System and method for processing trip requests

• US 20030177045A1
• Filed: 01/17/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Fitzgerald, Matt, Laughlin, Michael Keith, Garcia, Philip A., Schultz, Debbie L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,805,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/6
• 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 10/04 Forecasting or optimisation specially adapted for administrative or management purposes, e.g. linear programming or "cutting stock problem" market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities G06Q30/0202
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/14 Travel agencies

Abstract

A system and method for planning trips and for processing trip requests that utilizes a centralized network for facilitating travel reservations and/or services. The system includes multi-purpose point of service terminals that provide a plurality of modules for various travel related applications such as an integrated e-mail booking module, a computer telephony integration module, a super passenger name record database, a customer database, a trip planning module, a customer relationship management module, a workflow module, and a low fare search module.

Claims

1. A method for processing a trip request having trip information, comprising the steps of:

receiving the trip request from a traveler;

automatically routing the trip request to a travel counselor;

checking for other trip requests for the traveler; and

completing the trip request utilizing the trip information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of routing comprises routing the trip request to an available travel counselor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of routing comprises routing the trip request to a skilled travel counselor.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of monitoring a pre-specified location for the trip request .

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting the trip request to a POS terminal via a screen pop.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising the step of populating the screen pop with the trip information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of setting, by the travel counselor, a status of the trip request.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of checking the status of the trip request.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of viewing a plurality of trip requests for a plurality of travelers.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of filling out a trip request form with the trip information.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of filling out comprises utilizing a formatted trip request form to provide the trip information;

and

further comprising the step of submitting the formatted trip request form via an Internet.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of filling out comprises utilizing an email template to fill out the trip request form with the trip information;

and

further comprising the step of submitting the email template via an email.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of filling out comprises utilizing an unformatted message to fill out the trip request form with the trip information;

and

further comprising the step of submitting the unformatted message via an email.

14. A method of identifying a traveler in a trip request, comprising the steps of:

receiving the trip request with traveler information;

displaying the traveler information in a screen pop;

collecting caller information from a caller; and

comparing the traveler information to the caller information.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising the step of populating a traveler notes box.

16. A method of planning a trip for a traveler, comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a trip request with trip information for the trip;

b) populating a screen pop with the trip information;

c) searching for an air itinerary for the trip;

d) displaying a plurality of air travel options for the air itinerary, wherein the plurality of options are displayed in a first weighted hierarchy based on a policy;

e) optionally, searching for a car itinerary for the trip and displaying a plurality of car options for the car itinerary, wherein the plurality of car options are displayed in a second weighted hierarchy based on the policy;

f) optionally, searching for a limousine itinerary for the trip and displaying a plurality of limousine options for the limousine itinerary, wherein the plurality of limousine options are displayed in a third weighted hierarchy based on the policy; and

g) optionally, searching for a hotel itinerary for the trip and displaying a plurality of hotel options for the hotel itinerary, wherein the plurality of hotel options are displayed in a fourth weighted hierarchy based on the policy.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein in the step of displaying a plurality of air travel options, the policy comprises a company policy for the traveler.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein steps (a)-(g) are repeated for a plurality of trips.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the steps of searching for an air itinerary, searching for a car itinerary, searching for a limousine itinerary, and searching for a hotel itinerary, are performed by clicking once on a button of a user interface for a software application.

20. A method of routing a trip request for a trip, comprising the steps of:

scanning a queue containing a plurality of messages;

identifying a message that contains the trip request;

converting the identified message into a formatted trip request;

forwarding the formatted trip request to a designated queue for the next available agent to process; and

processing, by the next available agent, the trip request from the formatted message.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of deleting a record that does not contains the trip request.

22. The method according to claim 20, wherein the step of forwarding the formatted trip request comprises:

matching the formatted trip request to a designated queue using skill based routing rules; and

forwarding the formatted trip request to the matched queue for the next available agent to process.

23. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein that handles processing a trip request having trip information, the computer program product comprising;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to receive the trip request from a traveler;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to automatically route the trip request to an available travel counselor;

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to check for other trip requests for the traveler; and

computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to complete the trip request utilizing the trip information.