Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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RESERVATION AND TICKETING PROCESS FOR SPACE-AVAILABLE SEATS TO AIRLINE
EMPLOYEES
DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[Para 1] The present invention relates to airline reservation and ticketing
processes. More particularly, the present invention relates to reservation and
ticketing of space-available and positive-space seating to airline employees.
[Para 2] Since the first days of commercial airline flight, airline carriers
have
been burdened with the job of making reservations and writing or printing out
passenger tickets on paper. In recent years, the reservation and ticketing
process
for commercial airline passengers developed electronically. A prospective
airline
passenger desiring to book a seat on an aircraft may go through either a
travel
agent or the airline carrier. The travel agent or airline carrier searches an
electronic reservation and ticketing system administered by the transporting
airline to ascertain seat availability and costs for the desired date, time,
and flight
destination. Once informed that a seat is available for the desired date,
time, and
destination, the prospective airline passenger then selects a seat and pays
for the
fare. The travel agent or airline carrier then issues either a paper ticket or
an
electronic ticket. To obtain a boarding pass, the paper ticket or electronic
PNR/record locator is provided to an airline agent at the departure gate. If
the
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airline passenger does not check-in for the flight (e.g., a no-show), the seat
assigned to that airline passenger becomes available for use by standby
passengers. Standby passengers are prospective airline passengers who pay for
a
standby ticket and wait at the airline gate for a seat on a less than fully
booked
flight or for a seat that opens up on a fully booked flight because other
passengers
fail to check-in.
[Para 3] Computerized reservation and ticketing systems for transportation
services generally have real-time information concerning capacity, routes
served,
schedules for those routes, and pricing information. These systems perform a
variety of functions including managing capacity, quoting prices to potential
service users, administering retail passenger reservations requests,
collecting
payments, tracking service delivery, and reconciling any issues after the
service is
delivered.
[Para 4] The reservation and ticketing system briefly described above is only
one example of a computerized retail reservation system. Retail reservation
systems range from simple web-based applications to large complex mainframe
computer systems like SABRE. The airlines use large complex mainframe systems
to integrate and consolidate all the operations of passenger travel into one
system.
Hence, all major airlines can provide consolidated airline travel through
these
computerized reservation and ticketing systems. The main goal of an airline
reservation and ticketing system is to generate optimum revenue from a fixed
set
of routes, by maximizing the number of passengers traveling per flight between
destinations. Even with the use of such an advanced reservation and ticketing
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system, airline seats are still available despite the availability of standby
passengers ready to fly.
[Para 5] Nonrev generally refers to passengers on commercial airline flights
that do not produce revenue for the transporting airline during travel. The
term
"nonrev" is an abbreviation used by airlines to designate "non-revenue". Most
nonrev airline passengers are employees of the transporting airline. Airline
employees, including airline employee family members, travel agents, affiliate
company employees, and anyone eligible to receive airline transportation
benefits
are herein collectively referred to as "airline employee affiliates". Airline
employee
affiliates also fall into the category of nonrev passengers. Airline employee
affiliates also typically receive free or reduced rate travel as an employment
benefit
through direct employment with a transporting airline or as an indirect
benefit via
a relationship with someone who is employed by a transporting airline. Airline
travel benefits are a valuable part of an employee compensation package.
Interline
travel allows airline employee affiliates to travel at a fraction of the cost
relative to
non-travel industry related airline passengers. Interline travel also includes
travel
by airline employee affiliates on a transporting airline other than the
affiliated
employing airline.
[Para 6] There are currently four predominant methods of calculating interline
travel fare costs for airline employee affiliates: (1) Zonal Employee Discount
(ZED);
(2) Interline Discount (ID); (3) Service Fares (SVC); and (4) flat fares. ZED
was
formed in 1994 to simplify travel arrangements and costs for airline employees
traveling on airline carriers other than the employing airline. ZED is an
association
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of over 140 participating airlines. Most, but not all, interline travel
agreements are
reciprocal agreements between the transporting airline and employing airline.
These contracts are often called "bilateral agreements". Airline agreements
may
also vary with respect to embargos and restrictions on code shares.
[Para 7] Prior to ZED, airlines primarily calculated interline travel fares
based
on the ID System (e.g., ID90, ID50, etc.). ID ticket prices are based on a
percentage discount off the published full fare price corresponding to the
same
origin and destination. For example, the ID90 fare discount is 90% off the
most
expensive economy fare (also called a "YY" fare). The airline employee pays
10% of
the published YY fare. All participating airlines are subject to the same ID90
rules.
A similar set of rules applies to the other ID systems (ID75, ID50, etc.)
Under the
ID50 system, an airline employee can usually place a firm airline seat
reservation,
but will be the first bumped from the flight in the event of overbooking.
[Para 8] ZED created travel zones with specific fare prices to better
facilitate
the predictability of fares and to ease interline travel planning and
ticketing. ZED
uses mileage to determine the fare for non-revenue, space-available travel.
ZED
does not use a percentage of a published fare, like the ID System. ZED
currently
breaks interline travel into nine zones within the range of 1-9,000 miles
(i.e., Zone
1= 1 to 450 miles, Zone 2 = 451 to 750 miles, Zone 3 = 751 to 1,600 miles,
Zone 4 = 1,601 to 3,200 miles, Zone 5 = 3,201 to 4,080 miles, Zone 6 = 4,081
to
5,000 miles, Zone 7 = 5,001 to 6,100 miles, Zone 8 = 6,101 to 7,100 miles, and
Zone 9 = 7,101 to 9,000 miles). ZED also includes three fare levels within the
nine
mileage zones: ZED High (ZH), ZED Medium (ZM), and ZED Low (ZL). Bilateral
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agreements for interline travel within the ZED framework may vary. One such
variation includes calculating interline travel fares based on the three fare
levels
described above. The bilateral agreements in ZED may also impose reciprocal
restrictions on employee affiliates, routes, and ticket quantities. The ZED
system
is extensive and does not depend only on airline alliances. Different airlines
from
different airline alliances may join ZED.
[Para 9] In other agreements, airlines sell "over the counter" standby tickets
to
employees of other airline carriers. These airlines can charge a
predetermined,
nominal SVC for transportation or calculate airfare under ZED, ID, or other
fare
rules. In yet other agreements, transporting airlines charge airline employee
affiliates a flat fare for interline travel. For flat fares, the interline
ticket cost does
not fluctuate. Regardless of the city of origin, destination, distance, or
date and
time of the flight, the cost is constant.
[Para 10] To fly interline, some transporting airlines only require an airline
employee ID card before allowing the airline employee affiliate to purchase
interline travel. But, other transporting airline may require a request letter
from
the employing airline. Such a request for interline travel may or may not be
granted by the transporting airline. Individual interline travel requests are
particularly cumbersome when there is no previous agreement between the
employing airline and the transporting airline.
[Para 11] Interline travel for airline employee affiliates is further
complicated
because the reservation and ticketing systems of individual airlines are
unable to
communicate with one another. Airline employee affiliates are unable to go
back
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to a common kiosk or reservation system to change itineraries due to
overbooking, missed flights, etc. The airline employee affiliate must deal
with
both the employing airline and transporting airline to obtain ticket refunds
for
flights not flown. Furthermore, portability of interiine tickets is hindered
as airline
carriers tend to have multiple interline travel agreements. The terms of each
agreement depends on a number of factors including the airline. For example,
an
airline employee purchases an interline ticket under the ZED fare rules. If
the
airline employee then decides that travel with that particular ticket is not
possible,
the interline ticket can is not necessarily transferable to a different
transporting
airline. In some cases traditional paper tickets are transferable, but all e-
tickets
are not. Portability depends on the bilateral agreement between the
transporting
airline and the employing airline. If the employing airline has an agreement
with
the new transporting airline specifying ID90 fare rules, the airline employee
must
purchase a second ticket and seek a refund for the first ticket.
[Para 12] Additionally, arranging interline travel is a cumbersome process for
airline employee affiliates endeavoring to travel on transporting airlines
other than
the employing airline. Currently, there is little or no coordination between
the
computer reservation and ticketing systems of the various airline carriers.
Further,
some airline carriers do not maintain electronic reservation and scheduling
systems. Buying and maintaining such a system can be cost prohibitive,
especially
for a small airline carrier with limited funds.
[Para 13] The International Air Transport Association (IATA) mandates that all
airline ticketing must be by e-ticket byjanuary 1, 2008. As a result,
transporting
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I=
airlines must develop individual direct e-ticketing connections among
affiliated
airlines, connect to an interline e-ticketing "HUB" such as the process of the
present invention, or prepared to revoke the interline travel benefits from
the
airline employee affiliates. To build a direct connection for each interline
agreement, the airlines will be required to modify existing reservation and
ticketing systems to be compatible with other airline reservation and
ticketing
systems. Compatibility among multiple transporting airlines is cost
prohibitive.
There are enormous administrative and cost implementation issues, which
include
issuing tickets on behalf of the interline employee, employment verification
for
airline employee affiliates, and little or no flexibility for last minute
changes to an
interline travel itinerary. Furthermore, the transporting airline absorbs
merchant
fees and other e-ticketing costs. These fees will tend to be higher for larger
airlines that issue far more interline tickets than smaller airlines.
Transporting
airlines must administer interline travel ticket refund requests, the
employing
airline must administer certain interline travel ticket refund disputes, and
airline
employee affiliates will experience limited payment options and must deal with
multiple refund policies. Ultimately airlines without electronic reservation
systems
cannot participate.
[Para 14] In one example, if the transporting airline were to provide e-ticket
fulfillment, the transporting airline would absorb the cost of merchant fees
and
other related fees. Large airlines like Delta, British Airways, or Cathay
Pacific
would spend millions annually. Specifically, a ZED Medium fare from LAX to JMB
costs $10.81 USD in merchant fees alone. To further complicate matters,
airline
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employee affiliates often request backup itineraries that are not used. The
transporting airline absorbs the costs associated with these backup
itineraries as
well. Without interchangeability of an interline e-ticket connection through a
common database or system, airline employees are forced to buy these backup
itineraries and then go through the process of requesting multiple refunds
when
those backup itineraries go unused.
[Para 15] Accordingly, there is a need for a process that interconnects
airline
carrier computer reservation and ticketing systems in a format that is user
friendly
for interline travelers. There is a further need for a process that
interconnects
airline carrier computer reservation and ticketing systems to facilitate cost
effective e-ticketing and interline travel. The present invention fulfills
these
needs and provides other related advantages.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[Para 16] The present invention is for a process for reserving and ticketing
space-available and positive-space available seats to an airline employee
affiliate.
The eligibility of the airline employee affiliate to fly interline travel is
verified by
retrieving employment information from an employer database. The airline
employee affiliate can access the common information platform and interline
fare
calculator after verification through a web-based program, an intranet, or a
kiosk.
The airline employee affiliate develops an interline travel itinerary for
travel on a
transporting airline. This includes searching fares of at least one
transporting
airline reservation system using the interline fare calculator accessible
through the
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common information platform. Furthermore, the airline employee affiliate can
calculate a total travel expense including fares, taxes, fees, and service
charges.
[Para 17] Once the interline travel itinerary is developed, the itinerary is
then
processed in electronic form in the common information platform administered
by
the third party purchase facilitator. In one embodiment of the present
invention,
electronic ticket data is generated by the common information platform based
on
the interline travel itinerary chosen by the airline employee affiliate.
Electronic
ticket data includes any electronic ticket, e-ticket, paper ticket, paperless
ticket,
ticketless travel, or other travel authorization or ticketing.
[Para 18] In another embodiment, the electronic ticket data is generated by
the
transporting airline reservation system based on the interline travel
itinerary
transmitted to the transporting airline reservation system by the common
information platform. In still yet another embodiment of the present
invention,
the processing of the interline travel itinerary includes formatting the
interline
travel itinerary in the common information platform for compatibility with an
employing airline reservation system. The interline travel itinerary is then
transferred in electronic form for automatic reception by the employing
airline
reservation system, wherein the employing airline reservation system creates
the
electronic ticket data based on the interline travel itinerary transferred by
the
common information platform. The common information platform then receives
the electronic ticket data from the employing airline reservation system.
[Para 19] The common information piatform then associates the electronic
ticket data with the interline travel itinerary, wherein the electronic ticket
data and
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the interline travel itinerary are stored in a format for automatic reception
by a
transporting airline reservation system. The interline travel itinerary is
then
transmitted to the transporting airline reservation system for listing the
airline
employee affiliate for travel on the transporting airline.
[Para 20] In another embodiment of the present invention, the interline travel
itinerary and electronic ticket data can be modified by canceling the
electronic
ticket data with the transporting airline reservation system through the
common
information platform. Interline travel itineraries, travel history, and
airline
employee affiliate travel statistics can also be stored in the common
information
platform. This information is also associated with an airline employee
affiliate
profile that is accessible by both the airline employee affiliate and the
employing
airline. Airline employee affiliates also may add or subtract a dependent,
subsidiary, or affiliate from the interline travel itinerary. The common
information
platform automatically updates any interline travel itinerary changes or
electronic
ticket data changes with the transporting airline reservation system.
Furthermore,
the common information platform can list the airline employee affiliate for
standby
travel on the transporting airline. The boarding priority of the airline
employee
affiliate is based off the employment information stored in the common
information platform.
[Para 21 ] In another embodiment of the present invention, the airline
employee
affiliate is notified of an embargo or flight restriction via an electronic
message,
wherein that message originates from the common information platform.
Additionally, the common information platform can facilitate the negotiation
of
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bilateral interline travel agreements, wherein the employing airline
electronically
conveys the contract offer to a transporting airline through the common
information platform.
[Para 22] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become
apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction
with
the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles
of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[Para 23] The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention. In such
drawings.
[Para 24] FIGURE 1 is a flowchart that illustrates the overall reservation and
ticket process of the present invention;
[Para 25] FIGURE 2 is a flowchart that illustrates a listing process of the
present
invention;
[Para 26] FIGURE 3 is a flowchart that illustrates a process for travel
fulfillment
by a third party purchase facilitator;
[Para 271 FIGURE 4 is a flowchart that illustrates a process for travel
fulfillment
by an employing airline;
[Para 28] FIGURE 5 is a flowchart that illustrates a process for travel
fulfillment
by the transporting airline;
[Para 29] FIGURE 6 is an alternative illustration of the flowchart of FIG. 4;
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[Para 30] FIGURE 7 is an alternative illustration of the flowchart of FIG. 5,
illustrating manual paperless e-ticketing by the transporting airline;
[Para 31] FIGURE 8 is an alternative illustration of the flowchart of FIG. 5,
illustrating automated paperless e-ticketing by the transporting airline; and
[Para 32] FIGURE 9 is a flowchart illustrating the process and communication
of
the interline fare calculator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[Para 33] As shown in FIGS. 1 -9 for purposes of illustration, the present
invention discloses a process for reserving and ticketing positive-space or
space-
available seating for airline employee affiliates. In accordance with an
embodiment of the present invention, a company acts as a third party "purchase
facilitator" to collect funds, issue e-tickets, and manage travel reservations
for
interline travel by airline employee affiliates. The third party purchase
facilitator or
other service providers provide an unbiased web-based platform which
interconnects multiple airline computer reservation systems, GDS's, or other
service providers in a secure environment. The third party purchase
faciiitator will
also provide web-based access to employees of airlines that do not offer
electronic
ticketing. In turn, airline employers can provide a cost effective electronic
interline
travel reservation system that protects the airline travel privileges of
airline
employee affiliates. The third party purchase facilitator charges the airline
employee affiliate or employing airline a nominal transaction fee to cover
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maintenance costs, system improvements, credit card transaction costs, and
other
related fees.
[Para 34] FIGURE 1 is a representative flowchart that illustrates the overall
reservation and ticketing process of the present invention. The first step in
the
process for reserving and ticketing positive space and/or space-available
seating
for airline employee affiliates is an authentication stage 10. The airline
employee
affiliate must first log into a third party purchase facilitator web-based
common
information platform 1 1(FIGS. 6-8). Access to the common information platform
11 is provided electronically through the Internet, an employing airline
intranet 12
(FIGS. 6-8), a kiosk, cell phone, personal digital assistant (PDA), or other
electronic
device known in the art that provides access to an electronic database. Access
through a secure web site is particularly conducive for airline employee
affiliates of
employing airlines that do not have an established intranet or electronic
reservation system. The third party purchase facilitator controls employee
access,
limits eligibility, and verifies employment during the authentication stage
10. The
third party purchase facilitator requires employment verification of the
airline
employee affiliate before granting access to the common information platform
11.
It is preferred that employment is verified by accessing a Lightweight
Directory
Access Protocol (LDAP), a ZED card, an intranet authentication protocol, or
other
non-intrusive validation protocols directly linked to the airline employee
database
13 (FIGS. 6-8). But, other web-based validation methods known in the art may
also be used. An employee database 14 (FIGS. 6-8) hosted by a third party or
the
common information platform 1 1 is also conceived in the present invention.
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[Para 35] An eligibility authenticator limits control access to the common
information platform 11 during the authentication stage 10. The eligibility
authenticator communicates information in an encrypted form along a Secure
Socket Layer (SSL). SSL works by using a private key to encrypt data that is
transferred over the SSL connection. Encrypted words and script inhibitors
prevent
unauthorized access to the common information platform 11.
[Para 36] The authentication stage 10 validates the airline employee affiliate
to
ensure that the user logging into the common information platform 1 1 is an
airline
employee affiliate. The eligibility authenticator asks the airline employee
affiliate a
series of questions to determine employment status and interline travel
eligibility.
Information required during the validation process may include, username,
password, name, employee number, Social Security number, date of birth, or
date
of hire. The answers inputted by the airline employee affiliate are
transferred to
the airline employee database 13 through the Human Resources (HR) department
or the employee database 14 via either the LDAP or an XML transfer protocol.
LDAP has access to directories that retain information such as employee
records,
customer preferences, patient information, student records, and public
records.
LDAP is a protocol that enables interoperation of multiple databases. The
present
invention contemplates compatibility with both LDAP and XML depending on which
protocol the employing airline uses. The transfer protocol system (i.e., LDAP
or
XML) only exchanges information between the common information platform 11
and the information stored on another database, such as the airline employee
database 13 of the employing airline HR department.
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[Para 37] After the information inputted by the airline employee affiliate is
cross-referenced using the LDAP or XML protocol, the eligibility authenticator
returns either a value of "TRUE", if the information provided by the airline
employee affiliate is correct, or returns a value of "FALSE", if any portion
of the
information provided by the airline employee affiliate is incorrect. The
airline
employee affiliate is denied access to the common information platform 11 when
the eligibility authenticator returns a value of "FALSE". The airline employee
affiliate is moved to a denied access stage 15 that limits control access to
the
common information platform 11. Absent authentication, the airline employee
affiliate is unable to use the interline fare calculator to research interline
travel
flight benefits. Additionally, steps concerning travel, reservation, and
ticketing are
unavailable.
[Para 38] Airline employee affiliates may also access the interline fare
calculator
in the common information platform 11 as a stand-alone research tool. In this
embodiment, the airline employee affiliate uses a generic username and
password
issued by the employing airline for use with all its airline employee
affiliates.
Airline employee affiliates are able to create an interline travel itinerary,
but
ultimately need to request approval from the employing airline, since the
airline
employee affiliate is not personally identified upon login to the common
information platform 11. E-ticket issuance is also administered by the
employing
airline. But, this process is not as efficient and cost effective for the
employing
airline as individual airline employee affiliate account profiles stored in
the
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common information platform 11. In this embodiment, the common information
platform 1 1 would not validate the airline employee affiliate via LDAP or
XML.
[Para 39] By utilizing LDAP or XML, airlines are able to accurately validate
employee employment and eligibility online and in real-time. As a result,
there is
no need for an employing airline issued reader card and corresponding middle-
ware solution, which only adds costs associated with administrative time.
Although, it is conceived that such a reader card and middle-ware solution
could
be integrated with the present invention. Information transferred to the third
party
purchase facilitator during the authentication stage 10 may or may not be
retained
in the common information platform 11.
[Para 40] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the common
information platform 11 can directly connect, in a secure environment, to the
airline employee database 13 of the employing airline HR department. The
airline
employee affiliate similarly responds to a number of validation questions. The
inputted answers are verified by connecting directly to and accessing
information
stored in the airline employee database 13. Input information might include
the
names of eligible travelers and relationships, e-mail addresses, an employment
or
employee number, date of employment, credit card information, addresses, or
contact numbers. The common information platform 11 communicates with the
airline employee database 13 to verify the accuracy of the answers. Before
granting access to the common information platform 11, the eligibility
authenticator requires a "TRUE" response. Interline eligibility and other
required
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information is processed at this point. The airline employee affiliate is then
able
to proceed to a travel planning and reservation stage 20.
[Para 411 Access to the common information platform 11 travel and reservation
planning is granted when the third party purchase facilitator verifies the
correct
responses via the eligibility authenticator. Once access is granted, the
airline
employee affiliate enters the travel planning and reservation stage 20. Here,
the
airline employee affiliate has access to an interline fare calculator, such as
the ZED
Fare CalculatorTM, for searching fares, calculating costs, and storing
itineraries.
The airline employee affiliate searches for fares during a flight search stage
22
(FIG. 9) based on eligibility and flight schedules published by the employing
airline
and other transporting airlines via public resource. Fare searches may include
a
number of different criteria including, but not limited to, flight costs,
date,
availability, origin, and destination. It is further conceived in the present
invention
that all information associated with flight travel could be searched. A search
result
stage 24 (FIG. 9) is also sortable according to the above-mentioned criteria.
[Para 42] The interline fare calculator also calculates the entire interline
travel
cost. This calculation includes taxes, charges, and fees - including airport
fees,
security fees, and governmental fees applicable to interline travel - in
addition to
the interline travel fare. Taxes are calculated based on information provided
by
IATA. To calculate the total cost of the travel itinerary, the interline fare
calculator
verifies the tax rules, type of flight, passenger categories, class of service
and if
the passenger is transiting. Since all this information is compiled within the
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database of the common information platform 11, the interline fare calculator
is
capable of providing a fast and accurate interline travel itinerary cost.
[Para 43] More specifically, the interline fare calculator is the end user
interface
for airline employee affiliates to research interline flight benefits. The
fare
calculator is used as a stand-alone research tool (with or without employment
verification) or in conjunction with the common information platform 11 where
airline employee affiliates may request e-tickets, make space-available
listings,
and make last minute itinerary changes. The common information platform 11
maintains all information utilizing the latest IATA and The Official Airline
Guide
(OAG) resources so that all information communicated to the airline employee
affiliate is accurate and up-to-date. Such information includes schedule
updates,
embargoes, fare and agreement changes, and taxes, fees, and charges.
Furthermore, during the search result stage 24 the interline fare calculator
is
customizable and can return the search results based on: departure, arrival,
date,
flight type registry, flight combinations, flight stops, airline contracts,
and miles
(distances). Other features of the interline fare calculator include the
capability to
verify taxes, save search data, calculate taxes, fees, and charges for each
leg of a
round-trip ticket, verify eligible flights, mark non-eligible flights, and
return
search results.
[Para 44] Once the airline employee affiliate settles on the desired travel
route
and expense, the airline employee affiliate may store the itinerary in
electronic
form in the common information platform 11 as administered by the third party
purchase facilitator. The airline employee affiliate may store multiple
alternate
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itineraries within the common information platform 1 1 if, for example, the
airline
employee affiliate is unsure whether that original itinerary is conducive to
traveling. The common information platform 11 contains all flight information,
airline employee affiliate profiles 26 (FIGS. 6-8), and relevant information
required
for interline travel.
[Para 45] The common information platform 1 1 can also store custom accounts
in the profiles 26 concerning individual airline employee affiliates. Here,
the
airline employee affiliate has access to future flights, flight history,
payment
method information, ticket requests, and ticket cancellations or refunds. Any
communication with a remote directory that stores airline employee affiliate
information is through the LDAP or XML protocol with SSL encrypting, as
previously
discussed. Furthermore, the profiles 26 stored in the common information
platform 11 may include information concerning flight status, dependent
status,
eligibility, or inactive or suspended employment of eligibility benefits. The
common information platform 11 may also store statistical information with
regard
to certain profiles 26 including search history, itinerary requests, past
requests,
aggregate tickets requested during a searchable time frame, number of segments
flown during a specified time frame, most requested airline, or most requested
destination. Additionally, transporting airline administrators may search
these
statistical categories based on individual employees, groups of employees, or
all
airline employee affiliates with access to interline travel benefits.
[Para 46] As generally shown in FIG. 9, the airline employee affiliate is then
presented with a purchase page 27 where a ticket 28 is purchased. Accordingly,
a
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confirmation page 29 summarizes all relevant travel itinerary information
including
costs.
[Para 47] Specifically, fulfillment stage 30 follows the travel planning and
reservation stage 20 once the airline employee affiiiate chooses an interline
travel
itinerary. The fulfillment stage 30 includes a variety of ticketing options
including
traditional self-ticketing, contracted ticketing, and ticketing by the
transporting
airline. For traditional self-ticketing, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the
fulfillment stage
30 includes having the third party purchase facilitator communicate the travel
itinerary selected by the airline employee affiliate to the employing airline
reservation system. During a ticketing stage 32, under traditional ticketing,
the
employing airline issues an e-ticket, creates an internal Personal Name Record
(PNR/record locator), and collects the funds directly from the airline
employee
affiliate. The e-ticket data is then transmitted electronically from the
employing
airline reservation system back to the common information platform 11. The
common information platform 1 i associates the e-ticket with the travel
itinerary of
the airline employee affiliate. The e-ticket and travel itinerary is then
communicated in electronic form to the transporting airline reservation system
for
a reservation stage 34. An e-mail ticket request 35, shown in FIG. 6, is only
one
way to electronically communicate the e-ticket and travel itinerary. The
transporting airline thereafter creates the listing and travel r/record
locator. The
transporting airline transmits the listing and PNR/record locator information
back
to the common information platform 11 for association and storage with the e-
ticket and travel itinerary. The airline employee affiliate is now listed for
standby
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travel with the transporting airline. Since all the information generated by
the
employing airline and the transporting airline is stored on the common
information platform 11, the airline employee affiliate has easy access to any
information regarding the interline travel itinerary.
[Para 481 The common information platform 1 1 is a Universal Electronic
Ticketing Platform (UETP). An airline employee affiliate need only make one
connection with the common information platform 11 to interline with any
participating transporting airline, including the employing airline. The
common
information platform 11 is able to "translate" any electronic information in
and
among participating transportation airline reservation systems, HR databases,
etc.
Special protocols within the common information platform 11 enables
intercommunication among all participating transportation airlines. The common
information platform 11 is designed to "push" and "pull" information among
airline
reservation systems in formats automatically compatible with said systems.
This
inter-connectivity allows airline employee affiliates to take advantage of a
set of
transporting airline travel tools 28 (FIGS. 7-8), such as online check-in, web
check-in, and print boarding pass, because the common information platform 1 1
is directly connected to each transporting airline reservation system. The
UETP is
advantageous over the current system because each individual transporting
airline
does not need to make a direct interline connection with every individual
transporting airline. This is particularly useful in that the transporting
airline
and/or employing airline does not need to create a new reservation system or
create a protocol to translate information for automatic reception by either
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reservation system. In most cases, the transporting airline or employing
airline
would need to modify a protocol or the reservation system itself to
communicate
with one another. The common information platform 11 addresses all of these
initial communication problems and any changes within the reservation systems
of
the transporting airline, or employing airline to keep the system up-to-date
and
interconnected.
[Para 49] In an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the
fulfillment
stage 30 is accomplished through contracted ticketing with the third party
purchase facilitator as illustrated in FIG. 3. Under contracted ticketing, the
third
party purchase facilitator is authorized to issue an e-ticket on behalf of the
transporting airline via the common information platform 11. The third party
purchase facilitator also charges the airline employee affiliate directly.
Essentially,
the third party purchase facilitator operating the common information platform
1 1
acts as the validating airline. An interline fare calculator web service 33
manages
complete "control" of the e-ticket. In terms of changing itineraries or
requesting
refunds, the employing airline and transporting airline are not involved. The
third
party purchase facilitator eliminates any steps requiring the transporting
airline or
the employing airline to deal directly with the airline employee affiliate.
Eliminating these steps saves the transporting airline and the employing
airline the
costs associated with processing and refunding tickets. Via the common
information platform 11, the airline employee affiliate can also cancel,
reroute, or
modify the interline travel itinerary, or even change transporting airlines
online.
The airline employee affiliate must pay for any additional fees as required
under
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the terms of the bilateral agreement between the employing airline and the
transporting airline. Refunds or credits for less expensive interline travel
is
returned directly to the airline employee affiliate.
[Para 50] Modification of the interline travel itinerary by the airline
employee
affiliate is accomplished in a number of different ways including a web-based
program, cell phone, PDA, or other electronic communications device. This is
particularly useful as the airline employee affiliate is able to quickly
switch to an
alternative itinerary in case the airline employee affiliate must cancel the
original
itinerary, for whatever reason. Once the airline employee affiliate changes
the
interline travel itinerary, a new PNR/record locator is created by the new
transporting airline for use with the alternative itinerary. The common
information
platform 11 then cancels the original itinerary with the original transporting
airline
and processes the alternate itinerary with the alternative transporting
airline. For
example, the common information platform 1 1 sends e-ticket information to the
original transporting airline. When the airline employee affiliate decides to
change
the original itinerary, the common information platform 11 "pulls" control of
the e-
ticket from the original transporting airline and "pushes" a new e-ticket,
corresponding to the transporting airline and transmits back a new PNR/record
locator to the common information platform for use with the alternative
itinerary,
to the second transporting airline. The common information platform 11
automatically streamlines the process of canceling the e-ticket with the first
transporting airline and listing the airline employee affiliate with the
second
transporting airline. All of these changes are done automatically and
electronically
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through the common information platform 11 and corresponding protocols that
enable intercommunication among the multiple transporting airline reservation
systems.
[Para 51] Furthermore, under contracted ticketing the third party purchase
facilitator is authorized to issue an e-ticket on the "stock" (i.e., the
billing code
used by a transporting airline to issue a paper ticket) of the transporting
airline.
The stock issued by the third party facilitator can use the billing code of a
transporting airline or establish an internal billing code unique to the third
party
purchase facilitator. The third party purchase facilitator can then use either
the
billing code of the transporting airline or the unique internal billing code
to settle
purchases through a clearing house. The detailed billing process is disclosed
in
further detail later in the specification. The third party purchase
facilitator may
issue a paper ticket or an electronic authorization if the transporting
airline does
not offer e-ticketing.
[Para 52] While the airline employee affiliate is in communication with the
common information platform 11 during contracted ticketing, the common
information platform 1 1 is also in communication with the reservation system
of
the transporting airline. During a reservation stage 34, electronic travel
itinerary
data, including the e-ticket, is communicated to the transporting airline in a
format automatically compatible with the transporting airline reservation
system.
The transporting airline uses the electronic travel itinerary data to create a
listing
and a PNR/record locator for the airline employee affiliate. The listing
information
and PNR/record locator is then communicated back to the common information
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platform 1 1 in electronic form. The common information platform 1 1 receives
the
listing and PNR/record locator information from the transporting airline and
associates this information with the electronic travel itinerary and e-ticket
information. The information is stored in the common information platform 11
wherein the airline employee affiliate may access the reservation information
from
any one of the access points as previously discussed. The airline employee
affiliate may view, change, or cancel the itinerary at any time via the common
information platform 11. The common information platform 11 automatically
communicates any changes to the travel itinerary to the transporting airline.
[Para 53] In yet another alternative approach to the fulfillment stage 30,
ticketing is conducted directly by the transporting airline. As shown in the
flowcharts of FIGS. 5, 7 and 8, the airline employee affiliate can search
flights,
calculate fares, and create a travel itinerary, as previously discussed, in
the travel
planning and reservation stage 20. During the fulfillment stage 30, under
ticketing
by the transporting airline, the common information platform 1 1 translates
the
relevant travel itinerary information in electronic form to the transporting
airline
reservation system. The electronic itinerary information is sent in a format
compatible with the transporting airline reservation system. For manual
paperless
e-ticketing, the e-mail ticket request 35 will suffice to convey the ticket
request in
a format compatible with the transporting airline reservation system.
Although,
any other form of electronic communication known in the art will also suffice.
[Para 54] After receiving the itinerary information in electronic form, the
transporting airline reservation system issues an e-ticket, paper ticket,
paperless
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ticket, ticketless travel, or other authorization or ticketing, charges the
airline
employee affiliate directly, and creates a listing and PNR/record locator for
the
airline passenger during a ticketing and reservation stage 36. The travel
information created by the transporting airline is then communicated back to
the
common information platform 1 1 for association and storage with the travel
itinerary information. Again, the airline employee affiliate has around-the-
clock
access to all itinerary and travel information via the common information
platform
11, through any of the access points as previously discussed. For manual
paperless e-ticketing in FIG. 7, a transporting airline passenger travel
database 37
sends an e-mail confirmation 38 to the airline employee affiliate while in
communication with the transporting airline reservation system during the
reservation stage 34.
[Para 55] Information stored by the common information platform 11 is
dynamic. This means that the common information platform 11 automatically
communicates relevant travel itinerary information among and between employing
airlines and transporting airlines. The common information platform 1 1 sorts,
formats, and transmits electronic data in a format automatically compatible
with
any reservation system via a set of conversion protocols specific to the
reservation
system of each airline carrier. These protocols within the common information
platform 11 provide greater flexibility and enforcement of the fare
restriction rules
set forth in each bilateral agreement. Additionally, the common information
platform 11 sends only relevant information required by either the
transporting
airline or the employing airline to successfully administer interline travel.
Hence,
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the information stored by the common information platform 1 1 is dynamic -
i.e.,
the information and format changes with each individual airline carrier.
[Para 56] To this point, the reservation and ticketing process for space-
available
or positive-space seats for airline employee affiliates is facilitated by
first
validating the employment status of an airline employee affiliate desiring to
travel
interline. Answers to a series of questions as inputted by the airline
employee
affiliate are compared with data stored in a HR database of the employing
airline
affiliate Once validated, the airline employee affiliate is granted access to
an
interline fare calculator, such as the ZED Fare CalculatorTM, which is
associated with
the common information platform 11 reservation and ticketing system. Through
the common information platform 11, the airline employee affiliate can search
flights, calculate fares, request tickets, store current travel itineraries,
and examine
past travel itineraries. Once the airline employee affiliate chooses an
itinerary and
moves to the fulfillment stage 30, the common information platform 11
processes
the travel itinerary request under any one of three ticketing solutions: (1)
traditional self ticketing by the employing airline; (2) contracted ticketing
by the
third party purchase facilitator; or (3) ticketing by the transporting
airline.
[Para 57] The next step in the travel reservation and ticketing process of the
present invention is a listing stage 40, which is illustrated in the flowchart
of FIG.
2. FIG. 2 briefly illustrates the stages of reserving space-available seats to
airline
employee affiliates leading up to the listing stage 40. The airline employee
affiliate is verified during the authentication stage 10, selects an interline
travel
itinerary during the travel planning and reservation stage 20, and receives
relevant
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e-ticket information during any of the three types of fulfillment stages 30.
The
common information platform 11 automatically makes the interline travel
reservation through any one of a number of service provider systems during the
listing stage 40. The information communicated to the service provider systems
is
dynamicaily formatted for automatic reception. The PNR/record locator is the
basic form of computerized airline travel record. A few airlines host
independent
reservation systems or have direct access to a Central Reservation System
(CRS) 42
within a virtual "partition" in a Global Distribution System (GDS) 44. The
GDS's are
administered by several service providers including WORLDSPAN, AMADAUS, and
SABRE. The common information platform 11 enables communication among the
multiple service providers, including the GDS's, CRS's, and any other
electronic
reservation systems 46. It is also conceived in the present invention that the
common information platform 11 could incorporate a global common protocol
that requires participating airline reservation systems to be re-designed for
compatibility. Although, this system is less efficient than having the common
information platform 11 translate relevant travel itinerary and electronic
data
information among participating airlines because the onerous of compatibility
is
placed back on the participating airlines. The airline employee affiliate uses
the
interline fare calculator to communicate with the various service provider
systems
via the common information platform 11. All required form fields are easily
repopulated by the common information platform 1 1 since the desired travel
itinerary and all relevant travel information, including e-ticket and
PNR/record
locator information, are stored therein. Thus, the listing process does not
involve
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multiple steps for the airline employee affiliate. The airline employee
affiliate can
cancel or modify any listings online, with the option to view all future
travel plans
and recent travel history. A common information platform confirmation e-mail
48
(FIG. 9) is always sent to the employee affiliate concerning any changes to
the
travel itinerary.
[Para 58] In an alternative embodiment, the common information platform 1 1
communicates directly with the transporting airline website or CRS 42 and
completely bypasses the GDS 44. Control of the e-ticket is directly "pushed"
(i.e.,
electronically communicated) to the transporting airline. The transporting
airline
Departure Control System (DCS), reservation system, or other internal system
then
retains "control" of the e-ticket through the various stages of travel. The
stages of
travel communicated back to the common information platform 1 1 start with the
issuance of an e-ticket by the transporting airline.
[Para 591 In the embodiment of FIG. 6, where the employing airline is the
transporting airline, a transporting airline staff travel office 50 notifies
the airline
employee affiliate of the interline travel itinerary and e-ticket via an
electronic
message (e.g., an e-mail 52) or by a postal service delivery 54. After the
airline
employee affiliate receives the e-ticket from the transporting airline, the e-
ticket is
considered open ("0"). The following indicator flight stages include airport
assignment ("A"), airport check-in ("C"), boarding ("B"), and lastly the flown
status
("F"). If the plane departs and the status of the airline employee affiliate e-
ticket
does not indicate "flown", then the e-ticket status indicator moves back to
the
"open" stage. The DSC, reservation system, or other internal system
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communicates e-ticket status in electronic form directly to the common
information platform 11 during these flight stages. All airline employee
affiliate
travel history is recorded within the common information platform 11.
Employing
and transporting airline administrators with access to the common information
platform 11 thus have complete control over the detailed airline employee
affiliate
interline travel statistics. The final indicator of "flown" is the last
correspondence
between the transporting airline and the common information platform 11 with
regard to any individual travel itinerary.
[Para 60] Consider that an airline employee affiliate decides not to fly or
misses
the flight. The "flown" indicator would not be communicated back to the common
information platform 1 1 of the third party purchase facilitator. The airline
employee affiliate could log into the common information platform 11 and
request
an e-ticket on another flight. The new flight itinerary could use the same
transporting airline or a different transporting airline, such as the
employing
airline The airline employee affiliate pays for additional fees, taxes, or
charges, if
any, online and is issued a new e-ticket number and new PNR/record locator for
the new itinerary. Control of the e-ticket is pushed to the new transporting
airline,
or back to the original transporting airline, depending on the new travel
itinerary
requested by the airline employee affiliate.
[Para 611 For example, an airline employee affiliate purchases an e-ticket for
travel from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to London Heathrow Airport
(LHR) on British Airways. But, the airline employee affiliate is unable to fly
because
the flight is full, the airline employee affiliate misses the flight, etc. The
airline
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employee affiliate can change the travel itinerary by logging back into the
common
information platform 11 of the third party purchase facilitator. Say the
airline
employee affiliate locates the LAX-LHR flight on Virgin Atlantic Airways
during the
search for a new interline travel itinerary. The common information platform 1
1
cancels the travel reservation with the original transporting airline, British
Airways,
and applies credit from the original itinerary to the new itinerary. A new
PNR/record locator is created and control of the e-ticket is now with the new
transporting airline: Virgin Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic then retains control of
the e-
ticket through the various stages of travel. The final e-ticket status
communicated
from Virgin Atlantic to the common information platform 11 is "flown".
[Para 62] Billing is initiated once interline travel is complete. The billing
procedure depends on whether the airline employee affiliate purchased the
interline ticket itinerary via (1) traditional self-ticketing by the employing
airline;
(2) contracted ticketing by the third party purchase facilitator; or (3)
ticketing by
the transporting airline. In the case of traditional self-ticketing by the
employing
airline, the airline employee affiliate is billed directly by the employing
airline.
Cost settlements are then settled between the employing airline and the
transporting airline on a periodic basis via a clearing house. Similarly,
under
ticketing by the transporting airline, the airline employee affiliate is
billed directly
by the transporting airline. In both the scenarios above, ticket refunds and
billing
disputes are handled by each individual airline. Hence, the airline employee
affiliate must learn the rules and regulations concerning interline airline
travel for
each individual transporting airline.
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[Para 63] Under contracted ticketing through the third party purchase
facilitator,
the airline employee affiliate has a number of payment and billing options as
illustrated in the FIG. 9 flowchart. In one embodiment, the airline employee
affiliate banking institution 56 is debited directly by the common information
platform 11. In another embodiment, the airline employee affiliate pays for
the e-
ticket, paper ticket, paperless ticket, ticketless travel, or other travel
authorization
or ticketing through a passenger banking system 58 such as a credit card or
company supported Universal Air Travel Plan (UATP) employee program. UATP is a
worldwide corporate travel payment network owned and issued by participating
airlines. Each airline employee affiliate would be issued a UATP account
number
wherein in no card is actually issued or needed. The UATP accounts work
similar
to credit cards, except that the employing airline would be financially
responsible
for interline travel expenses incurred by employees. The passenger banking
system 58 of each individual airline employee affiliate is associated with a
stored
e-ticket information 60. Once the status "flown" is returned to the common
information platform 11, a common information platform banking system 62
collects the funds for distribution. The common information platform banking
system 62 then settles the outstanding bill with either an employing airline
banking system 64 or a clearing house 66. Each week UATP bills the employing
airline banking system 64, which uses the assigned accounting code for payroll
deduction or charges the airline employee affiliate directly via a personal
credit
card. The airline charging the personal credit card incurs any associated
merchant
fees. Additionally, the common information platform 11 can utilize the billing
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code from the transporting airline as a city ticket office (CTO). Billing as a
CTO
enables the common information platform 11 to handle all billing issues
concerning interline travel directly with the transporting airline.
[Para 64] Alternatively, the third party purchase facilitator could use a
unique
billing code and settle all billing issues through the clearing house 66, or
the
Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) set up by the International Air Transport
Association (IATA). Here the third party purchase facilitator is acting as
another
airline.
[Para 65] The web-based common information platform 1 1 provides an airline
employee affiliate with round-the-clock online access to account history,
including
previous travel itineraries and future travel itineraries. The airline
employee
affiliate may also directly request travel refunds or travel itinerary changes
through
the common information platform 11. Since the common information platform 1 1
has complete control over the reservation and ticketing process, the third
party
purchase facilitator is able to automatically "push" and "pull" e-tickets
between
transporting airlines. The common information platform 11 provides maximum
flexibility and more "green path" travel reservation opportunities.
Additionally, the
airlines do not need to buy or develop a reservation and/or ticketing system
to be
compatible with other airline reservation systems. Thus, there are no
development
costs for the transporting airlines. The common information platform 11 also
reduces settlement disputes between transporting airlines and employing
airlines
because the third party purchase faciiitator automatically and electronically
facilitates the terms of the agreements between the participating airlines.
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[Para 661 From the standpoint of the employing airline, the common
information platform 1 1 provides complete administrative control over the
reservation and ticketing process. The common information platform 1 1 stores
detailed statistics including how employees travel and the most requested
transporting airlines. The common information platform 11 provides a stand-
alone, maintenance-free interline travel ticketing solution. Hence, employing
airlines avoid administrative and financial costs for administering such a
system.
[Para 67] Conventionally, most airlines have intranet-based online forms where
employees create interline travel itineraries. The intranets are not usually
fully and
automatically compatible, if in communication at all. The process embodying
the
present invention acts to integrate the separate intranets and corresponding
reservation systems by completing and formatting these online forms through a
series of conversion protocols. The web-based common information platform 11
used by the third party purchase facilitator "translates" the individual
airline form-
based information for storage in a format that is compatible with all
participating
airlines. Airlines can therefore use already developed reservation system
technology. Further, the information is dynamic, so the common information
platform 11 can deliver the same information in a different format (e.g.,
date).
Hence, the common information platform 11 provides universal compatibility
among all participating airlines.
[Para 68] Additionally, the present invention has numerous administrative
benefits. Airlines can request bilateral interline travel agreements online.
For
instance, employing airlines can negotiate with each participating airline
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individually, or the employing airline can negotiate with all participating
airlines at
once. Airlines can automatically download approved contracts with no need to
modify the agreements once approved. Or, the bilateral agreements can be
edited
and approved online using electronic signatures and comment boxes.
Additionally, the common information platform 11 can incorporate all bilateral
agreements in airline employee affiliate searches (i.e., ZED, ID95, ID90,
ID$0, ID75,
ID50, flat rates, SVC, reduced rate, or free of charge, and the like),
including travel
privileges offered by the employing airline.
[Para 69] Bilateral agreements can also be negotiated on an employee by
employee basis. For example, Virgin Airlines can request a contract for an
airline
employee affiliate to travel on Alaska Airlines. Through the common
information
platform 11, Virgin Airlines can submit a proposed bilateral agreement that
allows
the airline employee affiliate to travel on Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines
can
accept the proposed contract or respond to the proposed contract with a
counter
offer. Alternatively, Alaska Airlines may decline the proposed contract
altogether.
The process of contract offer, counter offers, and declining contracts is part
of the
negotiation process.
[Para 70] If Alaska Airlines accepts the proposed contract from Virgin
Airlines,
Virgin Airlines receives an electronic communication via the common
information
platform 1 1 indicating that Alaska Airlines approved the requested contract.
The
approved contract is automatically uploaded to the common information platform
11. The contract is only enforceable during the term specified in the
agreement.
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The contract automatically expires in the event that the airlines to the
bilateral
agreement state an expiration date.
[Para 71] If Alaska Airlines responds to Virgin Airlines proposed contract
with a
counter offer, Virgin Airlines receives an electronic message via the common
information platform 11 indicating such a response. Virgin Airlines may then
directly link into the common information platform 11 to view the counter
offer by
Alaska Airlines. The common information platform 11 displays the original
contract offer from Virgin Airlines beside the new counter offer contract from
Alaska Airlines, including any notes. Virgin Airlines may accept the counter
offer,
make another counter offer, or decline the proposed contract altogether.
Airlines
can condition acceptance of the bilateral agreement only if reciprocity is
granted.
In this case both agreements (the original agreement and reciprocal agreement)
are loaded into the common information platform 11 at the time of acceptance.
[Para 72] If Alaska Airlines chooses to decline the original contract offer
from
Virgin Airlines, Virgin Airlines receives an electronic message stating so.
The
electronic message may also include comments from Alaska Airlines.
[Para 73] As an added administrative control benefit to the airlines, the
common
information platform 11 stores bilateral contracts in several different
categories.
These categories include contracts awaiting approval, declined contracts,
contracts
requiring feedback, active contracts, and contracts set to expire within 60
days.
For contracts awaiting approval, airlines may resubmit the contract to the
receiving
airline. The common information platform 11 also stores information on a
complete history of all contracts, including declined contracts and any
information
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pertaining thereto. Contracts requiring feedback include contract offers and
counter offer contracts from other airlines. Active contracts are sortable by
alphabetical order, contract date, expiration date, date range, or other
searchable
field known in the art. Furthermore, contracts that expire in 60 days are
highlighted.
[Para 74] Transporting airlines can also input embargo and flight restriction
notices by flight number, range, or markets specific to each airline.
Notification is
automatically sent to all affected airlines and airline employee affiliates
listed on
the embargoed or restricted flights. Notification can occur by e-mail, text
message, voice mail, or other electronic communication device associated with
the
airline employee affiliate. Listing embargos or restricted flights is airline
specific.
Expired embargoes and flight restrictions are automatically deleted from the
common information platform system.
[Para 75] The common information platform 1 1 is available twenty-four hours a
day, seven days a week via a secure web-based protocol that is conveniently
accessible from home, work, or while on the road. The common information
platform 11 compiles and stores extensive airline employee affiliate
statistics.
Employing airlines can use this statistical data for cost-saving analysis
(e.g.,
busiest day/hour and fare searching vs. email requests). Furthermore, the
common information platform 11 includes an airline member contact directory,
Federal Express delivery options (for an additional fee), and secure transfer
of
credit card information for e-mail ticket requests. The user-interface of the
common information platform 11 includes age drop down boxes for dependents
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for fast age verification and allows for the addition or exciusion of
subsidiaries,
affiliates, or franchisees as alliance partners.
[Para 76] The web-based common information platform 11 also has a variety of
employee benefits and support. For example, airline employee affiliates have
access to multi-media instructional tutorials and live customer service via
the
phone or web-based application. The common information platform 1 1 includes a
full schedule of airline flights continually updated by Official Airline Guide
Inc.
(OAG), a global content management company specializing in travel and
transportation. OAG compiles flight details for over 1,000 airlines and more
than
3,000 airports and travel service providers. The airline schedules provided by
OAG
are updated regularly. Embargo/flight restriction notices and airline pass
policy
information are also accessible to airline employee affiliates as previously
discussed. Airline employee affiliates can make one-click travel reservation
requests via a secure web-based protocol or intranet accessible, twenty-four
hours a day, seven days a week. Fare searches include, but are not limited to,
one-way, round trip, and multi-city travel (including flights with stops
enroute),
multiple carriers, (e.g., starting travel from LAX to LHR on United Airlines,
continuing travel on British Airways from LHR to Hong Kong (HKG)), regional
non-
code-share flights (e.g., United Express flights operated by SkyWest),
multiple
languages, multiple fare restrictions (ZED, ID95, ID90, ID80, ID75, ID50, flat
rate
SVC, reduced rate, or free of charge, and other agreements of the like), and
employing airline flight schedules. Airline employee affiliates may select
multiple
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passengers and obtain an itinerary overview having fare subtotal (including
taxes
and all assorted fees).
[Para 77] The common information platform 11 can also create and store airline
employee affiliate profiles. Profile data contains the following: name, date
of
birth, security questions, addresses, billing address, mailing address,
dependents,
telephone numbers, default airports, e-mail address, credit card information,
and
SMS text advice check box. The airline employee affiliate profile is also
stored in
association with flight information. Airline employee affiliate profiles can
be
validated by any of the methods discussed above.
[Para 781 Although several embodiments have been described in some detail for
purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made without departing
from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is not
to be
limited, except as by the appended claims.
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