Method for improved reporting of travel agency-issued airline tickets

Abstract

A method and system that enables airlines to collect revenue when customers seek to exchange an existing ticket for a new ticket on a given airline or other travel provider. In one embodiment, the reporting of ticket sales is performed in real-time, and therefore, the travel agent facilitates collection of an airline-imposed change fee from the customer each time exchange of the existing ticket for a new ticket is required. Alternatively, the airlines may charge a void fee and permit the travel agent to void the existing airline ticket when real-time reporting of sales is performed. In another alternative embodiment, the travel agent may not be allowed to void the ticket.

1 . A method for improved reporting of airline travel tickets issued by a travel agent to a customer, comprising: 
 shortening the period of time within which the travel agent can void an issued airline travel ticket on behalf of the customer without incurring an airline-imposed change fee by requiring external reporting of the issuance of the airline travel ticket by the following day after the issuance, so as to increase change-fee revenue for the airline for which the airline travel ticket was purchased;    reporting the issuance of the airline travel ticket externally by the following day after the issuance, the reporting occurring via a computer and an electronic communications device; and    imposing the change fee for effecting changes to the airline travel ticket made after the issuance has been reported.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reporting the issuance includes reporting the issuance to the airline for which the travel ticket was purchased.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein reporting the issuance includes reporting the issuance to an intermediate agent.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein reporting the issuance to the intermediate agent includes reporting the issuance to Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC).  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein reporting the issuance includes preparing a set of reports of ticket issuances since a previous reporting period, and reporting the set of ticket issuances in a batch.  
   
   
       6 . A method for improved reporting of airline travel tickets issued by a travel agent to a customer, comprising: 
 shortening the period of time within which the travel agent can void an issued airline travel ticket on behalf of the customer without incurring an airline-imposed change fee by requiring external reporting of the issuance of the airline travel ticket by the following day after the issuance, so as to increase change-fee revenue for the airline for which the travel ticket was purchased; and    imposing the change fee for effecting changes to the airline travel ticket made after the issuance has been reported.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the external reporting of the issuance includes reporting the issuance to an airline for which the airline travel ticket was purchased.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the external reporting of the issuance includes reporting the issuance to an intermediate agent.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the external reporting of the issuance to the intermediate agent includes reporting the issuance to Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC).  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the external reporting of the issuance includes preparing a set of reports of airline travel ticket issuances since a previous reporting period, and reporting the set of airline travel ticket issuances in a batch.  
   
   
       11 . A method for improved reporting of airline travel tickets issued by a travel agent to a customer, comprising: 
 requiring reporting of the issuance of an airline travel ticket by the following day after the issuance so as to increase change-fee revenue for the airline for which the travel ticket was purchased by shortening the period of time within which the travel agent can void the issued airline travel ticket on behalf of the customer without incurring an airline-imposed change fee;    reporting the issuance of the airline travel ticket externally by the following day after the issuance, the reporting occurring via a computer and an electronic communications device; and    imposing the change fee for effecting changes to the airline travel ticket made after the issuance has been reported externally by the travel agent.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein reporting the issuance includes reporting the issuance to an airline for which the travel ticket was purchased.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11  wherein reporting the issuance includes reporting the issuance to an intermediate agent.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein reporting the issuance to the intermediate agent includes reporting the issuance to Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC).  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein reporting the issuance includes preparing a set of reports of airline travel ticket issuances since a previous reporting period, and reporting the set of airline travel ticket issuances in a batch.  
   
   
       16 . A method for improved reporting of airline travel tickets issued by a travel agent to a customer, comprising: 
 requiring external reporting of the issuance of an airline travel ticket by the following day after the issuance so as to increase change-fee revenue for the airline for which the travel ticket was purchased by shortening the period of time within which the travel agent can change an issued airline travel ticket on behalf of the customer without incurring an airline-imposed change fee; and    imposing the change fee for effecting changes to the airline travel ticket made after the issuance has been reported.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the period of time within which the travel agent can change an issued airline travel ticket on behalf of the customer without incurring the airline-imposed change fee is shortened based on traffic of a network that is used for carrying out the method.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the period of time within which the travel agent can change an issued airline travel ticket on behalf of the customer without incurring the airline-imposed change fee is shortened based on a volume of issued airline travel tickets.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the change fee is in the form of a debit memo for a full value of the airline travel ticket.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the external reporting of the issuance includes reporting the issuance to the airline for which the airline travel ticket was purchased.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the external reporting of the issuance includes reporting the issuance to an intermediate agent.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the external reporting of the issuance to the intermediate agent includes reporting the issuance to Airline Reporting Corporation (ARC).  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the external reporting of the issuance includes preparing a set of reports of airline travel ticket issuances since a previous reporting period, and reporting the set of airline travel ticket issuances in a batch.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the external reporting of the issuance is done electronically along with the issuance of the airline travel ticket.