Method and system for determining an optimal low fare for a trip

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product assist an airline in determining if a lower fare exists for a trip among fares already proposed by the airline or other airlines. A set of tables, each associated with particular departure and arrival locations, may be created in an encompassing request database based upon results identified for requests sent from one or more clients, travel agents or airlines to a production traffic engine. The encompassing request database may then be queried by an airline to determine whether a lower fare exists for the trip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for an airline to determine if a lower fare exists for a trip among fares already proposed by the airline or other airlines, the method comprising:
 identifying, for each of a plurality of first type requests sent from one or more clients, travel agents or airlines to a production traffic engine, a corresponding result from the production traffic engine;   creating a plurality of tables in an encompassing request database based upon the corresponding results identified for the plurality of first type requests, wherein each table is specific to a departure location and an arrival location, and each table indicates the first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location specific to such table; and   upon the encompassing request database receiving a second type request comprising a departure location and an arrival location of the trip, searching among the indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request for one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip,   wherein the second type request is based on an airline request that defines the trip and is sent by the airline.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one table of the encompassing request database indicates a first type request having an identified corresponding result that includes a combination of flights, a flight among the combination of flights being from the departure location specific to the at least one table to the arrival location specific to the at least one table. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the arrival location specific to the at least one table is a first arrival location for the combination of flights, and wherein the combination of flights includes a second flight from the first arrival location to a second arrival location such that the first arrival location is a connection location for the combination of flights. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the airline request comprises a fare for the trip, the one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip comprises the first type request having the identified corresponding result that includes the combination of flights, and the method further comprises:
 calculating a fare for an alternative request based on the first type request having the identified corresponding result that includes the combination of flights;   comparing the fare for the alternative request with fare of the airline request; and   if the fare of the airline request is greater than the fare of the alternative request, lowering the fare of the trip defined by the airline request.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the combination of flights defines a round trip from the destination location specific to the at least one table to the arrival location specific to the least one table. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the identified corresponding results comprises a fare, and searching among the indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request for the one or more first type requests comprises:
 retrieving a predetermined number of indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request based on the fares of the identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request, the predetermined number being specified in the encompassing request database.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the corresponding result from the production traffic engine identified for each first type request comprises a lowest fare found by the production traffic engine for such first type request. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the airline request further comprises a fare for the trip, and the method further comprises:
 calculating a fare for each of one or more alternative requests that are based on the one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip; and   comparing each of the fares for the one or more alternative requests with the fare of the airline request.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 if the fare of the airline request is greater than the fare of an alternative request that is associated with the airline, increasing the fare of a trip corresponding to the alternative request associated with the airline.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 if the fare of the airline request is greater than the fare of any of the one or more alternative requests, lowering the fare for the trip defined by the airline request.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 if the airline request comprises multiple origins and destinations:
 building a plurality of second type requests, each second type request being associated with an origin and destination pair of the airline request; and 
 sending the plurality of second type requests to the encompassing request database. 
   
     
     
         12 . A system for an airline to determine if a lower fare exists for a trip among fares already proposed by the airline or other airlines, the system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:
 identify, for each of a plurality of first type requests sent from one or more clients, travel agents or airlines to a production traffic engine, a corresponding result from the production traffic engine; 
 create a plurality of tables in an encompassing request database based upon the corresponding results identified for the plurality of first type requests, wherein each table is specific to a departure location and an arrival location, and each table indicates the first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location specific to such table; and 
 upon the encompassing request database receiving a second type request comprising a departure location and an arrival location of the trip, search among the indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request for one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip, 
   wherein the second type request is based on an airline request that defines the trip and is sent by the airline.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein at least one table of the encompassing request database indicates a first type request having an identified corresponding result that includes a combination of flights, a flight among the combination of flights being from the departure location specific to the at least one table to the arrival location specific to the at least one table. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the arrival location specific to the at least one table is a first arrival location for the combination of flights, and wherein the combination of flights includes a second flight from the first arrival location to a second arrival location such that the first arrival location is a connection location for the combination of flights. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the airline request comprises a fare for the trip, the one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip comprises the first type request having the identified corresponding result that includes the combination of flights, and the instructions further cause the system to:
 calculate a fare for an alternative request based on the first type request having the identified corresponding result that includes the combination of flights;   compare the fare for the alternative request with fare of the airline request; and   if the fare of the airline request is greater than the fare of the alternative request, lower the fare of the trip defined by the airline request.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the combination of flights defines a round trip from the destination location specific to the at least one table to the arrival location specific to the least one table. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein each of the identified corresponding results comprises a fare, and wherein the instructions configured to cause the system to search among the indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request for the one or more first type requests comprises instructions that further cause the system to:
 retrieve a predetermined number of indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request based on the fares of the identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request, the predetermined number being specified in the encompassing request database.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the airline request further comprises a fare for the trip, and the instructions further cause the system to:
 calculate a fare for each of one or more alternative requests that are based on the one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip; and   compare each of the fares for the one or more alternative requests with the fare of the airline request.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the instructions further cause the system to:
 if the fare of the airline request is greater than the fare of an alternative request that is associated with the airline, increase the fare of a trip corresponding to the alternative request associated with the airline.   
     
     
         20 . A computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable medium; and   instructions stored on the computer readable medium and configured, upon execution by at least one processor, to cause the at least one processor to:
 identify, for each of a plurality of first type requests sent from one or more clients, travel agents or airlines to a production traffic engine, a corresponding result from the production traffic engine; 
 create a plurality of tables in an encompassing request database based upon the corresponding results identified for the plurality of first type requests, wherein each table is specific to a departure location and an arrival location, and each table indicates the first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location specific to such table; and 
 upon the encompassing request database receiving a second type request comprising a departure location and an arrival location of the trip, search among the indicated first type requests having identified corresponding results that include the departure location and the arrival location of the second type request for one or more first type requests to be used in the determination of whether the lower fare exists for the trip, 
   wherein the second type request is based on an airline request that defines the trip and is sent by the airline.