Method and system for reserving air charter aircraft
First Claim
1. A method for pricing and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
- maintaining a charter aircraft information database that includes status, flight characteristics, present location, operational costs, and information about occupancy capacity for each of a plurality of charter aircraft;
receiving, using a computer, itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location, at least one departure date, and a total number of passengers;
accessing the charter aircraft information database containing information about the plurality of charter aircraft;
accessing an airport information database, wherein the airport information database contains airport specific information such as longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, elevation and runway restrictions for each airport;
identifying suitable charter aircraft by;
(1) comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information,(2) determining which of the charter aircraft are compatible with airports within a prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s at least one departure location,(3) determining which of the charter aircraft are compatible with airports within a prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s at least one destination location,(4) comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information by(a) determining the status of each charter aircraft, wherein the status of each charter aircraft is either a positive status or a negative status,(b) determining whether each charter aircraft has appropriate flight characteristics, and(c) determining whether each charter aircraft has a present location within the prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s designated at least one departure location, and(5) eliminating charter aircraft with insufficient seating capacity;
determining a charter price for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft by;
(1) obtaining a cost of operating each of the suitable charter aircraft from the charter aircraft information database,(2) calculating a flight factor for flying each of the suitable charter aircraft from the user'"'"'s at least one departure location to the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, wherein the flight factor is at least one of an approximate flight time between the user'"'"'s at least one departure location and the user'"'"'s at least one destination location and an approximate flight distance between the user'"'"'s at least one departure location and the user'"'"'s at least one destination location,(3) calculating a total charter price based on the operating cost and the calculated flight factor for each of the suitable charter aircraft;
transmitting, using a computer, the charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft for which a charter price has been determined; and
reserving the suitable charter aircraft in response to input from the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention is a method and system for pricing and reserving charter aircraft. In a preferred embodiment, itinerary information is received, via computer, from a user and is compared with information contained in maintained databases to identify charter aircraft suitable for accommodating the user. The system then determines a charter price by calculating total charter prices for each of the suitable charter aircraft. Several factors including flight costs, relocation costs, repositioning costs and layover costs are considered in calculating the total charter prices. Finally, the total charter prices are preferably selectively categorized and transmitted, via computer, to the user who is then able to complete the reservation process. In another preferred embodiment, lowest charter prices are transmitted to the user for alternative charter aircraft travel. In another preferred embodiment, users can engage in either a reverse auction or a real-time auction for available charter aircraft travel.
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Citations
52 Claims
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1. A method for pricing and reserving charter aircraft services, comprising:
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maintaining a charter aircraft information database that includes status, flight characteristics, present location, operational costs, and information about occupancy capacity for each of a plurality of charter aircraft; receiving, using a computer, itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location, at least one departure date, and a total number of passengers; accessing the charter aircraft information database containing information about the plurality of charter aircraft; accessing an airport information database, wherein the airport information database contains airport specific information such as longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, elevation and runway restrictions for each airport; identifying suitable charter aircraft by; (1) comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information, (2) determining which of the charter aircraft are compatible with airports within a prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s at least one departure location, (3) determining which of the charter aircraft are compatible with airports within a prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, (4) comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information by (a) determining the status of each charter aircraft, wherein the status of each charter aircraft is either a positive status or a negative status, (b) determining whether each charter aircraft has appropriate flight characteristics, and (c) determining whether each charter aircraft has a present location within the prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s designated at least one departure location, and (5) eliminating charter aircraft with insufficient seating capacity; determining a charter price for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft by; (1) obtaining a cost of operating each of the suitable charter aircraft from the charter aircraft information database, (2) calculating a flight factor for flying each of the suitable charter aircraft from the user'"'"'s at least one departure location to the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, wherein the flight factor is at least one of an approximate flight time between the user'"'"'s at least one departure location and the user'"'"'s at least one destination location and an approximate flight distance between the user'"'"'s at least one departure location and the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, (3) calculating a total charter price based on the operating cost and the calculated flight factor for each of the suitable charter aircraft; transmitting, using a computer, the charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft for which a charter price has been determined; and reserving the suitable charter aircraft in response to input from the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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21. The method of claini 20, wherein determining a charter price for each of the suitable charter aircraft further comprises:
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calculating an outbound relocation factor for relocating the suitable charter aircraft from the user'"'"'s first destination location to at least one intermediate location; calculating an outbound relocation cost based on the operating cost and the outbound relocation factor for each of the suitable charter aircraft; and calculating the total charter price also based on the calculated outbound relocation cost. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23)
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42. A system for pricing and reserving charter aircraft, comprising:
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a data storage system; at least one charter aircraft information database containing information about a plurality of charter aircraft stored on the data storage system, wherein the charter aircraft information database includes status, flight characteristics, present location, operational costs, and information about occupancy capacity for each of the plurality of charter aircraft; means for receiving itinerary information from a user including at least one departure location, at least one destination location, at least one departure date, and a total number of passengers; means for accessing the at least one charter aircraft information database; means for accessing an airport information database, wherein the airport information database contains airport specific information such as longitudinal and latitudinal coordinates, elevation and runway restrictions for each airport; means for identifying suitable charter aircraft by; (1) comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information, (2) determining which of the charter aircraft are compatible with airports within a prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s at least one departure location, (3) determining which of the charter aircraft are compatible with airports within a prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, (4) comparing the itinerary information with the charter aircraft information by (a) determining the status of each charter aircraft, wherein the status of each charter aircraft is either a positive status or a negative status, (b) determining whether each charter aircraft has appropriate flight characteristics, and (c) determining whether each charter aircraft has a present location within the prescribed radius of the user'"'"'s designated at least one departure location, and (5) eliminating charter aircraft witt insufficient seating capacity; means for determining a charter price for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft by; (1) obtaining a cost of operating each of the suitable charter aircraft from the charter aircraft information database, (2) calculating a flight factor for flying each of the suitable charter aircraft from the user'"'"'s at least one departure location to the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, wherein the flight factor is at least one of an approximate flight time between the user'"'"'s at least one departure location and the user'"'"'s at least one destination location and an approximate flight distance between the user'"'"'s at least one departure location and the user'"'"'s at least one destination location, (3) calculating a total charter price based on the operating cost and the calculated flight factor for each of the suitable charter aircraft; means for transmitting the charter price accompanied by corresponding charter aircraft information for at least one of the identified suitable charter aircraft for which a charter price has been determined; and means for reserving the suitable charter aircraft in response to input from the user. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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Specification