Ticket tracking and redeeming system and method

• US 7,536,307 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Rediess, Meg, Barnes, Robert G., Espinosa, Diego, Steury, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Meyers, Matthew S
• Application Number:
  US10/708,112
• Publication Number:
  US 20040138930A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,925 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/5
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• 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 30/0235 constrained by time limit or expiration date

Abstract

An automated method and system for facilitating timely use and/or redemption of the unused portion of an electronic ticket are provided. In accordance with the method, ticket data (e.g., from an electronic ticket) is collected from a financial transaction account, then a search engine uses said ticket data to find open tickets. Finding open tickets includes setting an aging period and adding it to the scheduled departure date of the issued ticket, and a reminder period is set and subtracted from the scheduled date of a ticket. If the scheduled departure date plus the aging date is earlier than the current date, a determination is made as to whether the ticket has been used. If the scheduled date minus the reminder period is earlier than the current date, then a message is communicated to the traveler reminding him to use or redeem the ticket. A residual value of the ticket is calculated and list of open tickets with a value related to each ticket is transmitted to the issuing agency to facilitate the issuing agency issuing a refund of the open ticket.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating an automated redemption of an unused ticket, comprising steps of:

setting, via a computer system, an aging period;

identifying, via a computer system, a scheduled date of an issued ticket;

adding, via a computer system, the aging period to the scheduled date;

determining, via a computer system, at the scheduled date plus the aging period whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused;

if all or a portion of the ticket has not been used,

identifying, via a computer system, the issued ticket as an unused ticket and setting a ticket status field in a table;

comparing, via a computer system, information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the ticket and a change to the ticket;

calculating, via a computer system, a residual value of the ticket based on a contract term associated with the ticket and any changes to the ticket or partial use of the ticket;

storing, via a computer system, the residual value in the invoice table;

comparing, via a computer system, the residual value to a minimum threshold for presenting a ticket redemption offer to a client;

generating, via a computer system, a report based at least in part on the table and the comparing the residual value step; and

transmitting, via a computer system, the report to at least one of a client travel agency and a client of the unused ticket.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of processing, by the client travel agency, a refund of the unused ticket.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of collecting ticket data from a financial transaction account, wherein the ticket data is used to determine an issued ticket for any of a plurality of selected purchasers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket is at least one of a paper ticket and an electronic ticket.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising a step of separating non-refundable tickets.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein the ticket is an electronic ticket that includes a plurality of data fields, and

wherein the step of calculating further includes communicating the plurality of data fields to a customer service tool and receiving the residual value from the customer service tool.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying, via a computer system, a scheduled date of an issued ticket, is based upon an analysis of at least one of a client travel agency database and a global distribution system.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket corresponds to any of a plurality of selected purchasers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting said scheduled date of said issued ticket and identifying whether said issued ticket has been used using a plurality of central reservation system databases.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein a third party issuing agency is notified that the unused ticket was purchased with a charge card.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket redemption offer includes at least one of an alternative ticket, a discounted alternative ticket, and a form of value offered to be provided in exchange for, or in lieu of, a redemption credit.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the ticket redemption offer is a redemption credit.

10. A computer readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by one or more processors, cause said one or more processors to perform:

setting an aging period;

identifying a scheduled date of an issued ticket;

adding the aging period to the scheduled date;

determining at the scheduled date plus the aging period whether all or a portion of the issued ticket is unused;

if all or a portion of the ticket has not been used,

identifying the issued ticket as an unused ticket and setting a ticket status field in a table;

comparing information in an invoice table and a central reservation system database to determine at least one of a use of the ticket and a change to the ticket;

calculating a residual value of the ticket based on a contract term associated with the ticket and any changes to the ticket or partial use of the ticket;

storing the residual value in the invoice table;

comparing the residual value to a minimum threshold for presenting a ticket redemption offer to a client;

generating a report based at least in part on the table and the comparing the residual value step; and

transmitting the report to at least one of a client travel agency and a client of the unused ticket.

12. A computer readable medium according to claim 10 wherein a third party issuing agency is notified that the unused ticket was purchased with a charge card.

13. A computer readable medium according to claim 10 further comprising instructions for executing the step of collecting said scheduled date of said issued ticket and identifying whether said issued ticket has been used using a plurality of central reservation system databases.

16. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the ticket redemption offer includes at least one of an alternative ticket, a discounted alternative ticket, and another form of value offered to be provided in exchange for, or in lieu of, a redemption credit.

17. A computer readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the ticket redemption offer is a redemption credit.