System and method for processing trip requests

• US 8,090,604 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2011
• Issued: 01/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2002
• 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: Laughlin, Michael Keith, Schultz, Debbie L., Garcia, Philip A., Fitzgerald, Matt
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell, Shannon
• Application Number:
  US13/160,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 203 Days
• Field of Search: 705/5, 705/1.1
• 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: 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, comprising:

receiving a trip request, by a computer-based system for processing the trip request, wherein the computer-based system comprises a processor and non-transitory memory, wherein the receiving is via a connection to a plurality of hubsites using a translation server, wherein the translation server is configured to communicate natively with a plurality of global distribution systems (GDSs), travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites;

parsing, by the computer-based system, the trip request to obtain trip request data; and

selecting, by the computer-based system, among the plurality of GDSs for the trip request based upon a comparison of a prior trip request and a contractual requirement.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising building, by the computer-based system and based on the weightings policy, a plurality of travel options for a trip utilizing a plurality of travel policies of an employer of the traveler.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of travel policies comprise a plurality of criteria including negotiated contract pricing information and flight window timing, and wherein the plurality of travel options are determined by applying the negotiated contract pricing information and the flight window timing.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the translation server is configured to communicate with the plurality of GDSs, the travel vendor databases, the multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and the travel websites via at least one of:

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

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the contractual requirement is embodied in a configuration item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the hubsites include the GDSs, the travel vendor databases, the multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and the travel websites.

7. The method of claim 1, 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.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising verifying that the trip request is fulfilled without modification.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising achieving compliance with a negotiated contract.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing a second trip request based upon the selected GDS and a contractual requirement.

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

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving is via email, wherein the email includes an email template with a populated trip request form having trip information.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising propagating a user profile update via the translation server to at least one of the plurality of GDSs, the travel vendor databases, the multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and the travel websites.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising propagating a pricing structure update via the translation server to at least one of the plurality of GDSs, the travel vendor databases, the multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and the travel websites.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising querying to obtain trip information from at least one of the plurality of GDSs, the travel vendor databases, the multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and the travel websites.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising retrieving stored trip requests for display to the travel counselor, wherein the retrieving is from at least one of the plurality of GDSs, the travel vendor databases, the multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and the travel websites.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising mandating contract compliance.

18. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system for processing a trip request, cause the computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

receiving the trip request, by the computer-based system, wherein the computer-based system comprises a processor and non-transitory memory, wherein the receiving is via a connection to a plurality of hubsites using a translation server, wherein the translation server is configured to communicate natively with a plurality of global distribution systems (GDSs), travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites;

parsing, by the computer-based system, the trip request to obtain trip request data; and

selecting, by the computer-based system, among the plurality of GDSs for the trip request based upon a comparison of a prior trip request and a contractual requirement.

19. A system comprising:

a tangible, non-transitory memory communicating with a processor for processing a trip request,

the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving the trip request, by the processor, wherein the receiving is via a connection to a plurality of hubsites using a translation server, wherein the translation server is configured to communicate natively with a plurality of global distribution systems (GDSs), travel vendor databases, multi-use terminals of a plurality of travel counselors, and travel websites;

parsing, by the processor, the trip request to obtain trip request data; and

selecting, by the processor, among the plurality of GDSs for the trip request based upon a comparison of a prior trip request and a contractual requirement.