Co-brands for user interface in travel booking

Abstract

Co-brands, virtual wrappers for web sites that allow clients to expand client inventories across different web sites, are disclosed. Different types of travel inventory can be provided across these web sites. A client can create different URLs, domains, look and feel, product filters, pricing rules, business logic, payment methods, languages, currencies, etc. off a single instance. A client can create a co-brand and, using an administrator application, configure its settings to target specific geographic locations, targets markets or even themes. Additionally, co-brands are used to allow third party vendors to direct traffic to client sites. Co-brand tools are designed to make items such as navigation, images, buttons, domain names, colors, fonts, languages and currencies. Co-brands make it easier for travel companies to have sites based on demographics, destination, and events that can lead to greater adoption and conversion.

1 . A method for allowing a travel company client to present various travel inventory types through a plurality of online travel sub-websites, comprising:
 defining a plurality of co-brands for an existing online travel website through use of a single instance of an administrator application, wherein each co-brand is a virtual wrapper that customizes a respective one of the plurality of online travel sub-websites presented by the existing online travel website;   displaying, through the administrator application, an interface for allowing the travel company client to configure respective co-brand settings for each co-brand; and   providing to a user a respective travel inventory search result that is at least partially based on the respective co-brand settings.