System and method for coordinating travel itineraries

Abstract

The methods and systems for coordinating the travel itineraries of multiple travelers, who are leaving from more than one origin location, but are arriving at the same destination location, provide automated techniques for determining which itineraries for each traveler best meets the specified criteria for the trip. For example, a travel organizer may specify certain travel criteria for a trip, such as the relative importance of the travel schedules versus the price. A set of suggested travel itineraries that most closely meet the specified criteria are then provided, in addition to the amount of time between when any two travelers arrive at and / or leave from the destination location, and the price. Furthermore, the travel coordination techniques provide flexibility by allowing replacement of one or more of the suggested itineraries with other possible itineraries and recalculation of the time amounts and the price(s).

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 634,582, filed Aug. 5, 2003, which is hereby incorporated herein in its entirety by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to techniques for the coordination of multiple travel itineraries for multiple travelers who are departing from various origin locations and traveling to the same destination location. According to one advantageous aspect, the invention provides techniques for minimizing the amount of time between the arrival times associated with the outbound itineraries and the departing times associated with the inbound itineraries, such that the travelers arrive at and depart from the destination at as close to the same time as possible. [0003] In many types of business and personal travel, multiple travelers are expected to arrive at the same destination to participate in the same or similar activity. Frequently, the multiple travelers...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] According to the present invention, the methods and systems for coordinating the travel itineraries of multiple travelers, who are leaving from more than one origin location, but are arriving at the same destination location, provide automated techniques for quickly and accurately determining which travel itineraries for each traveler best meet the specified criteria for the trip. For example, the methods and systems of the present invention permit a travel organizer to specify certain travel criteria for a trip, such as the date(s) of travel or the relative importance of the travelers arriving at the destination location at as close to the same time as possible (i.e. the schedule) versus the overall price of the itineraries for all of the travelers (i.e. the price). The methods and systems then provide a set of suggested travel itineraries that most closely meets the specified criteria, in addition to providing the amount of time between when any two travelers arrive at and / or leave from the destination location, and the overall price or individual prices for each traveler. Furthermore, the travel coordination techniques provide flexibility by allowing the organizer and / or the travelers to view all of the possible itineraries and replace one or more of the suggested itineraries, then recalculate the time amounts and the price(s).

[0014] Thus, the methods and systems for coordinating outbound and inbound itineraries for multiple travelers according to the various embodiments of the present invention provide automated techniques for providing a travel organizer and / or individual travelers with accurate and timely travel itinerary suggestions and options that best meet their travel criteria, such that the coordination of outbound and inbound travel itineraries for travelers from different origin locations traveling to the same destination location can more easily obtain the travel itineraries that will permit them to arrive at and / or depart from the destination location at similar times. Additionally, the embodiments of the methods and systems of the present invention provide travel organizers and / or travelers with the ability to review the various travel options and easily change their travel itineraries. As such the methods and systems of the present invention are much less time-consuming and less error-prone than manual searching, identification and coordination of such travel itineraries.

Problems solved by technology

Coordinating travel arrangements for two or more travelers can be a daunting task, however, and the more travelers, the more complicated an endeavor to coordinate travel arrangements is.

As such, as the number of travelers and / or the number of itineraries that the travel organizer must evaluate increases, the more confusing for the organizer and the more risk that the organizer will make an error or overlook a viable travel option for one or more of the travelers.

Manually coordinating travel itineraries for multiple travelers who are traveling from different origin locations to one destination location, therefore, is a very time-consuming and error-prone process.

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