System and method for facilitating transactions among consumers and providers of travel services

• US 7,539,620 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2003
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2002
• 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: Winterton, Andrew, Iyer, Meera
• Primary Examiner(s): Ouellette, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US10/611,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20040059610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,157 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A system for facilitating transactions among consumers and providers of travel-related services includes a technology provider and a host in communication with an agent and a provider of travel-related services. The technology provider is configured for operating independently from any provider of travel-related services. The host is configured for receiving a request from the agent, retrieving one or more displays from the technology provider, presenting the displays to the agent, and facilitating a transaction among the consumer and the provider of travel-related services. A display comprises an information content such as available inventory from a predefined carrier within a predefined time period. The display may be configured for excluding content, for example, in accordance with a predefined editing criteria. The format may be configured for presenting information in accordance with one or more predefined ranking criteria, which may be a discriminatory criteria, such as an identity of a carrier.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating a transaction among a consumer and a provider of travel-related services comprising:

a booking engine in communication with a technology provider, wherein said technology provider is in communication with a provider of travel-related services, and wherein said technology provider is configured to operate independently from said provider of travel-related services and said booking engine to minimize updates for said booking engine, and wherein said technology provider is configured to facilitate receipt, maintenance and provision of information regarding available travel-related services, wherein said technology provider retrieves said information by connecting to a plurality of global distribution systems (GDS), travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites such that the plurality of travel counselors have access to the travel vendor databases and the plurality of GDSs, wherein the connection is accomplished via a frame relay network having hubsites and using an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) backbone and multiple redundant data centers;

wherein the connection further includes a translation server configured to communicate natively with the plurality of GDSs, travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites;

wherein the translation server is configured to communicate with the plurality of GDSs, travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites via at least one of;

(i) XML, (ii) a native application programming interface (API), or (iii) an open standard alliance;

switching among GDSs for the trip request, using the connection, in response to a configuration item which identifies a particular GDS based upon minimum transaction requirement;

said booking engine is configured to receive a request from an agent in communication with said booking engine, retrieve information from said technology provider in accordance with said request, present said retrieved information to said agent, and facilitate a transaction between said agent and said provider of travel-related services; and

,

wherein said retrieved information comprises information content responsive to said request from said agent, and an information format configured for presenting said information content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said information content comprises information regarding available inventory from a predefined carrier within a predefined time period.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said retrieved information comprises information content that has been selected for inclusion.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said retrieved information comprises information content regarding available inventory from a predefined carrier.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said retrieved information comprises information content regarding a predefined parameter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said information content comprises information in accordance with predefined editing criteria.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said information format comprises instructions for presenting information in accordance with predefined ranking criteria.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said information format comprises instructions for presenting information in accordance with discriminatory criteria, wherein said discriminatory criteria comprises instructions for discriminating based on an identity of a carrier.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said booking engine is configured for receiving, from said agent, an order for reserving a service in a name of a consumer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said booking engine is configured for updating a database to reflect a reservation of a service.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said booking engine is configured for sending at least one of information and indicia to at least one of said consumer and said agent to enable said consumer to utilize a service.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said booking engine is configured for receiving a payment on behalf of at least one of said consumer and said agent.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein said booking engine is configured for facilitating distribution of fees and commissions among said agent and said provider of travel-related services.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said booking engine is configured for facilitating payment, from said agent to said carrier, of a fee for a service.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said booking engine is configured for facilitating payment, from said carrier to said booking engine, of a commission for facilitating said transaction.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said booking engine is configured for facilitating payment of fees to said technology provider, said agent, and said booking engine to settle said transaction.

17. A method for facilitating a transaction among a consumer and a provider of travel-related services comprising:

receiving a request from an agent;

retrieving information from a technology provider, wherein said technology provider receives information regarding available travel-related services and, wherein said technology partner is independent from said booking engine and said provider of travel-related services and, wherein said information is received by said technology provider by connecting to a plurality of global distribution systems (GDS), travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites such that the plurality of travel counselors have access to the travel vendor databases and the plurality of GDSs, wherein the connection is accomplished via a frame relay network having hubsites and using an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) backbone and multiple redundant data centers;

wherein the connection further includes a translation server configured to communicate natively with the plurality of GDSs, travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites;

wherein the translation server is configured to communicate with the plurality of GDSs, travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites via at least one of;

(i) XML, (ii) a native application programming interface (API), or (iii) an open standard alliance;

switching among GDSs for the trip request, using the connection, in response to a configuration item which identifies a particular GDS based upon minimum transaction requirement;

defining an information content and an information format;

presenting said retrieved information to an agent and excluding information that has been selected for exclusion;

receiving, from said agent, an order configured for reserving a service for said consumer;

updating a database to reflect said reservation of said service;

reducing an inventory, maintained on a database, of available services;

sending, to said agent, information to enable said consumer to utilize said service;

receiving a payment on behalf of said agent; and

distributing fees and commissions among said agent and said provider of travel-related services.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said step of distributing fees and commissions comprises:

facilitating payment, from said agent to a carrier, of said fees for said service;

facilitating payment, from said carrier to said booking engine, of said commissions for facilitating the transaction; and

facilitating payment of said fees to settle said transaction to said technology provider, said agent, and said booking engine.