible and cheapest fares (214).

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the market pair of geographic criteria include city codes, state codes, country codes, travel zones and the whole world.

11. A multi-travel aggregating system (400), comprising means adapted for carrying out each step of the method according to claim 1.

12. A computer program product stored on a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer readable code means for causing at least one computer to operate the method of aggregating travel solutions according to claim 1.

13. The method of claim 3 wherein a source plug-in (450) is provided for interfacing with each travel planning system used as a source of travel solutions.