Patent Application
20060247954
The present invention relates generally to scheduling travel itineraries, and more specifically to a web-based system and method for building a trip for a user based on user input, instantly providing travel information in response to a single user command and comparing a plurality of tagged itineraries.
Airlines and other providers currently offer interactive travel services on the Internet that allow consumers to purchase airline travel tickets on-line. Typically, such services require the consumer to input information regarding origination, destination, dates and approximate times of travel. In response, the services display a list of available itineraries that match the input information The consumer then has the option of purchasing a desired flight from the list.
There are many factors that can affect the ultimate price of a desired itinerary. As airlines and other providers strive to be competitive, a customer has many different options from which to choose. Often, the price is the most important factor, particularly for personal travel. Many customers are willing to be flexible on arrival and/or departure times, as well as the number of stops, to obtain a better deal on an itinerary. However, the search to find an optimal itinerary can be time-consuming and oftentimes frustrating for the consumer. Further, the consumer may hold off on purchasing a ticket if the consumer believes that there are better deals available, but not yet discovered. With current systems, the consumer can click through different options (e.g., pairs of departure and arrival segments). However, the consumer usually has to toggle back and forth from the available segments and the price calculation and further keep track of all the various combinations of flight segments to eventually find a good deal.
Many Internet travel services also provide an e-mail service through which subscribers may be notified of available flights based on user criteria (e.g., between specified city pairs). However, such advertised fares are not always available by the time the user logs on to purchase the advertised flight. It is a common frustration for users when an Internet travel service website is accessed in response to such an e-mail notification and the actual flight is not available.
Other drawbacks may also be present.
Accordingly, one aspect of the invention is to address one or more of the drawbacks set forth above.
In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented method and system for displaying a plurality of travel segments for user selection comprises receiving an origination location and a destination location specified by a user; receiving a departure date and a return date specified by the user; sending a single web page to the user, wherein the single web page displays: a plurality of departure travel segments, each departure travel segment specifying a departure time, an arrival time, a segment identifier and a selection means; a plurality of return travel segments, each return travel segment specifying a departure time, an arrival time, a segment identifier and a selection means; and a price display for displaying a price associated with combinations of departure travel segment and return travel segment; receiving the user's selection of a desired combination of departure travel segment and return travel segment; and immediately adjusting the price display in response to the user's selection, on the single web page.
In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented method and system displaying travel itineraries, the method comprising receiving an origination location and a destination location specified by a user; receiving a departure date and a return date specified by the user; receiving a single command from the user to display available itineraries; and in response to the single command, sending a web page to the user, wherein the web page displays a plurality of itineraries, wherein each itinerary comprises: at least one departure travel segment specifying a departure time, an arrival time, and a segment identifier; at least one return travel segment specifying a departure time, an arrival time, and a segment identifier; and a price for the itinerary.
In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a computer implemented method and system for displaying a plurality of itineraries comprises receiving an origination location and a destination location specified by a user; receiving a departure date and a return date specified by the user; sending a web page to the user, wherein the web page displays available travel segments; receiving from the user a selection of a first itinerary, wherein the first itinerary comprises at least two travel segments; receiving from the user a selection of a second itinerary wherein the first itinerary comprises a different combination of at least two travel segments; and sending the user a single web page which displays the first and second itineraries on a single page.
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to enabling a user to build an itinerary and/or select from a plurality of itineraries based on user input. For example, an embodiment of the present invention may receive user input including travel criteria and may generate a single web page which displays a plurality of departure travel segments, a plurality of return travel segments and a price for user selected combinations of departure travel segment and return travel segment, where the price is immediately adjusted in response to the user's selection. According to another example, an embodiment of the present invention may receive user input including travel criteria and may generate a web page in response to a single user command where the web page displays a plurality of itineraries where each itinerary may include a departure segment, a return segment and a corresponding price. According to another example, an embodiment of the present invention may receive a user selection of a plurality of tagged itineraries for display on a single web page for user comparison.
An embodiment of the present invention enables user 110 to communicate with Processor 130 to search and schedule a travel itinerary. Processor 130 may include various modules for performing functions associated with generating itinerary schedules. In this exemplary embodiment, Processor 130 may include Interface 132, Build Trip Module 134, Choose Trip Module 136, Compare Module 138, Price Generator Module 140 and/or other module 142. The modules of Processor 130 may be further combined, duplicated and/or separated. The modules may also be provided across multiple processors, systems and/or other devices. While the modules are illustrated within a single system, other system architectures may be realized. For example, the modules may exist across multiple systems, located at the same or different locations. While the modules and other elements are shown as a single component, each component may be reiterated.
Processor 130 may communicate with various databases, sources of information, front end devices, and/or other modules. Databases may include Flight Database 150, Price Database 152, Upgrades Database 154, Promotion Database 156 and/or Other Database 158. The databases may be combined and/or further separated. In addition, the databases may be situated at the same location or spread across multiple systems, processors, etc. One or more databases may be remote from Processor 130. For example, one or more databases may be associated with Service Provider 122. Flight Database 150 may include flight data for available flights. Flight data may include flight number, flight departure time, flight arrival time, number of stops, duration, etc. Price Database 152 may include price data concerning various flights and/or combinations of flight segments. A pricing algorithm may be applied to the price data to generate prices for various flights. Price data may be updated and/or revised. Upgrades Database 154 may include data concerning upgrades and/or other services available to passengers for various flights. Promotion Database 156 may include data associated with promotions, sales and/or other incentives.
Interface 132 may include a user interface that receives user input and generates web pages in response to the user input. Interface 132 may include customized user information. For example, user 110 may convey identification information (e.g., name, preferences, etc.), security information (e.g., user ID, password (or PIN), etc.), payment information (e.g., credit card, expiration date, security code, billing address, etc.) and/or other information. Flight information, such as travel preferences, saved trips, recent trips, etc., may also be stored and/or received by Interface 132. Other information may also be submitted. For example, a user may access a Service Provider 122 via an Internet connection or other communication medium where Processor 130 may provide back-end functionality to Service Provider 122. The user may enter itinerary criteria, which may include departure location (e.g., city, region, airport(s), etc.), arrival location (e.g., city, region, airport(s), etc.), times (e.g., time ranges, intervals, etc.), dates of travel and/or other information. For example, other itinerary information may include class preference, meal preference, special needs, seat preference, etc.
Build Trip Module 134 may receive user input, such as itinerary criteria. Based on the user input, Build Trip Module 134 may provide a listing of possible departure segments and return segments where the user may select a preferred pair and automatically immediately view pricing information on a same web page. The pricing information may dynamically adjust based on the user's selection of departure and/or return segments. Other information may be received to further dynamically adjust the price.
Choose Trip Module 136 may receive user input, such as itinerary criteria. Based on the user input, Choose Trip Module 136 may provide a listing of possible itineraries, which may include departure segment, return segment and price. The user may then select a desired itinerary.
Compare Module 138 may receive a plurality of tagged itineraries, which may be user selected or automatically generated. Compare Module 138 may provide a listing of tagged itineraries that may be compared by the user. For example, during a search of itineraries, a user may tag a plurality of itineraries for comparison. In another example, a user may select to compare all itineraries that meet a certain criteria, such as under a dollar amount, with no stops, from a preferred airport, within an arrival time frame and/or other criteria. The listing of tagged itineraries may by sorted by various factors, such as price, arrival time, departure time, duration of flight, etc. Other functions as well as other forms of data manipulation may be available.
Price Generator Module 140 may generate pricing data based on various combinations of departure segment and return segment. Price Generator Module 140 may include a pricing algorithm that may be updated and/or adjusted. For example, prices may be adjusted (e.g., reduced, increased, modified, etc.) based on business decisions, promotions and/or other considerations. For example, the pricing algorithm may generate itineraries and/or segments based on various data, such as flight time, connection time, on-time history, class of service availability (e.g., first class, coach, envoy, etc.), flight duration, percent of seats sold, aircraft type, and/or other factors. Pricing Generator Module 140, while illustrated as being a separate module, may be combined with Build Trip Module 134, Choose Trip Module 136 and/or other travel scheduling module, for example.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may select a departure segment and return segment and immediately view a corresponding price on Price Box 260. By selecting a different combination of departure segment and return segment, the Price Box 260 may dynamically and immediately adjust to display the corresponding price for that combination. According to another example, the user may select one or more departure segments and one or more return segments to view a plurality of possible pricing options, which may be displayed by Price 260 (e.g., multiple price boxes may also be displayed).
For example, web page 330 may provide a first itinerary 340, a second itinerary 350, a third itinerary 360, etc. Each respective itinerary may include Price Segment (342, 352, 362), Departure Segment (344, 354, 364) and Return Segment (346, 356, 366). Price Segment 342 may include a price for the associated combination of Departure Segment 344 and Return Segment 346. Departure Segment 344 may include flight number, departure time and location, arrival time and location, duration, number of stops and/or other flight details. Return Segment 346 may include flight number, departure time and location, arrival time and location, duration, number of stops and/or other flight details. The user may book, schedule or purchase itinerary 340 by selecting Book 348 or other command. The user may also tag itinerary 340 by selecting Tag 349 for consideration, comparison, hold and/or other action. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may select an itinerary from the available list of itineraries.
For Itinerary 350, Price Segment 352 may include a price for the associated combination of Departure Segment 354 and Return Segment 356. Departure Segment 354 may include flight number, departure time and location, arrival time and location, duration, number of stops and/or other flight details. Return Segment 356 may include flight number, departure time and location, arrival time and location, duration, number of stops and/or other flight details. The user may book, schedule or purchase itinerary 350 by selecting Book 358 or other command. The user may also tag itinerary 350 by selecting Tag 359 for consideration, comparison, hold and/or other action. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may select an itinerary from the available list of itineraries.
For Itinerary 360, Price Segment 362 may include a price for the associated combination of Departure Segment 364 and Return Segment 366. Departure Segment 364 may include flight number, departure time and location, arrival time and location, duration, number of stops and/or other flight details. Return Segment 366 may include flight number, departure time and location, arrival time and location, duration, number of stops and/or other flight details. The user may book, schedule or purchase itinerary 360 by selecting Book 368 or other command. The user may also tag itinerary 360 by selecting Tag 369 for consideration, comparison, hold and/or other action. According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may select an itinerary from the available list of itineraries.
In addition, various options may be available to the user, such as a sort function provided by Sort 370. Additional information may be inputted by the user to display Flexible Times 372 and Flexible Dates 374, for example. Sort 370 enables a user may sort the list of itineraries by various factors, such as price, time, duration, number of stops, departure times, arrival times, and/or other factors. Flexible Times 372 enables a user to view additional times, time frames and/or other data to expand the list of possible itineraries. For example, a user may expand a departure window of time and/or an arrival window of time. The user may view a predetermined set of available times in relation to a selected time, e.g., the time desired by the user. In addition, the user may select or enter flexible times or time frames. Thus, the user may select a desired level of flexibility. Flexible Dates 372 enables a user to view alternative dates to expand the list of possible itineraries. In addition, the user may select or enter alternative dates. By inputting additional information, Web Page 330 may be updated to include the additional itineraries.
For example, a user may expand original times to include +/−6 hours so that additional itineraries may be generated. Other increments of time (+/−1 hour, +/−4 hours, +/−12 hours, etc.) and/or other criteria (e.g. plus 8 hours, less than 24 hours, less than a dollar amount, etc.) may be considered. The user may initially specify in User Input 310 that the departure date is June 10 in the morning. By selecting Flexible Times 372, the user may specify departure date to include afternoon and/or evening times. Flexible Dates 374 may enable the user to include additional dates of departure and/or arrival to further expand the list of possible itineraries. The incremental changes may be user specified or automatically generated. For example, by selecting Flexible Times 372, the system may automatically expand the times by +/−6 hours. According to another example, the user may be willing to expand the departure time by 8 hours. Other time increments may be applied. For example, by selecting Flexible Dates 374, the system may automatically expand time frames by a predetermined number of days. According to another example, the user may specify an expanded schedule for the next week. Other variations and time increments may be applied.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, a user may select or tag one or more combinations of departure segment and return segment. In another example, the user may select or tag a plurality of itineraries for comparison. The user may tag the combinations of segments and/or itineraries, as shown by 640. In response, web page 650 may be generated to show a comparison of the tagged itineraries, as selected by 640.
For example, web page 650 may include a plurality of itineraries as shown by 660 and 670. Itinerary 660 may include price 662, departure segment 664 and return segment 665. The user may book, schedule or purchase itinerary 660 by selecting Book 668 or other command. The user may also discard the selected itinerary by selecting Discard 669 to further narrow the comparison. Itinerary 670 include price 672, departure segment 674 and return segment 676. Sort 680 may enable the user to sort the results by various factors, such as price, departure time, arrival time, duration, number of stops, etc. Similar to Itinerary 660, the user may book, schedule or purchase itinerary 670 by selecting Book 678 or other command. The user may also discard itinerary 670 by selecting Discard 679 to further narrow the comparison. Other functions may provide other comparison features, such as Sort 680. The user may sort the tagged itineraries by various factors, such as price, duration, number of stops, arrival times, departure times, etc.
According to an embodiment of the invention, the systems and processes described above invention may be implemented on any general or special purpose computational device, either as a standalone application or applications, or even across several general or special purpose computational devices connected over a network and as a group operating in a client-server mode. According to another embodiment of the invention, a computer-usable and writeable medium having a plurality of computer readable program code stored therein may be provided for practicing the process of the present invention. The process and system of the embodiments of the present inventions may be implemented within a variety of operating systems, such as a Windows® operating system, various versions of a Unix-based operating system (e.g., a Hewlett Packard, a Red Hat, or a Linux version of a Unix-based operating system), or various versions of an AS/400-based operating system. For example, the computer-usable and writeable medium may be comprised of a CD ROM, a floppy disk, a hard disk, or any other computer-usable medium. One or more of the components of the system or systems embodying the embodiments of the present inventions may comprise computer readable program code in the form of functional instructions stored in the computer-usable medium such that when the computer-usable medium is installed on the system or systems, those components cause the system to perform the functions described. The computer readable program code for the embodiments of the present inventions may also be bundled with other computer readable program software. Also, only some of the components may be provided in computer-readable code.
Additionally, various entities and combinations of entities may employ a computer to implement the components performing the above-described functions. According to an embodiment of the invention, the computer may be a standard computer comprising an input device, an output device, a processor device, and a data storage device. According to other embodiments of the invention, various components may be computers in different departments within the same corporation or entity. Other computer configurations may also be used. According to another embodiment of the invention, various components may be separate entities such as corporations or limited liability companies. Other embodiments, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, may also be used.
According to one specific embodiment of the present invention, the system may comprise components of a software system. The system may operate on a network and may be connected to other systems sharing a common database. Other hardware arrangements may also be provided.
Other embodiments, uses and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from consideration of the specification and practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification and examples should be considered exemplary only. The intended scope of the invention is only limited by the claims appended hereto.
