Computerized apparatus and method for awarding credits to persons for travel related purchases

Abstract

A computerized system provides incentives for travel agents and similar persons to book particular travel-related reservations. The system achieves this by awarding cumulative credits to travel agents based upon bookings of travel-related reservations. The system receives a booking format which identifies a travel-related reservation. The system further receives a code which identifies a travel agent or other person who entered the travel-related reservation. Upon receiving the travel-related reservation, the system assigns cumulative credits to the travel agent identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation. Travel agents can thus build up credits over time based upon their bookings of travel-related reservations and use those credits to receive a particular award or prize.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A computerized system for awarding credits to persons who book travel-related reservations, comprising: 
 a) receive means for receiving information, comprising: 
 i) means for receiving a booking format which includes a plurality of fields, one or more of the fields including information identifying a travel-related reservation; and  
 ii) means for receiving a code identifying a person who booked the travel-related reservation; and  
   b) record means for awarding incentives based on travel-related reservations, comprising: 
 i) means for specifying an identification of the person corresponding to the code; and  
 ii) assignment means for assigning cumulative credits to the person identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation.  
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the record means further comprises verification means for classifying the credits as pending credits until a predetermined event occurs and for converting the pending credits to redeemable credits after the occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the record means further comprises verification means for classifying the credits as pending credits for a predetermined amount of time after the assignment of the credits and for converting the pending credits to redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.  
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the record means further comprises: 
 a) first verification means for classifying the credits as pending credits until a predetermined event occurs; and  
 b) second verification means for maintaining the credits as pending credits for a predetermined amount of time after the occurrence of the event and for converting the pending credits to redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.  
 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from one of the fields of the booking format.  
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from a special instruction field of the booking format.  
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 5  wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving the code from a log-in identifier related to the person.  
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the record means further comprises report means for reporting the cumulative credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the report means comprises means for reporting on-line the cumulative credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the report means comprises means for reporting in a hard copy format the cumulative credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the report means comprises means for reporting a cumulative total pending credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the report means comprises means for reporting a cumulative total redeemable credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning the credits to the person based upon the monetary value of the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the assignment means comprises means for identifying on-line whether the person has previously received credits.  
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning bonus credits to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15  wherein the assignment means comprises means for assigning the bonus credits to the person based upon one or more of the following: a product booked by the person; lodging booked by the person; when the person books the travel-related reservation; when a customer who requested the travel-related reservation uses the travel-related reservation; how the customer pays for the travel-related reservation; how the customer guarantees the travel-related reservation; a class of the customer; or a class of the person.  
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the means for receiving a code comprises means for receiving a character string identifying the person.  
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the means for specifying an identification of the person comprises means for linking the code to an identifier for an agency which engages the person.  
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the assignment means comprises means for modifying the credits in response to adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the assignment means comprises means for storing a cumulative number of credits assigned to the person following entry of the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         21 . A computerized method of awarding credits to persons who book travel-related reservations, comprising the steps of: 
 a) receiving information, comprising the steps of: 
 i) receiving electronically a booking format which includes a plurality of fields, one or more of the fields including information identifying a travel-related reservation; and  
 ii) receiving electronically a code identifying a person who entered the travel-related reservation; and  
   b) awarding incentives based on travel-related reservations, comprising the steps of: 
 i) specifying electronically an identification of the person corresponding to the code; and  
 ii) assigning electronically cumulative credits to the person identified by the code based upon the travel-related reservation.  
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the awarding incentives step further comprises the step of classifying the credits as pending credits until a predetermined event occurs and converting the pending credits to redeemable credits after the occurrence of the event.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the awarding incentives step further comprises the step of classifying the credits as pending credits for a predetermined amount of time after the assignment of the credits and converting the pending credits to redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the awarding incentives step further comprises the steps of: 
 a) classifying the credits as pending credits until a predetermined event occurs; and  
 b) maintaining the credits as pending credits for a predetermined amount of time after the occurrence of the event and converting the pending credits to redeemable credits after the predetermined amount of time.  
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the receiving a code step comprises the step of receiving the code from one of the fields of the booking format.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the receiving a code step comprises the step of receiving the code from a special instruction field of the booking format.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the receiving a code step comprises the step of receiving the code from a log-in identifier related to the person.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the awarding incentives step further comprises the step of reporting the cumulative credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting on-line the cumulative credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting in a hard copy format the cumulative credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting a cumulative total pending credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the reporting step comprises the step of reporting a cumulative total redeemable credits assigned to the person.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning the credits to the person based upon the monetary value of the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the assigning step comprises the step of identifying on-line whether the person has previously received credits.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning bonus credits to the person based upon a predetermined activity in conjunction with the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 35  wherein the assigning step comprises the step of assigning the bonus credits to the person based upon one or more of the following: a product booked by the person; lodging booked by the person; when the person books the travel-related reservation; when a customer who requested the travel-related reservation uses the travel-related reservation; how the customer pays for the travel-related reservation; how the customer guarantees the travel-related reservation; a class of the customer; or a class of the person.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the receiving a code step comprises the step of receiving a character string identifying the person.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the specifying an identification step comprises the step of linking the code to an identifier for an agency which engages the person.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the assigning step comprises the step of modifying the credits in response to adjustment or cancellation of the travel-related reservation.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the assigning step comprises the step of storing a cumulative number of credits assigned to the person following entry of the travel-related reservation.