System and Method for Boarding Passengers Based on Bids

Abstract

Systems and methods for boarding passengers on flights or other transportation according to bids received from the passengers are provided. Passengers seeking to fly standby on an undersold flight can submit a bid representing the amount the passengers are willing to pay to board the flight. The airline can determine the number of seats available on the flight, and board the highest bidding passengers until the flight is full. Similarly, passengers willing to be bumped from an oversold flight can submit a bid representing the incentive the passengers are willing to accept to be bumped from the flight. The airline can determine the number of passengers that must be bumped from the flight, and bump the lowest bidding passengers (i.e., those willing to accept the least costly incentive) until a sufficient number of passengers have been bumped from the flight.

1 . A computer-implemented method for bumping passengers from a transportation vehicle comprising:
 receiving, with a computer, a bump bid for each of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket for the transportation vehicle; and   selecting, with a computer, at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, with a computer, an incentive to the each of the selected bump passengers,
 wherein the incentive provided to each of the selected bump passengers is based on the bump bid of each respective selected bump passenger.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, with a computer, a cost associated with providing an incentive based on each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at least one bump passenger. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the transportation vehicle has a number of total seats and a number of checked-in passengers, and
 wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at least one bump passenger comprises:   determining, with a computer, a number of needed seats by subtracting the number of total seats from the number of checked-in passengers; and   iteratively selecting, with a computer, a bump passenger from the plurality of bump passengers to bump from the transportation vehicle according to a selection process until the number of bump passengers selected is equal to or greater than the number of needed seats.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each iteration of the selection process comprises:
 identifying a first bump passenger from the plurality of bump passengers to bump from the transportation vehicle, the first bump passenger being identified in response to a determination that the cost associated with providing the incentive based on the bump bid of the first bump passenger is lower than or equal to the cost associated with providing the incentive based on the bump bid of each other bump passenger in the plurality of bump passengers that have not already been selected to be bumped from the transportation vehicle;   identifying all bump passengers in the plurality of bump passengers traveling in a group with the first bump passenger;   determining a group size of the group, the group size being the number of passengers traveling in the group;   calculating a number of still-needed seats by subtracting the number of bump passengers already selected to be bumped from the transportation vehicle from the number of needed seats;   selecting the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group with the first bump passenger from the plurality of bump passengers to be bumped from the transportation vehicle in response to a determination that the group size is less than or equal to the number of still-needed seats;   removing the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group from the plurality of bump passengers.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein each iteration of the selection process comprises:
 identifying a first bump passenger from the plurality of bump passengers to bump from the transportation vehicle, the first bump passenger being identified in response to a determination that the cost associated with providing the incentive based on the bump bid of the first bump passenger is lower than or equal to the cost associated with providing the incentive based on the bump bid of each other bump passenger in the plurality of bump passengers that have not already been selected to be bumped from the transportation vehicle;   identifying all bump passengers in the plurality of bump passengers traveling in a group with the first bump passenger;   determining a group size of the group, the group size being the number of passengers traveling in the group;   calculating a number of still-needed seats by subtracting the number of bump passengers already selected to be bumped from the transportation vehicle from the number of needed seats;   determining whether to bump the first passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group from the plurality of bump passengers; and   removing the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group from the plurality of bump passengers,   wherein determining whether to bump the first passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group from the plurality of bump passengers comprises:   if the group size is less than or equal to the number of still-needed seats, selecting the first passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group to be bumped from the transportation vehicle; and   if the group size exceeds the number of still-needed seats, comparing a first cost of bumping the group from the transportation vehicle with a second cost of bumping a number of other bump passengers from the transportation vehicle, the number of other bump passengers being equal to the number of still-needed seats, and if the second cost exceeds the first cost, selecting the first passenger and any bump passengers traveling in the group to be bumped from the transportation vehicle.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein in at least one iteration of the selection process, the group size exceeds the number of still-needed seats. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving, with a computer, a bump bid for each of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket for the transportation vehicle comprises:
 determining, with a computer, whether at least one bump passenger in the plurality of bump passengers is traveling in a group with at least one other bump passenger;   associating, with a computer, the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger with any bump passengers traveling in a group with the at least one the at least one other bump passenger.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one bump bid is received via one of: an electronic mail message, a text message, a website interface, and a kiosk interface. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one bump bid comprises one or more of: a request for credits to a frequent traveler account, a request for an upgrade to a higher class of travel, and a selection of a confirmed seat for a replacement transportation vehicle. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising adjusting the bump bids from each of the bump passengers based on additional factors,
 wherein the additional factors comprise at least one of: a frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class of the bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump passenger.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein determining the cost associated with providing an incentive based on each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger comprises determining a cost associated with providing an incentive based on each adjusted bump bid, and
 wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at least one bump passenger.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising providing, with a computer, an incentive to the each of the selected bump passengers; and
 adjusting the bump bids from each of the bump passengers based on additional factors, the additional factors comprising at least one of: a frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class of the bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump passenger,   wherein receiving, with a computer, a bump bid for each of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket for the transportation vehicle comprises:
 determining, with a computer, whether at least one bump passenger in the plurality of bump passengers is traveling in a group with at least one other bump passenger; 
 associating, with a computer, the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger with any bump passengers traveling in a group with the at least one the at least one other bump passenger; 
   wherein determining the cost associated with providing an incentive based on each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger comprises determining a cost associated with providing an incentive based on each adjusted bump bid,   wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at least one bump passenger,   wherein at least one bump bid is received via one of: an electronic mail message, a text message, a website interface, and a kiosk interface,   wherein at least one bump bid comprises one or more of: a request for credits to a frequent traveler account, a request for an upgrade to a higher class of travel, and a selection of a confirmed seat for a replacement transportation vehicle, and   wherein the incentive provided to each of the selected bump passengers is based on the unadjusted bump bid of each respective selected bump passengers.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising providing, with a computer, an incentive to the each of the selected bump passengers; and
 adjusting the bump bids from each of the bump passengers based on additional factors, the additional factors comprising at least one of: a frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class of the bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump passenger,   wherein receiving, with a computer, a bump bid for each of a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket for the transportation vehicle comprises:
 determining, with a computer, whether at least one bump passenger in the plurality of bump passengers is traveling in a group with at least one other bump passenger; 
 associating, with a computer, the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger with any bump passengers traveling in a group with the at least one the at least one other bump passenger; 
   wherein determining the cost associated with providing an incentive based on each received bump bid to each respective bump passenger comprises determining a cost associated with providing an incentive based on each adjusted bump bid,   wherein selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the bump bid of the at least one bump passenger comprises selecting the at least one bump passenger to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the cost associated with providing the incentive to the at least one bump passenger,   wherein at least one bump bid is received via one of: an electronic mail message, a text message, a website interface, and a kiosk interface,   wherein at least one bump bid comprises one or more of: a request for credits to a frequent traveler account, a request for an upgrade to a higher class of travel, and a selection of a confirmed seat for a replacement transportation vehicle, and   wherein the incentive provided to each of the selected bump passengers is based on the unadjusted bump bid of each respective selected bump passengers.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for selecting bump passengers to be bumped from a transportation vehicle, the computer-readable program code comprising:
 computer-readable program code for receiving a bump bid for a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle;   computer-readable program code for sorting the plurality of bump passengers having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle based on the bump bid for each bump passenger in the plurality of bump passengers, thereby creating a sorted plurality of bump passengers; and   computer-readable program code for selecting which bump passengers having a ticket to bump from the transportation vehicle based on the sorted plurality of bump passengers.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the transportation vehicle has a number of needed seats, the number of needed seats being a number of total seats subtracted from a number of checked-in passengers,
 wherein the number of needed seats and the bump bids for bump passengers other than each respective bump passenger are inaccessible to each respective bump passenger when each respective bump bid is received for each respective bump passenger.   wherein the computer-readable program code for receiving a bump bid for a plurality of bump passengers having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle comprises:   computer-readable program code for receiving a bump bid from a given bump passenger having a ticket to board the transportation vehicle;   computer-readable program code for associating the bump bid from the given bump passenger with any bump passenger traveling in a group with the given bump passenger; and   computer-readable program code for adjusting the bump bid based on additional factors, the additional factors comprising at least one of: a frequent flier status of the bump passenger, a fare class of the bump passenger, and a transportation class of the bump passenger,   wherein the sorted plurality of bump passengers has a first bump passenger, and   wherein the computer-readable program code for selecting which bump passengers having a ticket to board to the transportation vehicle based on the sorted plurality of bump passengers comprises:   computer-readable program code for determining a number of still-needed seats on the transportation vehicle, by subtracting a number of bump passengers already selected to be bumped from the transportation vehicle from the number of needed seats;   computer-readable program code for identifying the first bump passenger in the sorted plurality of bump passengers;   computer-readable program code for identifying a group size of the first bump passenger, the group size being equal to a number of bump passengers traveling in the group with the first bump passenger including the first bump passenger;   computer-readable program code for selecting the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling in a group with the first bump passenger to be bumped from the transportation vehicle in response to a determination that the group size of the first bump passenger does not exceed the number of still-needed seats on the transportation vehicle; and   computer-readable program code for removing the first bump passenger and any bump passengers traveling in a group with the first bump passenger from the sorted plurality of bump passengers.   
     
     
         18 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for selecting passengers to board on a transportation vehicle, the computer-readable program code comprising:
 computer-readable program code for determining whether the transportation vehicle is oversold or undersold;   computer-readable program code for selecting standby passengers to board the transportation vehicle based on standby bids received from the standby passengers in response to determining that the transportation vehicle is undersold; and   computer-readable program code for selecting bump passengers to bump from the transportation vehicle based on bump bids received from the bump passengers in response to determining that the transportation vehicle is oversold.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the standby bid received from at least one standby passenger is associated with standby passengers traveling in a group with the at least one standby passenger. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the standby bid or at least one bump bid comprises at least one of: an amount of frequent traveler credits and a change of transportation class.