Automated airlines reservations system

• US 8,676,614 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Airlines Incorporated (American Airlines Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: American Airlines Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Carline
• Primary Examiner(s): Vetter, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US10/800,414
• Publication Number:
  US 20050203782A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,658 Days
• Field of Search: 705 5- 6, 705/14.33
• 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: H04M 2201/40 using speech recognition speech recognition per se G10L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/41 using speaker recognition speaker recognition per se G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/493 Interactive information services, e.g. directory enquiries ; Arrangements therefor, e.g. interactive voice response [IVR] systems or voice portals
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/527 Centralised call answering arrangements not requiring operator intervention

Abstract

Disclosed is an automated reservations system for use with a frequent flyer account or other similar awards account. The automated reservations system initially authenticates customers utilizing one or more forms of identification. The customer is then prompted to provide travel itinerary information to the reservations system by a series of voice prompt menus. Utilizing the customer-entered itinerary information, the automated reservations system queries a flight information database to determine if the requested itinerary is available. The automated reservations system then determines if the customer has the required amount of frequent flyer miles to book the requested itinerary. If the customer has the required amount of frequent flyer miles, the automated reservations system allows the customer to either ticket or hold the requested itinerary. The automated reservations system is also capable of assigning seats for each passenger in the customer'"'"'s itinerary.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing automated services comprising the steps of:

interacting with a user via an automated interactive voice response system;

authenticating said user utilizing one or more forms of identification data provided by said user to said automated interactive voice response system;

querying an awards database to determine whether an awards account is associated with said user;

acquiring itinerary data from said user;

querying an itinerary database with said itinerary data and receiving a plurality of itineraries;

providing to said user said plurality of itineraries;

receiving from said user a selection of an initial itinerary from said plurality of itineraries;

querying said awards database and determining if said user'"'"'s awards account contains sufficient awards for said initial itinerary;

upon determination that said user does not contain sufficient awards for said initial itinerary, providing to said user an alternative itinerary for which said user'"'"'s awards account contains sufficient awards;

receiving from said user a selection of said alternative itinerary;

ticketing said selected alternative itinerary;

prompting said user to enter baggage data;

acquiring baggage data from said user, wherein the baggage data comprises arrival date;

determining whether the arrival date is within a predetermined threshold;

if the arrival date is within said predetermined threshold, querying a baggage database with said baggage data for information in said baggage database and providing said information to said user; and

if the arrival date is outside said predetermined threshold, transferring said user to an operator.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

confirming said selected itinerary.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1 wherein said user interacts with said automated interactive voice response system utilizing vocal responses.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

assigning seats to said user for said selected itinerary.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said user is transferred to an operator upon request.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said itinerary data includes one or more of the group consisting of a departure date, an arrival date, a departure time, an arrival time, departure location, arrival destination, number of passengers, class of service, and seating preference.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said identification data is biometric data.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 7, wherein said identification data is voice data.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said identification data is at least one of the group consisting of a user'"'"'s name, a personal identification number, a social security number, a telephone number, a birth date, and a frequent flyer number.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein said awards database is a look-up table.

11. A computer-implemented method of providing automated services comprising the steps of:

interacting with a user via an automated interactive voice response system;

authenticating said user utilizing one or more forms of identification data provided by said user to said automated interactive voice response system;

utilizing said identification data to access an awards account;

querying an awards database to determine whether an awards account is associated with said user;

acquiring itinerary data from said user;

querying an itinerary database with said itinerary data;

providing to said user a plurality of itineraries;

prompting said user to select an itinerary from said plurality of itineraries;

querying an awards database to determine if said user'"'"'s awards account contains sufficient awards for said selected itinerary;

upon determination that said user does not contain sufficient awards for said selected itinerary, providing to said user an alternative itinerary for which said user'"'"'s awards account contains sufficient awards;

receiving from said user a selection of said alternative itinerary;

ticketing said selected alternative itinerary;

prompting said user to enter baggage data;

acquiring baggage data from said user, wherein the baggage data comprises arrival date;

determining whether the arrival date is within a predetermined threshold;

if the arrival date is within said predetermined threshold, querying a baggage database with said baggage data for information in said baggage database and providing said information to said user; and

if the arrival date is outside said predetermined threshold, transferring said user to an operator.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further including the step of:

confirming said selected itinerary.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11 wherein said user interacts with said automated interactive voice response system utilizing vocal responses.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further including the step of:

assigning seats to said user for said selected itinerary.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said user is transferred to an operator upon request.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said itinerary data includes one or more of the group consisting of a departure date, an arrival date, a departure time, an arrival time, departure location, arrival destination, number of passengers, class of service, and seating preference.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said identification data is biometric data.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 17, wherein said identification data is voice data.

19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said identification data is at least one of the group consisting of a user'"'"'s name, a personal identification number, a social security number, a telephone number, a birth date, and a frequent flyer number.

20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said awards database is a look-up table.

21. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein said automated services are provided by an airline.

22. The computer-implemented method according to claim 21, where said user is a customer of said airline.