Method and apparatus for improved customer direct on-line reservation of rental vehicles
First Claim
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1. A method of facilitating the booking of rental vehicle reservations through a plurality of user interface screens for display on a user computer to interact with a user of the user computer to create a rental vehicle reservation with a rental vehicle service provider, the method comprising:
- providing a general aviation (GA) rental vehicle reservation creation path through the user interface screens for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via GA, the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by a server to create a rental vehicle reservation, with at least one of the user interface screens within the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path identifying a fixed based operator (FBO) corresponding to the user'"'"'s plan to travel via GA, the FBO having an account with the rental vehicle service provider, the FBO account defining at least one rental vehicle reservation characteristic;
automatically applying the at least one rental vehicle reservation characteristic from the FBO account to the rental vehicle reservation for the user;
providing a commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path through the user interface screens for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via commercial aviation, the commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a different rental vehicle reservation, wherein the types of data input and data processing required for the commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path are different than the types of data input and data processing required by the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path; and
wherein the method steps are performed by the server.
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a reservation booking website wherein customers who plan to travel via general aviation (GA) are provided with a GA reservation creation path that is responsive to their GA travel needs.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of facilitating the booking of rental vehicle reservations through a plurality of user interface screens for display on a user computer to interact with a user of the user computer to create a rental vehicle reservation with a rental vehicle service provider, the method comprising:
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providing a general aviation (GA) rental vehicle reservation creation path through the user interface screens for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via GA, the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by a server to create a rental vehicle reservation, with at least one of the user interface screens within the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path identifying a fixed based operator (FBO) corresponding to the user'"'"'s plan to travel via GA, the FBO having an account with the rental vehicle service provider, the FBO account defining at least one rental vehicle reservation characteristic; automatically applying the at least one rental vehicle reservation characteristic from the FBO account to the rental vehicle reservation for the user; providing a commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path through the user interface screens for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via commercial aviation, the commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a different rental vehicle reservation, wherein the types of data input and data processing required for the commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path are different than the types of data input and data processing required by the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path; and wherein the method steps are performed by the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of facilitating the booking of rental vehicle reservations through a plurality of user interface screens for display on a user computer to interact with a user of the user computer to create a rental vehicle reservation with a rental vehicle service provider, the method comprising:
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providing a general aviation (GA) rental vehicle reservation creation path through the user interface screens for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via GA, the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by a server to create a rental vehicle reservation, with at least one of the user interface screens within the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path identifying a fixed based operator (FBO) corresponding to the user'"'"'s plan to travel via GA, the FBO having an account with the rental vehicle service provider, the FBO account defining a first rental vehicle pricing rate arrangement with the rental vehicle service provider, and wherein the user has an account with the rental vehicle service provider, the user account defining a second rental vehicle pricing rate arrangement with the rental vehicle service provider; the automatically applying the lower of the first and second rental vehicle pricing rate arrangements to the rental vehicle reservation for the user; providing a commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path through the user interface screens for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via commercial aviation, the commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a different rental vehicle reservation, wherein the types of data input and data processing required for the commercial aviation rental vehicle reservation creation path are different than the types of data input and data processing required by the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path; and wherein the method steps are performed by the server.
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11. An apparatus for facilitating the booking of rental vehicle reservations with a rental vehicle service provider, the apparatus comprising:
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a server; and a memory; the server accessible over a network to a user computer, the server configured to provide a user computer with access to a plurality of user interface screens via a plurality of paths for the user computer to create a rental vehicle reservation in response to input from the user computer, the plurality of paths including a first path and a second path; the first path configured for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via general aviation (GA), the first path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a rental vehicle reservation, wherein at least one of the user interface screens within the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path is configured to identify a fixed based operator (FBO) corresponding to the user'"'"'s plan to travel via GA; the second path configured for customers whose rental vehicle needs are not based upon plans to travel via GA, the second path comprising a subplurality of user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a different rental vehicle reservation; wherein the types of data input and data processing required for the first path are different than the types of data input and data processing required by the second path; the memory configured to store an account for the FBO, the FBO account being configured to define at least one rental vehicle reservation characteristic; and wherein the server is further configured to automatically apply the at least one rental vehicle reservation characteristic from the FBO account to the rental vehicle reservation for the user. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. An apparatus for facilitating the booking of rental vehicle reservations with a rental vehicle service provider, the apparatus comprising:
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a server; and a memory; the server accessible over a network to a user computer, the server configured to provide a user computer with access to a plurality of user interface screens via a plurality of paths for the user computer to create a rental vehicle reservation in response to input from the user computer, the plurality of paths including a first path and a second path; the first path configured for customers whose rental vehicle needs are based upon plans to travel via general aviation (GA), the first path comprising a subplurality of the user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a rental vehicle reservation, wherein at least one of the user interface screens within the GA rental vehicle reservation creation path is configured to identify a fixed based operator (FBO) corresponding to the user'"'"'s plan to travel via GA; the second path configured for customers whose rental vehicle needs are not based upon plans to travel via GA, the second path comprising a subplurality of user interface screens that are configured to request a plurality of types of data input for processing by the server to create a different rental vehicle reservation; wherein the types of data input and data processing required for the first path are different than the types of data input and data processing required by the second path; the memory configured to (1) store an account for the FBO, the FBO account being configured to define a first rental vehicle pricing rate arrangement with the rental vehicle service provider, and (2) store an account for the user, the user account configured to define a second rental vehicle pricing rate arrangement with the rental vehicle service provider; and wherein the server is further configured to automatically apply the lower of the first and second rental vehicle pricing rate arrangements to the rental vehicle reservation for the user.
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Specification