Low fare search for ticket changes using married segment indicators
First Claim
1. A computer implemented method for managing changes to a previously purchased ticket, the method comprising:
- receiving, by one or more computers, a travel request for a journey, including a request to use a portion of a previously purchased ticket and information regarding travel arrangements and terms under which the previously purchased ticket was issued;
determining that available information in the previously purchased ticket and a passenger name record (PNR) associated with the previously purchased ticket is insufficient to unambiguously determine how the previously purchased ticket was originally priced;
locating, by one or more computers, a married segment indicator associated with first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket, with a married segment indicator associated with flight segments to indicate flight segments of inventory held in a passenger name record (PNR) are to be considered together;
reconstructing, by the one or more computers, each of a plurality of terms applying to the previously purchased ticket as of a date the previously purchased ticket was issued, by;
querying a database of historical information using received information regarding travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket to identify a plurality of candidate fare records that existed at the time the previously purchased ticket was issued and that correspond to information supplied in the query, wherein each of a plurality of the fare records is associated with information comprising a carrier, a city pair, a fare basis code, and a time period during which information in the fare record is valid;
filtering the plurality of candidate fare records by excluding those candidate fare records having associated rules inconsistent with the travel arrangements or terms of the previously purchased ticket; and
selecting as a reconstructed ticket a candidate fare record having associated rules consistent with the travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket;
determining, by the one or more computers, based on aspects of the reconstructed ticket, whether changes to flight segments of the previously purchased ticket can retain existing bookings of remaining flight segments corresponding to the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket;
if ticket changes can retain both existing bookings of the first and second married flight segments,constructing by the one or more computers a first replacement ticket including changes to the previously purchased ticket, the replacement ticket including the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket using both existing bookings;
otherwise,if the ticket changes affect at least one of the first and second married flight segments where the ticket changes cannot retain an existing booking of at least one of the first and second married flight segments,constructing a second replacement ticket by the one or more computers using current availability information for the first and second married flight segments.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and techniques for managing ticket changes are described. for managing changes to a purchased ticket. A married segment indicator associated with first and second married flight segments of the purchased ticket is located. It is determined whether changes to the purchased ticket affect existing bookings of the first and second married flight segments. Based on the determination, a replacement ticket is constructed to include the first and second married flight segments of the purchased ticket utilizing the existing booked inventory; otherwise, a replacement ticket is constructed using current availability information for the first and second married flight segments from the replacement ticket.
41 Citations
18 Claims
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1. A computer implemented method for managing changes to a previously purchased ticket, the method comprising:
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receiving, by one or more computers, a travel request for a journey, including a request to use a portion of a previously purchased ticket and information regarding travel arrangements and terms under which the previously purchased ticket was issued; determining that available information in the previously purchased ticket and a passenger name record (PNR) associated with the previously purchased ticket is insufficient to unambiguously determine how the previously purchased ticket was originally priced; locating, by one or more computers, a married segment indicator associated with first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket, with a married segment indicator associated with flight segments to indicate flight segments of inventory held in a passenger name record (PNR) are to be considered together; reconstructing, by the one or more computers, each of a plurality of terms applying to the previously purchased ticket as of a date the previously purchased ticket was issued, by; querying a database of historical information using received information regarding travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket to identify a plurality of candidate fare records that existed at the time the previously purchased ticket was issued and that correspond to information supplied in the query, wherein each of a plurality of the fare records is associated with information comprising a carrier, a city pair, a fare basis code, and a time period during which information in the fare record is valid; filtering the plurality of candidate fare records by excluding those candidate fare records having associated rules inconsistent with the travel arrangements or terms of the previously purchased ticket; and selecting as a reconstructed ticket a candidate fare record having associated rules consistent with the travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket; determining, by the one or more computers, based on aspects of the reconstructed ticket, whether changes to flight segments of the previously purchased ticket can retain existing bookings of remaining flight segments corresponding to the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket; if ticket changes can retain both existing bookings of the first and second married flight segments, constructing by the one or more computers a first replacement ticket including changes to the previously purchased ticket, the replacement ticket including the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket using both existing bookings;
otherwise,if the ticket changes affect at least one of the first and second married flight segments where the ticket changes cannot retain an existing booking of at least one of the first and second married flight segments, constructing a second replacement ticket by the one or more computers using current availability information for the first and second married flight segments. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for managing changes to a previously purchased ticket, the system comprising:
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one or more processors; one or more memory modules; and instructions stored on the one or more memory modules and operable when executed by the one or more processors to cause operations comprising; receiving a travel request for a journey, including a request to use a portion of a previously purchased ticket and information regarding travel arrangements and terms under which the previously purchased ticket was issued; determining that available information in the previously purchased ticket and a passenger name record (PNR) associated with the previously purchased ticket is insufficient to unambiguously determine how the previously purchased ticket was originally priced; locating a married segment indicator associated with first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket, with a married segment indicator associated with flight segments to indicate flight segments of inventory held in a passenger name record (PNR) are to be considered together; reconstructing each of a plurality of terms applying to the previously purchased ticket as of a date the previously purchased ticket was issued, by; querying a database of historical information using received information regarding travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket to identify a plurality of candidate fare records that existed at the time the previously purchased ticket was issued and that correspond to information supplied in the query, wherein each of a plurality of the fare records is associated with information comprising a carrier, a city pair, a fare basis code, and a time period during which information in the fare record is valid; filtering the plurality of candidate fare records by excluding those candidate fare records having associated rules inconsistent with the travel arrangements or terms of the previously purchased ticket; and selecting as a reconstructed ticket a candidate fare record having associated rules consistent with the travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket; determining, based on aspects of the reconstructed ticket, whether changes to flight segments of the previously purchased ticket can retain existing bookings of remaining flight segments corresponding to the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket; if ticket changes can retain both existing bookings of the first and second married flight segments, constructing a first replacement ticket including changes to the previously purchased ticket, the replacement ticket including the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket using both existing bookings;
otherwise,if the ticket changes affect at least one of the first and second married flight segments where the ticket changes cannot retain an existing booking of at least one of the first and second married flight segments, constructing a second replacement ticket using current availability information for the first and second married flight segments. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A non-transitory machine readable medium tangibly storing a computer program product for managing changes to a previously purchased ticket, comprising instructions operable to cause one or more processors to:
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receive a travel request for a journey, including a request to use a portion of a previously purchased ticket and information regarding travel arrangements and terms under which the previously purchased ticket was issued; determine that available information in the previously purchased ticket and a passenger name record (PNR) associated with the previously purchased ticket is insufficient to unambiguously determine how the previously purchased ticket was originally priced; locate a married segment indicator associated with first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket, with a married segment indicator associated with flight segments to indicate flight segments of inventory held in a passenger name record (PNR) are to be considered together; reconstruct each of a plurality of terms applying to the previously purchased ticket as of a date the previously purchased ticket was issued, by; querying a database of historical information using received information regarding travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket to identify a plurality of candidate fare records that existed at the time the previously purchased ticket was issued and that correspond to information supplied in the query, wherein each of a plurality of the fare records is associated with information comprising a carrier, a city pair, a fare basis code, and a time period during which information in the fare record is valid; filtering the plurality of candidate fare records by excluding those candidate fare records having associated rules inconsistent with the travel arrangements or terms of the previously purchased ticket; and selecting as a reconstructed ticket a candidate fare record having associated rules consistent with the travel arrangements and terms of the previously purchased ticket; determine, based on aspects of the reconstructed ticket, whether changes to flight segments of the previously purchased ticket can retain existing bookings of remaining flight segments corresponding to the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket; if ticket changes can retain both existing bookings of the first and second married flight segments, construct a first replacement ticket including changes to the previously purchased ticket, the replacement ticket including the first and second married flight segments of the previously purchased ticket using both existing bookings;
otherwise,if the ticket changes affect at least one of the first and second married flight segments where the ticket changes cannot retain an existing booking of at least one of the first and second married flight segments, construct a second replacement ticket using current availability information for the first and second married flight segments. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification