Method and apparatus for the sale of airline-specified flight tickets

• US 8,229,773 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2010
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Priceline.com LLC (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Priceline Com Incorporated (Booking Holdings, Inc., fka Priceline Group Inc.)
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Case, T. Scott, Sparico, Thomas M.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAMPBELL, SHANNON S
• Application Number:
  US12/795,293
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250291A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/1.1
• 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 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/00 Cash registers alarm indicators G07G3/00

Abstract

An unspecified-time airline ticket representing a purchased seat on a flight to be selected later, by the airlines, for a traveler-specified itinerary (e.g., NY to LA on March 3rd) is disclosed. Various methods and systems for matching an unspecified-time ticket with a flight are also disclosed. An exemplary method includes: (1) making available an unspecified-time ticket; (2) examining a plurality of flights which would fulfill the terms of the unspecified-time ticket to determine which flight to select; and (3) providing notification of the selected flight prior to departure. The disclosed embodiments provide travelers with reduced airfare in return for flight-time flexibility and, in turn, permits airlines to fill seats that would have otherwise gone unbooked. Because of the flexibilities required of the unspecified-time traveler, unspecified-time tickets are likely to attract leisure travelers unwilling to purchase tickets at the available published fares and, at the same time, are likely to “fence out” business travelers unwilling to risk losing a full day at either end of their trip. Moreover, the flexibilities required of the unspecified-time traveler need not be limited to a departure time; the flexibilities may also include the airline, the departing airport, the destination airport, or any other restriction that increases the flexibility afforded the airline in placing the traveler aboard a flight. The disclosed embodiments thus permit airlines to fill otherwise empty seats in a manner that stimulates latent and unfulfilled leisure travel demand while leaving their underlying fare structures intact.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method, comprising:

receiving via a processor a request to purchase a ticket from a specified departure location to a specified destination location for travel during a specified range of travel times;

querying via the processor, a plurality of flights satisfying said request;

examining via the processor each of the plurality of flights to determine if there is a special fare listing, including

identifying the special fare listing corresponding to seats on each flight which are forecasted to be empty based on demand trend information for past flights;

purchasing a special fare ticket for a customer for a flight selected from the plurality of flights if there is a special fare listing, wherein the special fare ticket corresponds to the special fare listing; and

issuing the special fare ticket as an unspecified-time ticket to the customer before revealing a specific travel time to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising purchasing a regular fare ticket for a flight selected from the plurality of flights if a special fare listing is not available.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying a flight schedule database to retrieve flight schedules of all special fare tickets satisfying the request;

selecting, from the retrieved flight schedules, a flight schedule for the purchased special fare ticket; and

providing flight information including a carrier name, a flight number and a travel date corresponding to the purchased special fare ticket.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the flight information is provided (i) immediately after the purchasing, or (ii) by a notification date.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the special fare listing to decrement number of available special fare tickets.

6. A system, comprising:

a memory;

a processor disposed in communication with said memory, and configured to issue a plurality of instructions to;

receive via a processor a request to purchase a ticket from a specified departure location to a specified destination location for travel during a specified range of travel times;

query a plurality of flights satisfying said request;

examine via the processor each of the plurality of flights to determine if there is a special fare listing, including

identify the special fare listing corresponding to seats on each flight which are forecasted to be empty based on demand trend information for past flights;

purchase a special fare ticket for a customer for a flight selected from the plurality of flights if there is a special fare listing, wherein the special fare ticket corresponds to the special fare listing; and

issue the special fare ticket as an unspecified-time ticket to the customer before revealing a specific travel time to the customer.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising instructions to purchase a regular fare ticket for a flight selected from the plurality of flights if a special fare listing is not available.

8. The system of claim 6, further comprising instructions to:

query a flight schedule database to retrieve flight schedules of all special fare tickets satisfying the request;

select, from the retrieved flight schedules, a flight schedule for the purchased special fare ticket; and

provide flight information including a carrier name, a flight number and a travel date corresponding to the purchased special fare ticket.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the flight information is provided (i) immediately after the purchase, or (ii) by a notification date.

10. The system of claim 6, further comprising instructions to update the special fare listing to decrement number of available special fare tickets.