Ticket tracking and refunding system and method

• US 7,228,313 B1
• Filed: 07/01/1999
• Issued: 06/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Austin, Anna, Pereira, David, Levitt, Wendy, Hand, Richard, Tomaski, Leigh, Richards, Renee, Lunsford, Thomas, Khosla, Vinny, Jacobsen, Duane, Coles, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Rimell, Sam
• Application Number:
  US09/346,085
• Time in Patent Office: 2,896 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/26, 705/37, 705/6, 380/23, 380/2.R, 707/3, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

An automated method and system for refunding the unused portion of an electronic ticket are provided. In accordance with the method, an aging period is set and is added to the scheduled departure date of the issued ticket. If the schedules departure date plus the aging date is earlier than the current date, a determination is made as to whether the ticket has been used. If the ticket has not been used, the residual value of the ticket is calculated and a refund is issued.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating the automated refund or an unused ticket comprising the steps of:

setting an aging period, via a first party computer system, wherein the aging period establishes a criteria for determining how old a ticket must be before it is assumed that the ticket will not be used;

identifying, via the first party computer system, the scheduled departure date of an issued ticket for selected purchasers;

adding, via the first party computer system, the aging period to the scheduled departure date and if the scheduled date plus the aging period is earlier than the current date,

determining, via the first party computer system, whether at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, wherein the segment is one leg of a multi-leg trip;

when at least one segment of the ticket has not been used, calculating, via the first party computer system, the residual value of the ticket by analyzing the residual value of each segment using segment information, wherein analyzing the residual value includes analyzing fare basis codes, used ticket segments, unused ticket segments, fare paid for ticket segments, penalty information and if the ticket is refundable; and

,

issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund from a third party carrier, wherein the ticket previously provided access to travel on the carrier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting an aging period comprises selecting a period of between 0 and 365 days.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of setting, an aging period comprises selecting a period of between about fifteen days and sixty days.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of identifying the scheduled departure date comprises identifying a date between the current date and a date thirteen months prior to the current date.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining whether at least one segment of the ticket has not been used comprises parsing the appropriate airline reservation data from a third party central reservation system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein parsing the appropriate airline reservation includes:

connecting the first computer system to the third party central reservation system;

connecting the first computer system to an invoice table;

retrieving data from the invoice table, wherein the data includes at least one of passenger data, flight data, flight segment data and invoice data related to an aged ticket;

determining additional data, wherein the additional data includes at least one of used flight segments, fares paid for the used flight segments, ticket revisions, last open segment and if the ticket is refundable; and

,

updating the first computer system with the data and the additional data.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, via the first party computer system, a third party central reservation system to indicate at least one of a refund has been issued and the ticket has been cancelled.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing, the first party computer system, a ticket database-including tickets that have not passed on expiration date.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, via the first party computer system, a third party central reservation system database to indicate a refund has been refunded.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, the first party computer system using data from a third party central reservation system, the extent to which each of the tickets is refundable.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the updating the scheduled departure date to include any changes made to the ticket.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising updating, via the first party computer system using data from a third party central reservation system, a ticket database to include any changes made to the ticket.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of issuing, via the first party computer system, a refund comprises calculating, via the first party computer system, a refund amount based on the residual value minus any fees due.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, via the first party computer system, a passenger for whom the ticket was issued.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining via the first party computer system, whether a purchaser is due any further refunds.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, the first party computer system, when the selected ticket has been partially used by determining when at least one segment has been used.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating, via the first party computer system, a database to indicate a refund has been issued.

18. The method of claim 1, further including obtaining revised departure dates and terminating the method for at least one of a particular traveler and invoice.

19. The method of claim 1, further including determining if the ticket is refundable.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the residual value includes:

retrieving data from at least one of a flight database, an invoice table and the third party central reservation system;

determining, based on the data, if the at least one segment of the ticket has not been used;

determining, based on the data, if the ticket is refundable; and

,

determining, based on the data, if any fees or penalties were assessed against the ticket.

21. The method of claim 1 further including a second party providing information to facilitate setting an aging period.

22. The method of claim 1 further including notifying a second party of the refund.

23. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the identifying, determining and calculating steps use date from a third party central reservation system.