Method, computer program, and system for pushing flight information to passengers

• US 7,603,281 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 10/13/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Travelport LP (Travelport Worldwide Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Worldspan Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, Paul J., Jena, Asit K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mooneyham; Janice A.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fisher; Paul R
• Application Number:
  US09/687,303
• Time in Patent Office: 3,288 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/5, 705/6
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/109 Time management, e.g. calendars, reminders, meetings or time accounting

Abstract

A method, computer program, and system for automatically pushing flight status information to passengers and/or their agents whenever an airline flight is delayed, cancelled, or otherwise subject to a status change. The invention is implemented with a computer program that instructs a host computer operated by a global airline distribution provider. The computer program includes: a code segment for receiving and storing in a database scheduled times of departure or arrival for substantially all U.S. airline flights departing or arriving within a certain time; a code segment for receiving and storing in the database any updated times of departure or arrival for the flights; a code segment for comparing, for each of the flights, the scheduled time of departure or arrival to the updated time of departure or arrival; a code segment for flagging records in the database corresponding to flights in which the updated times of departure or arrival vary from the scheduled times of departure or arrival by a predetermined amount of time; and a code segment for periodically querying all flagged records and pushing notification information to at least one passenger or an agent of the passenger on each flight corresponding to a record that has been flagged.

Claims

1. A computer program stored on a computer-readable medium for operating a host computer to automatically notify passengers or agents of changes in status for airline flights, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for receiving passenger reservation information from airline passengers or agents of the passengers, the passenger reservation information including a request for automatic flight status change notification information for an airline flight a passenger is reserving;

a code segment executed by the host computer for receiving and storing in a database scheduled times of departure or arrival for substantially all U.S. airline flights departing or arriving within a certain time;

a code segment executed by the host computer for receiving and storing in the database any updated times of departure or arrival for the flights;

a code segment executed by the host computer for comparing, for each of the flights, the scheduled time of departure or arrival to the updated time of departure or arrival;

a code segment executed by the host computer for flagging records in the database corresponding only to flights in which the updated times of departure or arrival vary from the scheduled times of departure or arrival by a predetermined amount of time; and

a code segment executed by the host computer for periodically querying the database to locate all flagged records and pushing flight status change notification information to each passenger or agent who has requested notification information on each flight corresponding to a record that has been flagged.

2. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the notification information including information relating to the updated time of departure or arrival for the airline flight.

3. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the predetermined amount of time being between 10-60 minutes.

4. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the predetermined amount of time being approximately 30 minutes.

5. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the host computer comprising a plurality of computing devices.

6. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, the host computer comprising a computer network.

7. The computer program as set forth in claim 1, wherein the notification information is pushed through electronic mail.