Air ticket recommendation method based on air ticket secondary card and computer program

Abstract

The embodiment of the invention provides an air ticket recommendation method based on an air ticket secondary card and a computer program, and the method comprises the steps: obtaining an air ticket search request of a user using the air ticket secondary card, and the air ticket secondary card is provided with a corresponding application range, is used for the user to exchange an air ticket in the application range, and has the use frequency; wherein the application range at least comprises an air ticket exchange range, and the air ticket search request at least indicates a user travel place; based on the air ticket search request, reservable air ticket results are recommended to the user, the reservable air ticket results comprise extended reservable air tickets which are adaptive to the travel place of the user and exceed the air ticket exchange range, and the extended reservable air tickets at least support the user to use the air ticket secondary card for exchange. And supplementing the original reservable airline ticket in the application range. According to the embodiment of the invention, the user use success rate of the air ticket secondary card can be improved, and the user satisfaction is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of computer and internet technology, specifically to a method and computer program for recommending air tickets based on a flight pass. Background Technology

[0002] With the development of computer and internet technology, travel service platforms have become an important online channel for users to purchase air tickets, train tickets, and other transportation tickets. Travel service platforms refer to online platforms that provide travel services to users, such as OTP (Online Travel Platform) and OTA (Online Travel Agency) platforms.

[0003] Beyond traditional ticketing methods, travel service platforms also offer a pre-purchased flight pass product, known as a flight pass. A flight pass allows users to prepay for a certain number of trips, which can then be redeemed for corresponding airline tickets within the pass's validity period. Specifically, after purchasing a flight pass, users receive a pre-paid right to redeem a certain number of flights within the pass's validity period. Within this validity period, users can then exchange these pre-purchased trips for tickets to specific flights.

[0004] In practical use cases, users need to make a reservation before redeeming a flight ticket using the frequent flyer card. Once the reservation is successful, the ticket is redeemed and issued. However, within the card's applicable area, the number of available tickets is limited. This is due to factors such as capacity, cabin allocation strategies, and ticket inventory within the applicable area. This results in a limited supply of tickets that users can actually book, and sometimes tickets may even be unavailable. Consequently, users may be unable to successfully book tickets using the frequent flyer card, reducing the success rate of use, impacting user satisfaction, leading to card cancellations, and ultimately, user churn.

[0005] Therefore, how to provide improved technical solutions to increase the success rate of users of the flight pass and thus improve user satisfaction has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a method and computer program for recommending air tickets based on a prepaid air ticket card, in order to improve the success rate of users using the prepaid air ticket card and thus improve user satisfaction.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of this application provide the following technical solutions.

[0008] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a flight recommendation method based on flight pass usage, applied to a travel service platform, the method comprising: The system obtains flight search requests from users using flight pass cards. The flight pass card has a corresponding applicable scope, is used by users to redeem flight tickets within the applicable scope, and has a number of uses. The applicable scope at least includes the flight redemption range, and the flight search request at least indicates the user's travel destination. Based on the flight search request, the system recommends bookable flight results to the user. These bookable flight results include extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination and are outside the scope of the original flight redemption. The extended bookable flights can be redeemed by the user using the flight pass to supplement the original bookable flights within the applicable scope.

[0009] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a computer program including computer execution instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the flight recommendation method based on flight pass cards as described in the first aspect above.

[0010] It can be seen that the flight pass has a corresponding applicable scope, at least including the flight ticket redemption range. When a user searches for bookable flights using the flight pass, the supply of flights that can meet the user's travel needs within the applicable scope of the flight pass may be limited, or even unbookable (i.e., the supply of originally bookable flights within the applicable scope is limited, or even nonexistent), resulting in a low success rate for users to book flights. Based on this, this application embodiment can recommend bookable flight results to the user after obtaining the user's flight search request using the flight pass. The bookable flight results include extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination and are outside the flight ticket redemption range, and the extended bookable flights can at least be redeemed using the flight pass, thus supplementing the originally bookable flights within the applicable scope. Therefore, this application embodiment can expand the flight booking options when users use the flight pass, that is, increase the number of bookable flights that match the user's travel needs, thereby increasing the probability that the user can book a flight that meets their travel needs, and thus improving the success rate of users using the flight pass and improving user satisfaction.

[0011] Specifically, when the supply of originally bookable tickets within the scope of the flight pass is limited or the user is dissatisfied with the originally bookable tickets, this application embodiment can expand the user's flight booking options by adapting to extended bookable tickets beyond the original ticket redemption range for the user's travel destination, thereby improving the actual success rate of flight pass usage. Therefore, the flight recommendation method based on flight passes provided in this application embodiment can provide extended bookable tickets beyond the original ticket redemption range that meet the user's travel needs when using the flight pass, thereby increasing the user's flight booking options, improving the flight booking success rate in flight pass usage scenarios, and reducing user card cancellations due to the inability to book desired tickets, effectively improving the overall success rate of flight pass usage and user satisfaction. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the provided drawings without creative effort.

[0013] Figure 1 Example image of a flight pass purchased for a user.

[0014] Figure 2A This is an example image of a flight booking search page.

[0015] Figure 2B Example image of a window for selecting an appointment date.

[0016] Figure 3 A diagram of a travel service platform.

[0017] Figure 4 A flowchart illustrating the flight recommendation method based on flight pass cards provided in this application embodiment.

[0018] Figure 5 Another example image for a flight booking search page.

[0019] Figure 6A Example image showing how to redeem a bookable ticket for a higher price from the original airline.

[0020] Figure 6B This is an example image showing tickets that can be booked across different airlines.

[0021] Figure 6C This is an example image showing available flight tickets for nearby destinations.

[0022] Figure 7A This is an example image of a page that recommends bookable flight results to users.

[0023] Figure 7B Another example image showing a page that recommends bookable flight results to users.

[0024] Figure 8 This is an example image of a page with page tags.

[0025] Figure 9 This is a sample image of an order confirmation page. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0027] It should be noted that the user information (including but not limited to user device information, user personal information, etc.) and data (including but not limited to data used for analysis, data stored, data displayed, etc.) involved in this application are all information and data authorized by the user or fully authorized by all parties. Furthermore, the collection, use and processing of the relevant data must comply with the relevant laws, regulations and standards of the relevant countries and regions, and corresponding operation entry points are provided for users to choose to authorize or refuse.

[0028] OTP (Online Travel Platform) and OTA (Online Travel Agency) platforms can sell flight pass cards. These passes can be issued by one or more specific airlines, by the travel service platform itself, or jointly by one or more specific airlines and the travel service platform, and sold through the travel service platform. After purchasing a flight pass through the travel service platform, users can obtain flight redemption rights within the scope of the pass's applicability and enjoy a pre-agreed number of uses, such as a single-use pass card or a multi-use pass card. Therefore, a flight pass card is a pre-purchased flight benefit product. Users do not need to specify a specific flight or travel date when purchasing a flight pass card, but can flexibly redeem applicable flights later.

[0029] Furthermore, flight passes can come in different product forms, including but not limited to: tax-inclusive flight passes, where users do not need to pay additional taxes (such as infrastructure fees, fuel surcharges, etc.) when redeeming flight tickets with the flight pass; tax-exclusive flight passes, where users need to pay the corresponding taxes (such as infrastructure fees, fuel surcharges, etc.) when redeeming flight tickets with the flight pass; in addition, for flight passes used for international travel, users may also need to pay relevant international taxes as required.

[0030] To facilitate further understanding, Figure 1 An example image of a flight pass purchased by a user is shown, such as... Figure 1 As shown, after a user purchases a flight pass through a travel service platform, the platform can bind the corresponding flight pass to the user's account and provide a page to view the flight pass, displaying key information such as the remaining number of uses, total number of uses, and validity period. Simultaneously, the travel service platform supports users in managing flight pass passengers, viewing reservation records, and booking flights.

[0031] It should be noted that after purchasing a flight pass, users need to initiate a flight reservation through the travel service platform to ensure they can successfully redeem tickets within the applicable scope. Flight reservation means that before redeeming a ticket using the flight pass, users need to submit travel information such as departure and destination. The travel service platform then matches the user with available flights based on the flight pass's applicability and ticket availability. After the travel service platform returns the available flights to the user, the user can select a flight that meets their needs and confirm the order to complete the ticket redemption and issuance.

[0032] To facilitate flight bookings, travel service platforms can provide a flight booking search page. For example, when a user initiates a flight booking through a flight pass, the platform can display this search page, allowing the user to enter their travel information (such as departure point, destination, and travel dates) and initiate a flight search. For ease of understanding, Figure 2A An example image of a flight booking search page is shown below, such as... Figure 2A As shown, the flight booking search page provides users with fields to enter their departure point, destination, and travel date, as well as options for traveling with children or infants. The page also includes a button to search for flights after users have entered their travel information. Furthermore, the travel service platform can provide auxiliary functions such as desired itinerary selection and flight booking process guidance through the flight booking search page.

[0033] However, when users actually use the flight pass, although the flight booking process can provide clear itinerary matching and flight recommendations within the applicable range, it is inevitably limited by the scope of application of the flight pass (for example, a flight pass for a certain airline is only applicable to booking flights of that airline). This results in a limited number of tickets that users can book, or even situations where tickets are unavailable. In other words, because the inventory of tickets available for booking within the scope of application of the flight pass is relatively limited, the number of available tickets that users can search for when booking tickets is also limited, or even unavailable. Especially during peak travel periods such as holidays, summer vacation, and winter vacation, a large number of users' travel needs are concentrated on the same date and similar time period, while the limited inventory of tickets available for booking within the scope of application of the flight pass makes it impossible to meet the needs of most users to book tickets using the flight pass at the same time.

[0034] To facilitate further understanding, Figure 2B An example diagram of the appointment date selection window is shown, combined with... Figure 2A and Figure 2B As shown, after entering their departure and destination on the flight booking search page, users can click on the entry field for travel dates (such as outbound or return dates). At this time, the travel service platform can display a booking date selection window and verify whether tickets are available for each booking date based on the user's departure and destination and the applicable scope of the flight pass. If a booking date passes verification, it is considered a bookable date (meaning there are available tickets from the departure point to the destination for that booking date within the applicable scope of the flight pass). The travel service platform can then provide corresponding availability prompts for bookable dates. Users can then select a bookable date to view flight tickets for that date and choose to redeem a ticket. Conversely, if a booking date fails verification, it is considered an unbookable date (meaning there are no available tickets from the departure point to the destination for that booking date within the applicable scope of the flight pass). The travel service platform can then provide corresponding unbookable prompts for unbookable dates. In other words, users can intuitively view the available dates for bookable tickets and the unbookable dates for unbookable tickets through the reservation date selection window, thus determining whether they can successfully use the ticket card to redeem a ticket on the desired date.

[0035] Because the limited availability of available tickets for booking within the scope of the flight pass means users may encounter numerous unbookable dates when actually selecting a reservation date, or even experience other issues. Figure 2B The fact that all the available dates are unavailable means that users may not be able to successfully book flights using the flight pass, reducing the success rate of flight pass usage and thus affecting user satisfaction. This can lead to some users canceling their passes and causing user churn.

[0036] Based on this, this application provides a further improved method for recommending air tickets based on a flight pass. When a user uses a flight pass to book an air ticket, the recommended available air tickets include extended available air tickets that meet the user's travel needs and are beyond the scope of the flight pass's redemption range. These extended available air tickets at least support redemption using the flight pass, thereby supplementing the original available air tickets within the scope of the flight pass's applicability. This increases the options available to the user for booking air tickets, improves the success rate of air ticket booking in flight pass usage scenarios, and effectively improves the overall success rate of flight pass usage and user satisfaction.

[0037] As an optional implementation, the flight recommendation method based on flight pass usage provided in this application embodiment can be applied to travel service platforms. For ease of understanding, Figure 3 An exemplary block diagram of a travel service platform is shown. Figure 3 As shown, the travel service platform 310 may include a travel service client 311 and a travel back-end server 312; The Travel Service Client 311 is primarily user-oriented and is considered a front-end service (such as a front-end program) provided by the travel service platform for user interaction. This includes, but is not limited to, apps, web pages, and mini-programs provided by the travel service platform. The travel service client can be loaded onto the user's device, which includes, but is not limited to, smartphones, tablets, PCs (Personal Computers), and smart TVs. The travel backend server 312 is a backend service (such as a backend program) provided by the travel service platform. It is responsible for handling requests from travel service clients and managing data. The travel backend server can be deployed on the travel service platform's server. The travel service client and the travel back-end server together constitute the travel service platform. That is, the travel service client, as the front end, and the travel back-end server, as the back end, cooperate with each other to ensure that users can use the services provided by the travel service platform.

[0038] As an optional implementation Figure 4 An exemplary flowchart illustrates a flight recommendation method based on a flight pass according to an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to travel service platforms. Figure 4 The method may include the following steps.

[0039] Step S410: Obtain a flight search request from a user using a flight pass. The flight pass has a corresponding applicable scope, which is used by the user to redeem flight tickets within the applicable scope, and has a number of uses. The applicable scope at least includes the flight redemption range, and the flight search request at least indicates the user's travel destination.

[0040] As an optional implementation, the scope of application of the flight pass refers to the set of restrictions on users redeeming flight tickets using the flight pass. In an optional implementation, the scope of application of the flight pass may include the flight redemption range, which limits the types of tickets and flight conditions that users can redeem with the flight pass; for example, the flight redemption range may include the airline redemption range, the flight redemption range, and the redeemable cabin class, etc.

[0041] The airline redemption scope is used to limit the airlines (i.e., airlines) to which the ticket pass is applicable. Specifically, the airline redemption scope can correspond to a single airline, such as a ticket pass issued by a specific airline being applicable to flights actually operated by that airline; the airline redemption scope can also correspond to a group of airlines, such as a ticket pass allowing users to redeem tickets on multiple designated airlines, a combination of multiple airlines, or a pre-set airline alliance.

[0042] The flight redemption scope limits the flight resources applicable to the ticket pass, such as the set of flights that can be redeemed with the ticket pass. Specifically, the flight redemption scope can be limited to flights between a specific departure city and destination, and further, it can be limited to whether the flight is a direct flight, a connecting flight, or a multi-segment connecting flight. The redeemable cabin class limits the type of cabin that users can redeem with the ticket pass, such as economy class, business class, etc.

[0043] In a further optional implementation, the scope of application of the flight pass can also include a travel range, which is used to limit the departure and destination points for users to book flights using the flight pass. In an optional implementation, the travel range can be defined in the form of a set of locations, and / or a set of regions, and / or a set of countries. Specifically, the travel range can include one or more departure points and one or more destinations; that is, the travel range of the flight pass can correspond to a single departure point to a single destination, or a single departure point to multiple destinations, or multiple departure points to a single destination, or multiple departure points to multiple destinations, etc. In addition, the travel range can also be set by defining the travel region, for example, the travel range can correspond to a preset set of regions, such as a city cluster, airport cluster, large region (e.g., East China, South China, etc.), or a specific country, etc.

[0044] In other alternative implementations, the scope of application for the flight pass can also include additional conditions such as travel time range and user eligibility restrictions. For example, the travel time range can be used to limit the travel dates, available time periods, and whether holidays, weekends, or specific peak travel periods are excluded from the flight pass redeemable; user eligibility restrictions can be used to limit whether the flight pass is only available to registered users or users who meet a set age limit. Of course, the specific scope of application of the flight pass is subject to the issuance rules of the flight pass, and this application embodiment does not impose further restrictions in this regard.

[0045] As an optional implementation, this application does not limit the issuing entity of the flight pass. For example, the flight pass can be issued independently by a single airline, such as a flight pass product offered to users by a specific airline; or, for example, the flight pass can be issued by a travel service platform, such as a flight pass product designed and issued by a travel service platform based on the flight resources of one or more airlines. Furthermore, the flight pass can also be jointly issued by a travel service platform and one or more airlines, such as a travel service platform jointly setting the applicable rules for the flight pass with multiple cooperating airlines and jointly launching the flight pass product. Based on the above, the flight pass can be sold to users by the travel service platform. After purchasing the flight pass, users can redeem flight tickets within the applicable scope according to the pre-agreed number of uses within the validity period; after a user successfully redeems a ticket, the remaining number of uses on the flight pass is reduced accordingly.

[0046] Before a user can redeem a flight pass for a ticket, they need to make a reservation. This can be done through the flight reservation search page by entering their travel information. This information can include at least the user's departure and destination cities, such as the departure and arrival cities. Furthermore, it can also include information such as whether the user is traveling with children or infants. Based on this information, the travel service platform can clearly identify the user's travel needs for redeeming a flight pass and then match the appropriate tickets.

[0047] It is important to note that if the scope of application for the flight pass includes a travel area, then the user's departure point and destination should also be within that travel area. In other words, the departure point and destination entered by the user when filling in their travel information must conform to the travel area specified in the scope of application; for example, if the flight pass is applicable to routes in East China, then the user's departure point and destination should be located in that region.

[0048] Furthermore, in an optional implementation, after entering travel information such as the user's departure point and destination, the user can initiate a flight search operation through the flight booking search page, such as clicking the search button on the flight booking search page. In this way, the travel service platform can obtain the flight search request of the user using the flight pass, and the flight search request at least indicates the user's departure point and destination so that the travel service platform can make subsequent recommendations for available flights.

[0049] For ease of understanding, Figure 5 Another example image of a flight booking search page is shown below, such as... Figure 5 As shown in this embodiment, users can enter travel information such as departure point, destination, and whether they are traveling with children or infants on the flight booking search page. After entering the travel information, users can click the "Search Flights" button to initiate a flight search. Furthermore, the flight booking search page can also display auxiliary information related to flight booking. For example, the page can guide users through the flight booking process, such as selecting a city, then a booking date and flight, and finally confirming the ticket redemption order. Another example is the "Wishlist" section, which displays previously submitted wishlists (such as the user's pre-filled departure city, arrival city, and desired departure date) and their negotiation results. When a wishlist is successfully negotiated with an airline, the corresponding negotiation result can be displayed as "Successfully Negotiated," showing the departure city, arrival city, and departure date of the successfully negotiated wishlist. It also provides an entry point for flight booking, allowing users to proceed with the subsequent flight booking process for successfully negotiated wishlists. For example, the flight booking search page can also display a popular available flight route area, showcasing some of the most popular routes and providing an entry point for each route so that users can quickly view flight options and initiate flight booking.

[0050] By displaying the aforementioned multi-dimensional information, the flight booking search page allows users to not only initiate flight search requests based on their own input itinerary information, but also to conveniently choose suitable flight booking options and improve booking efficiency based on the dynamic results and popular available routes provided by the travel service platform.

[0051] Furthermore, distinct from Figure 2A The flight booking search page shown is... Figure 5The flight booking search page shown allows users to initiate a flight search without selecting a specific booking date when entering their travel information. In other words, users don't need to specify a travel date when entering their travel information; instead, the travel service platform, after responding to the flight search request, displays a set of booking dates and indicates the availability of each date. Users can then view the available flights for those dates and choose the specific flight that best suits their travel needs.

[0052] Step S411: Based on the flight search request, recommend bookable flight results to the user. The bookable flight results include extended bookable flights that are adapted to the user's travel destination and are beyond the scope of the original flight redemption. The extended bookable flights can at least be redeemed by the user using the flight pass to supplement the original bookable flights within the applicable scope.

[0053] In an optional implementation, the bookable flight results refer to the set of flights available for booking by the user, obtained from the user's flight search request in this embodiment. In this embodiment, when the travel service platform recommends bookable flight results to the user based on the flight search request, in addition to considering the original bookable flights within the applicable scope of the flight pass, it also considers extended bookable flights that match the flight search request and are outside the redemption range of the flight pass. That is, the bookable flight results recommended to the user include extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination and are outside the stated redemption range.

[0054] Specifically, "originally bookable tickets" refers to the set of bookable tickets retrieved based on a user's flight search request within the applicable scope of the flight pass. These originally bookable tickets meet the ticket redemption criteria (e.g., airline redemption range, flight redemption range, eligible cabin class, etc.) and travel restrictions stipulated by the flight pass, allowing users to directly redeem them using the flight pass. For example, a user's travel destination can include their departure point and destination. The ticket redemption range within the applicable scope of the flight pass can include at least one of the following: airline redemption range, flight redemption range, and eligible cabin class. Therefore, "originally bookable tickets" can be understood as bookable tickets matching the user's departure point and destination within the stated redemption range. For instance, tickets from the user's departure point to their destination that meet the airline redemption range, flight redemption range, and eligible cabin class requirements are bookable tickets. Thus, "originally bookable tickets" support direct redemption using the number of times the flight pass has been used.

[0055] Extended bookable flights refer to a set of bookable flights that exceed the original redemption range of the flight pass, but which, under the specific recommended conditions of this application embodiment, are suitable for the user's travel destination and at least support redemption using the flight pass. Therefore, extended bookable flights can be regarded as supplementary bookable flights to the original bookable flights, thereby providing users with a wider range of flight options.

[0056] In a specific optional implementation, within the applicable scope of the flight pass, if the number of originally bookable flights is limited or there is no inventory (i.e., there are no bookable flights within the applicable scope), the travel service platform can recommend the expanded bookable flights to supplement the originally bookable flights within the applicable scope, thereby increasing the options for users to book flights.

[0057] It can be seen that the flight pass has a corresponding applicable scope, at least including the flight ticket redemption range. When a user searches for bookable flights using the flight pass, the supply of flights that can meet the user's travel needs within the applicable scope of the flight pass may be limited, or even unbookable (i.e., the supply of originally bookable flights within the applicable scope is limited, or even nonexistent), resulting in a low success rate for users to book flights. Based on this, this application embodiment can recommend bookable flight results to the user after obtaining the user's flight search request using the flight pass. The bookable flight results include extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination and are outside the flight ticket redemption range, and the extended bookable flights can at least be redeemed using the flight pass, thus supplementing the originally bookable flights within the applicable scope. Therefore, this application embodiment can expand the flight booking options when users use the flight pass, that is, increase the number of bookable flights that match the user's travel needs, thereby increasing the probability that the user can book a flight that meets their travel needs, and thus improving the success rate of users using the flight pass and improving user satisfaction.

[0058] Specifically, when the supply of originally bookable tickets within the scope of the flight pass is limited or the user is dissatisfied with the originally bookable tickets, this application embodiment can expand the user's flight booking options by adapting to extended bookable tickets beyond the original ticket redemption range for the user's travel destination, thereby improving the actual success rate of flight pass usage. Therefore, the flight recommendation method based on flight passes provided in this application embodiment can provide extended bookable tickets beyond the original ticket redemption range that meet the user's travel needs when using the flight pass, thereby increasing the user's flight booking options, improving the flight booking success rate in flight pass usage scenarios, and reducing user card cancellations due to the inability to book desired tickets, effectively improving the overall success rate of flight pass usage and user satisfaction.

[0059] In optional implementations, the expanded bookable tickets referred to in this application embodiment may include, but are not limited to, at least one of the following: bookable tickets redeemed at a premium from the original airline, bookable tickets from other airlines, and bookable tickets from nearby destinations. In other words, this application embodiment can expand the bookable ticket results to suit the user's travel destination from dimensions such as price, airline, and nearby destination, when the ticket redemption range exceeds the ticket redemption limit of the ticket card. This provides users with additional, at least redeemable, expanded bookable tickets that can be redeemed using the ticket card, without changing the rules for using the ticket card.

[0060] As an optional implementation, the original airline's surcharged redemption of bookable tickets matches the user's departure point and destination, and is used for the number of times the user uses the ticket card and the surcharge amount for redemption; wherein, the airline corresponding to the original airline's surcharged redemption of bookable tickets is within the airline redemption range of the ticket redemption range, but the flight is not within the flight redemption range and / or the cabin class is not within the redeemable cabin class.

[0061] In other words, while the original airline's surcharged reservable tickets still fall within the scope of the ticket redemption card from the airline's perspective, they exceed the scope of ticket redemption from the perspective of flight and / or cabin class. Furthermore, the original airline's surcharged reservable tickets are matched with the user's departure and destination points; for example, the departure point of the original airline's surcharged reservable tickets is the user's departure point, and the destination is the user's destination. Moreover, the original airline's surcharged reservable tickets require the user to add a surcharge amount to the number of times they have used the ticket card; this surcharge amount can include cash surcharges and / or coupon surcharges.

[0062] Therefore, the original airline's increased price for redeeming bookable tickets can be understood as expanding the bookable ticket results by adding tickets that were originally outside the flight redemption range and / or redeemable cabin class restrictions, without changing the airline's redemption scope.

[0063] For ease of understanding, Figure 6A An example image showing a ticket redeemable with a premium from the original airline is provided for reference. Combined with... Figure 5 and Figure 6A As shown, assuming the airline redemption range for the flight pass is limited to the first airline, when using the flight pass, the user can use the number of times the flight pass has been used within the applicable range to directly redeem flights matching the user's departure city (e.g., Figure 5 (as shown in Hangzhou) and user destination (e.g.) Figure 5The example shown is a First Airlines ticket (from Beijing), where the user does not need to pay the additional ticket price. However, to enrich the flight options available to users while keeping the original airline unchanged, this embodiment of the application can introduce a surcharge for exchanging a bookable ticket with the original airline, for example... Figure 6A The first-line flight tickets shown (08:35-10:40) have a corresponding surcharge of 20 yuan, and the first-line flight tickets (10:23-12:42) have a corresponding surcharge of 50 yuan. Although the original airline's surcharge-redeemed tickets are still flights of the first-line airline matching the user's departure and destination, the flight number and / or cabin class are no longer within the flight redemption range and / or redeemable cabin class specified by the ticket card. For example, the travel time of the original airline's surcharge-redeemed tickets is better than the flight redemption range of the ticket card, and / or the cabin class is better than the redeemable cabin class of the ticket card, etc., thus providing users with more choices for booking tickets, thereby improving the user's travel experience while keeping the original airline unchanged.

[0064] As an optional implementation, cross-airline bookable tickets match the user's departure point and destination. For example, the departure point of a cross-airline bookable ticket is the user's departure point, and the destination point is the user's destination point. Furthermore, cross-airline bookable tickets are divided into cross-airline direct redemption bookable tickets and cross-airline surcharge redemption bookable tickets. Among them, the airline corresponding to the cross-airline bookable ticket is not included in the airline redemption range of the ticket redemption scope. The cross-airline direct redemption bookable ticket is used for direct redemption based on the number of times the user uses the ticket card, while the cross-airline surcharge redemption bookable ticket is used for redemption based on the number of times the user uses the ticket card and the surcharge amount.

[0065] In other words, cross-airline bookable tickets refer to tickets for airlines that are not included in the redemption range of the ticket card. However, through the mechanism of this application embodiment, cross-airline bookable tickets that match the user's departure point and destination can be added to the recommended bookable ticket results for the user, and at least support the user to redeem using the number of times the ticket card has been used.

[0066] Specifically, cross-airline bookable tickets can be further divided into cross-airline direct redemption of bookable tickets and cross-airline surcharge redemption of bookable tickets. For cross-airline direct redemption of bookable tickets, the airlines involved are not within the scope of the ticket pass's airline redemption range. However, under the mechanism of this application embodiment, users can directly redeem tickets using the number of times they have used the ticket pass, without paying an additional ticket price. For cross-airline surcharge redemption of bookable tickets, the airlines involved are not within the scope of the ticket pass's airline redemption range. However, under the mechanism of this application embodiment, users can redeem tickets using the number of times they have used the ticket pass and pay a certain surcharge amount. This surcharge amount includes a cash surcharge and / or a coupon surcharge.

[0067] Therefore, cross-airline bookable tickets can be seen as expanding the recommended results of bookable tickets from the perspective of airlines. This allows users to no longer be limited to the original range of airlines for ticket booking, but allows them to use at least one ticket card to redeem tickets from other airlines, thereby enriching the options available to users when booking tickets.

[0068] For ease of understanding, Figure 6B An example diagram showing bookable tickets across airlines is provided for reference. Figure 5 , Figure 6A and Figure 6B As shown, assuming the airline redemption range for the flight pass is limited to the first airline, this embodiment of the application can introduce cross-airline bookable tickets to enrich the flight options available to users, for example... Figure 6B The system displays flight tickets from second-tier and third-tier airlines, providing users with more options for booking tickets across different airlines and enhancing their travel experience. Specifically, Figure 6B The flight tickets shown for the second airline can be directly redeemed for bookable tickets across airlines. Users can use the number of times they have used their ticket pass to redeem the tickets directly. Figure 6B The third airline flight tickets shown can be redeemed for bookable tickets across different airlines at a premium. Users can redeem these tickets using the number of times they use their flight pass and a certain premium amount. It should be noted that the first airline mentioned above corresponds to the range of airlines eligible for the flight pass redemption and does not refer to any specific airline; the second and third airlines can be any airline different from the first airline.

[0069] As can be seen, by introducing cross-airline bookable tickets, this embodiment of the application can break through the original limitations of the flight pass in terms of airlines, allowing users to have more options for booking tickets from various airlines. Furthermore, by combining direct cross-airline redemption and cross-airline surcharge redemption, this embodiment of the application can provide users with a richer and more flexible selection of cross-airline bookable tickets, thereby further enhancing the overall user experience of the flight pass.

[0070] It should be further explained that, because travel service platforms can simultaneously connect to and integrate the ticket resources of multiple airlines, based on this multi-airline ticket resource integration capability, when a user uses a ticket pass to book a ticket, if there are insufficient, scarce, or unbookable tickets within the applicable scope of the ticket pass, the travel service platform can recommend cross-airline bookable tickets that match the user's departure point and destination as a supplementary solution to increase the user's ticket booking options, without changing the rules of using the ticket pass. In other words, based on the multi-airline ticket resource integration capabilities of the travel service platform, when users use the ticket reservation card to book tickets, the platform can increase the supply of ticket reservation resources from a single airline to multiple airlines, or even all airlines connected to the platform. This helps to improve the success rate of users booking tickets using the ticket reservation card on popular dates or during peak periods, and reduces the risk of card cancellations due to failed ticket reservations. On the other hand, it can also improve the utilization rate of idle ticket resources of other airlines, and achieve optimized scheduling of ticket resources from multiple airlines.

[0071] In a further optional implementation, this application embodiment can recommend cross-airline bookable tickets matching the user's departure and destination only when no available tickets are available within the scope of the ticket card's applicability. For example, for a specific booking date, if the airline redemption range of the ticket card does not have available tickets matching the user's departure and destination on that date (e.g., the original available tickets are out of stock), the travel service platform can recommend available tickets from other airlines for that date, i.e., recommend cross-airline bookable tickets. In this way, the travel service platform can ensure that available ticket resources within the airline redemption range of the ticket card are prioritized for display and booking when the user uses the ticket card. Cross-airline bookable tickets are only recommended when the airline redemption range cannot meet the user's ticket booking needs, thus avoiding information interference for the user and preventing the user from misunderstanding that cross-airline bookable tickets are within the scope of the ticket card's applicability.

[0072] It's important to clarify that allowing users to redeem cross-airline bookable tickets using flight pass cards does not expand the scope of application of flight pass cards; it remains unchanged. In an optional implementation, the cross-airline bookable tickets themselves are not within the scope of flight pass card application. Instead, the travel service platform integrates and coordinates resources from multiple airlines to support cross-airline bookable tickets, allowing users to redeem them using at least a flight pass card. Alternatively, this can be achieved through a cooperation agreement, interline arrangement, mutual recognition of rights, or other mechanisms supporting cross-airline redemption, between at least two of the three parties: the original airline (within the scope of flight pass card application), other airlines (not within the scope of flight pass card application), and the travel service platform. Furthermore, after a successful redemption, the remaining usage count of the flight pass card will be reduced accordingly.

[0073] In other words, the ability for users to redeem cross-airline bookable tickets using flight pass can be understood as the travel service platform, through the integration and scheduling of multi-airline ticket resources and / or agreement between airlines, recommending cross-airline bookable tickets to users. This aims to improve the utilization rate of other airlines' ticket resources (for example, recommending cross-airline bookable tickets when the original airline has no available tickets) and enhance the user's experience with the flight pass, thereby reducing the number of users canceling their passes due to insufficient available tickets within the applicable scope, and optimizing the ticket resources of multiple airlines.

[0074] Specifically, when the supply of bookable tickets from the original airline within the scope of the ticket card is limited or users are dissatisfied, this application embodiment can expand the user's ticket booking options by providing cross-airline bookable tickets, enabling users to book tickets across airlines when using the ticket card, that is, providing cross-airline ticket booking options, thereby improving the actual success rate of ticket card usage, and reducing the number of card refunds caused by users being unable to book tickets despite using the ticket card.

[0075] As an optional implementation, bookable tickets for nearby destinations refer to bookable tickets whose departure point is close to the user's departure point and / or whose destination is close to the user's destination. Although bookable tickets for nearby destinations do not perfectly match the user's departure point and / or destination, because the locations of the bookable tickets for nearby destinations are geographically adjacent to the user's travel destination, such as being within the same city cluster or within the range of alternative airports, they can be considered suitable for the user's travel destination within an acceptable travel distance or commuting range. In other words, bookable tickets for nearby destinations are alternative flight tickets that are suitable for the user's travel destination but do not completely match the user's itinerary. When flight resources within the applicable range of the ticket card are scarce, they can be recommended to the user as a supplementary flight option to help the user travel smoothly. In this embodiment of the application, bookable tickets for nearby destinations can be directly redeemed by the user using the ticket card without paying additional ticket price fees.

[0076] In the optional implementation, the airlines corresponding to the bookable tickets for nearby destinations may or may not be within the airline redemption range of the ticket card; that is, from the perspective of the airline, the airlines corresponding to the bookable tickets for nearby destinations can be the original airline or a different airline; however, since the departure point and / or destination of the bookable tickets for nearby destinations are geographically close to the user's travel location, it may exceed the original flight redemption range of the ticket card, and thus may exceed the ticket redemption range of the ticket card; in addition, the location of the bookable tickets for nearby destinations may also exceed the travel range of the ticket card, so bookable tickets for nearby destinations can be regarded as an extended bookable ticket that exceeds the applicable range of the ticket card.

[0077] It should be noted that "nearby location" refers to a place that is highly substitutable with the user's departure point or destination in terms of geographical location, transportation distance, or transportation accessibility. For example, an airport with high-speed transportation connectivity within a set distance range (e.g., a radius of 100 to 200 kilometers) of the user's departure point or destination is considered an acceptable nearby location for the user. Based on this, the embodiments of this application can expand the original point-to-point flight recommendation model (i.e., the flight recommendation model from the user's departure point to the user's destination) to a regional point-to-point flight recommendation model by allowing bookable tickets from nearby locations. Specifically, by identifying the user's nearby area, the original flight recommendations for the user's departure point and destination are expanded to include multiple alternative airport flight recommendation schemes covering the user's nearby area, thereby increasing the supply and coverage of bookable tickets.

[0078] Furthermore, for several core regions with a high proportion of frequent flyer card users, multiple airport hubs are generally distributed within a radius of 100 to 200 kilometers. These core regions typically have proximity to airport hubs with high passenger throughput and abundant route resources. These hubs are characterized by wide route coverage, competitive pricing, and high flight frequency, attracting passengers from surrounding cities to travel across cities and forming a stable pattern of intercity travel behavior. Therefore, building a nearby flight recommendation scheme based on these core regions can not only effectively expand the coverage of recommendable routes in the frequent flyer card usage scenario and improve the availability of bookable tickets, but also align with users' actual intercity travel decision-making logic, enhancing the recommendation effect.

[0079] To facilitate further understanding, Figure 6C An example diagram showing bookable flights to nearby destinations is provided, combined with... Figure 5 and Figure 6C As shown, suppose the user enters their departure point when searching for flights as... Figure 5 The destination shown is Hangzhou. Figure 5 For example, in the case of Beijing, available flights to nearby destinations can be flights geographically close to the user's departure or destination, such as flights within the same city cluster or within the range of alternative airports. Figure 6C The flight shown, departing from Hangzhou between 10:35 and 12:40, is bound for Binhai T2 (Tianjin). Since Tianjin and Beijing are neighboring cities with convenient transportation such as high-speed rail between them, users can travel from Tianjin to Beijing in a short time. Therefore, this flight can be considered a bookable ticket for a nearby destination suitable for users' travel.

[0080] By including cities or airports geographically close to the user's departure point and / or destination in the "nearby" category, and then recommending available flights from nearby locations, the system can enrich the flight options available to users across the travel geography dimension, improve the coverage of available flight results, and optimize the user experience.

[0081] Based on the foregoing description, it can be seen that the extended bookable tickets provided in this application embodiment involve situations where additional charges are applied for redemption. That is, users need to use the number of times they have used the ticket card and the additional charge amount to redeem the tickets. The extended bookable tickets involved in the additional charge redemption include, but are not limited to, bookable tickets that require additional charges for redemption, such as cross-airline additional charge redemption bookable tickets and original airline additional charge redemption bookable tickets.

[0082] As an optional implementation, in this embodiment, the surcharge can be used to expand the search range for available flights. For any expanded available flight, the surcharge refers to the portion exceeding the single-trip usage amount of the flight pass, including but not limited to cash surcharges and / or coupon surcharges. Specifically, the cash surcharge refers to the cash difference paid by the user; the coupon surcharge refers to the coupon amount provided to the user by the travel service platform, which can be used to deduct part or all of the difference when redeeming the flight and to expand the budget during the flight search phase.

[0083] In a specific optional implementation, the total redemption amount for the extended bookable tickets recommended in the bookable ticket results should reach the acceptable amount for extended bookable tickets. Specifically, for any extended bookable ticket, the total redemption amount represents the total cost that the user needs to bear to redeem the ticket. The composition of the total redemption amount differs for different types of extended bookable tickets. For example, for extended bookable tickets redeemed with a surcharge (such as cross-airline surcharge redemption, original airline surcharge redemption, etc.), the total redemption amount consists of the amount corresponding to a single use of the ticket card and the surcharge amount; for extended bookable tickets redeemed directly (such as cross-airline direct redemption, nearby destination bookable tickets, etc.), since the user does not need to pay an additional surcharge amount but uses the number of times the ticket card is used for direct redemption, the total redemption amount consists of the amount corresponding to a single use of the ticket card.

[0084] The acceptable price for an air ticket can be considered as the lower limit of the price that the ticket seller can accept. For example, the lower limit of the price that the airline corresponding to the ticket is willing to sell the ticket, that is, the minimum sellable price set by the ticket seller (such as the airline) to ensure that the ticket can be actually supplied.

[0085] Furthermore, for any extended bookable ticket, the acceptable amount for the extended bookable ticket is no higher than (lower than or equal to) the price required for the user to directly purchase the extended bookable ticket without using a ticket pass. This avoids the situation where users redeem extended bookable tickets by using the number of ticket passes and the additional amount, which is less cost-effective than purchasing the ticket directly.

[0086] Therefore, in a possible implementation, for any given ticket, the acceptable amount can be a price range (for example, each ticket can have a corresponding acceptable amount price range). The lower limit of this price range is the lowest available selling price of the ticket, and the upper limit is the price at which the user can directly purchase a ticket without using the ticket pass. Furthermore, when recommending extended bookable tickets, this application embodiment can recommend extended bookable tickets with a total redemption amount reaching the acceptable amount, that is, recommending extended bookable tickets that meet the acceptable amount of the ticket seller and are not higher than the price at which the user can directly purchase a ticket, thereby improving the use value of the ticket pass and the user experience.

[0087] Based on the above discussion, when searching for expanded bookable flights, if only the amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass is used to search for expanded bookable flights that meet the acceptable price range, the search scope is limited. Therefore, this application embodiment considers introducing a surcharge to expand the search scope for expanded bookable flights. For example, the budget amount when searching for expanded bookable flights can be expanded to include the amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass plus the surcharge, thereby expanding the price range of flights searched by the flight search algorithm. Then, within the budget amount plus the surcharge, expanded bookable flights that meet the acceptable price range are searched, allowing more flight ticket resources to enter the available set of expanded bookable flights. In other words, by expanding the budget amount used by users when using flight passes for flight search through the surcharge, the travel service platform can recall more expanded bookable flights that meet the acceptable price range, thereby expanding the scope of expanded bookable flights.

[0088] In a further optional implementation, to avoid excessively high surcharge costs, the embodiments of this application can pre-set the surcharge amount or set the surcharge amount based on user preferences; that is, the surcharge amount can correspond to a surcharge upper limit threshold, which can be pre-set or correspond to user preferences. Specifically, when the surcharge amount is used to expand the scope of flight ticket searches, the travel service platform can introduce AI algorithms. These AI algorithms can dynamically adjust the surcharge amount used to expand the flight ticket search scope based on user preferences, such as historical usage of flight pass cards, sensitivity to surcharges, tendency to use coupons, preferred airlines or route types, and the maximum tolerable surcharge amount. This makes the surcharges involved in the recommended expanded bookable tickets more aligned with the user's actual needs. Furthermore, under the condition of meeting the acceptable amount for the ticket seller, the travel service platform can provide more personalized recommendations for expanded bookable tickets based on user preferences through an adaptive surcharge strategy, improving the accuracy of recommendations and user experience.

[0089] Therefore, in a possible implementation, the process of recommending expanded bookable tickets can have the following recommendation conditions: the total redemption amount reaches an acceptable amount to ensure that ticket resources can be actually provided; and the surcharge amount corresponds to the surcharge upper limit threshold. Thus, constrained by the above recommendation conditions, this application embodiment can search for expanded bookable tickets that reach an acceptable amount within the budgeted amount for surcharge expansion, thereby filtering out expanded bookable tickets that meet the acceptable amount for the ticket seller and have a reasonable surcharge cost, improving the use value of the ticket pass and the user experience.

[0090] In other words, this application embodiment can expand the budget used for flight search by introducing a surcharge, making more flight tickets beyond the applicability of the flight pass available as recommended candidates. This results in a wider range of bookable flights at an acceptable price, enriching the bookable flight results recommended to the user. Therefore, by expanding the budget for flight search through a surcharge and constraining the acceptable price, this application embodiment can achieve intelligent recommendation of expanded bookable flights, ensuring that the recommended expanded bookable flights are both comprehensive and cost-effective, thus improving the recommendation effect.

[0091] In a more specific alternative implementation, for any extended bookable flight, the surcharge amount referred to in this application embodiment may include, but is not limited to, a cash surcharge amount and / or a coupon surcharge amount. Regardless of whether a cash surcharge amount, a coupon surcharge amount, or a combination of both is used, this application embodiment can expand the flight search scope for extended bookable flights by introducing a surcharge amount.

[0092] As an optional implementation, the amount corresponding to the coupon can be used as an optional form of surcharge, which can be used to expand the search range of available flights when recommending bookable flight results to users. For example, if the travel service platform detects that a user has a coupon, the amount of the coupon and the amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass can be added to the budget amount used for flight search, so as to expand the search range of available flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination, thereby recommending available flights that meet the acceptable price.

[0093] In a specific example, after receiving a user's flight search request using a flight pass, if the travel service platform detects that the user has a coupon, it can add the coupon amount to the amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass to form an expanded budget amount. This budget amount serves as the available budget during the flight search process, thereby expanding the search range of available flights suitable for the user's travel destination. Furthermore, to ensure that the recommended available flights to the user are acceptable in terms of total redemption cost, this embodiment of the application can constrain the total redemption amount of the available flights, requiring the total redemption amount to reach the acceptable amount of the ticket seller. Therefore, this embodiment of the application can search and recommend available flights within the expanded budget amount that reach an acceptable amount and exceed the ticket redemption range, and the recommended available flights are suitable for the user's travel destination. The specific types of available available flights involved can be referred to the previous description, such as available flights redeemed with a surcharge from the original airline, and available flights redeemed from different airlines.

[0094] Through the above methods, this application embodiment can expand the budget when searching for flights by adding coupons, thereby increasing the coverage of available flights and bringing more flights that meet the acceptable price but exceed the flight redemption range into the candidate set. This ensures the price rationality of the recommended results, allowing users to maintain the economy of the actual redemption cost while increasing the number of flight choices brought about by budget expansion, thereby improving user satisfaction.

[0095] In other possible implementations, the amount corresponding to the coupon can be used as an optional form of surcharge, deducting from the user's actual payment. Specifically, in this embodiment, when expanding the budget amount used for flight search, an amount can be set to expand the budget amount used for flight search by adding the amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass and the set amount to the budget amount used for flight search. This expands the search range for extended bookable flights suitable for the user's travel destination, resulting in recommended extended bookable flights. Based on this, and using detected user coupons, the portion of the recommended extended bookable flights exceeding the single use amount of the flight pass is deducted. In other words, the amount corresponding to the coupon can be used to deduct the difference between the extended bookable flights and the single use amount of the flight pass. Furthermore, when using a preset amount to add to the budget amount used for flight search, the set amount can not exceed the surcharge upper limit threshold.

[0096] It can be seen that user coupons can increase the budget during the flight search stage, thereby expanding the scope of available flight searches; they can also provide payment discounts for users during the flight redemption stage.

[0097] It should be noted that the surcharge amount in this application embodiment can be divided into two forms: cash surcharge amount and coupon surcharge amount. The cash surcharge amount refers to the cash difference paid by the user when redeeming a surcharge; the coupon surcharge amount refers to the amount corresponding to the coupon provided by the travel service platform, which can be used to expand the budget and / or offset the difference when searching for flights. The cash surcharge amount and the coupon surcharge amount can be used independently or in combination, thereby supporting diverse surcharge strategies to increase the number of bookable flight options recommended to the user. For example, in a possible implementation, when using the cash surcharge amount independently, the cash surcharge amount can not exceed the surcharge upper limit threshold; when using the coupon surcharge amount independently, the amount of the coupon used can not exceed the surcharge upper limit threshold; when using the cash surcharge amount and the coupon surcharge amount in combination, the combined amount is the surcharge amount, which can not exceed the surcharge upper limit threshold. Therefore, this application embodiment can flexibly determine the composition structure of the surcharge amount based on the specific amount of the coupons possessed by the user, without exceeding the surcharge upper limit threshold, to adapt to the specific circumstances of different users.

[0098] In a further optional implementation, embodiments of this application can set conditions for using coupons, so that the user's coupon is used in the surcharge only when the conditions are met. For example, the conditions for using coupons include, but are not limited to: the user specifying the use of coupons in advance, using coupons to meet user habits, and the user's coupon being a dedicated coupon for extended bookable flight scenarios, etc. Of course, embodiments of this application can also introduce AI algorithms to adapt and determine the conditions and timing for the user to use coupons, so as to improve the user experience.

[0099] In a further optional implementation, the extended bookable tickets that can be directly redeemed from the extended bookable tickets can display a direct redemption prompt; the extended bookable tickets that can be redeemed at a premium can display a premium redemption prompt, which may include: coupon usage prompt and / or cash premium prompt.

[0100] Specifically, to help users understand the redemption methods for different extended bookable tickets, travel service platforms can display corresponding prompts based on the type of extended bookable ticket. For example, for extended bookable tickets that allow users to directly redeem using their ticket credits (i.e., directly redeemable extended bookable tickets), the travel service platform can display a direct redemption prompt when showing the ticket, clarifying to users that the ticket can be redeemed without paying any additional amount. For extended bookable tickets that require users to use their ticket credits and pay a surcharge (i.e., surcharged extended bookable tickets), the travel service platform can display a surcharge redemption prompt when showing the ticket. The surcharge redemption information can include coupon usage instructions and / or cash surcharge instructions to clearly explain the surcharge composition to users. For example, if coupons can be used to offset the difference, coupon usage instructions can be displayed; if the surcharge includes the cash portion that the user actually needs to pay, cash surcharge instructions can be displayed; if the surcharge includes both cash and coupon portions, both cash surcharge instructions and coupon usage instructions can be displayed simultaneously, allowing users to clearly understand the source of the surcharge for the extended bookable flight redemption. Through the display of the above information, users can intuitively distinguish between different redemption modes for extended bookable flights, improving decision-making efficiency and user experience.

[0101] In a further optional implementation, the extended bookable tickets available for redemption with a surcharge can be divided into multiple surcharge tiers. Different surcharge tiers correspond to different bookable ticket service benefits, and the amount of the surcharge tier is positively correlated with the corresponding bookable ticket service benefits. For example, the surcharge amount can be divided into multiple surcharge tiers, each corresponding to different bookable ticket service benefits, and the surcharge amount can not exceed a surcharge upper limit threshold.

[0102] Specifically, a tiered pricing can correspond to a certain range of amounts, and different tiered pricing can correspond to different ticket service benefits. These ticket service benefits refer to the travel rights and benefits that the ticket offers, including but not limited to: flight time (e.g., morning flights, evening flights), cabin class (e.g., economy class, business class), flight duration, and whether the route is direct or has a stopover.

[0103] In the optional implementation, the premium tier amount is positively correlated with the corresponding bookable flight service benefits; that is, the higher the premium tier amount, the higher the corresponding bookable flight service benefits, providing users with a better service experience through expanded bookable flights. For example, lower premium tiers allow users to redeem tickets for regular time slots or lower cabin classes; while higher premium tiers allow users to redeem tickets with better flight times, shorter flight durations, direct flights, or higher cabin classes. This positive correlation allows users to intuitively understand the differences in flight experience obtained from different premium tiers and freely choose the appropriate premium tier for expanded bookable flights based on their own needs, thereby improving the user experience.

[0104] From a more specific presentation perspective, as an optional implementation, after receiving a user's flight search request using a flight pass, the travel service platform can respond to the flight search request and display reservation calendar information to the user. The reservation calendar information includes at least one reservation date corresponding to the flight pass that the user can select, as well as the reservation availability of each reservation date. Furthermore, the travel service platform can display the available flight results corresponding to the selected reservation date to the user.

[0105] Specifically, the reservation calendar information can be a set of reservation dates displayed in calendar form, including at least one reservation date corresponding to the flight pass for the user to select, and the reservation availability of each reservation date. For any reservation date, the reservation availability indicates the availability of available tickets for that reservation date, indicating whether the user can reserve a ticket on that date; in optional implementations, the reservation availability of a reservation date includes, but is not limited to: available, available on waitlist, or unavailable.

[0106] Specifically, if at least one bookable flight is available in the available flight results for a given booking date, then the booking status for that date is "bookable," meaning the user can book a flight on that date. For example, if the available flight results for a booking date include both extended and / or original bookable flights (e.g., neither extended nor original bookable flights are out of stock), it indicates that the user can book at least one flight on that date, therefore the booking status for that date is "bookable."

[0107] If no available tickets are listed for a given booking date, the availability status will be either "waitlist available" or "unbookable." This means the user cannot book a ticket on that date, and the travel service platform will display the waitlist or unbookable status. "Waitlist available" indicates that there are currently no tickets available for immediate booking, but users can wait in a queue for available tickets to be added to the inventory. For example, users can join a waitlist to wait for tickets to be added or released, thus increasing their chances of booking a ticket on that date. "Unbookable" indicates that there are no available tickets for that date.

[0108] Furthermore, users can intuitively determine the availability of flights for each booking date based on the booking calendar information, thus quickly identifying suitable booking dates and avoiding repeated attempts on unavailable dates, thereby improving flight booking efficiency and user experience. For example, users can select available booking dates from the booking calendar information, and the travel service platform can recommend available flights corresponding to the selected dates, with at least one available flight available for the user to book, including but not limited to extended available flights and / or the original available flights.

[0109] In a further optional implementation, reservation calendar information can be displayed on the reservation calendar page, and available flight results can be displayed on the flight recommendation page. The flight recommendation page is overlaid on the reservation calendar page as a floating layer, and the flight recommendation page has a floating layer control for users to operate, such as expanding or collapsing the flight recommendation page.

[0110] To facilitate further understanding, let's take the example of displaying tickets that can be booked across different airlines. Figure 7A An example image of a page recommending bookable flight results to users is shown below, combined with... Figure 5 and Figure 7A As shown, after entering their departure and destination points on the flight booking search page, users can click the "Search Flights" button to initiate a flight search. The travel service platform responds to the search request by displaying a booking calendar page. This calendar page shows at least one booking date and its availability (e.g., available, waitlisted, etc.). Users can then select a specific date from the available options to view corresponding flight results. Furthermore, the travel service platform can overlay a flight recommendation page on top of the booking calendar page, displaying available flights for the selected date. The available flight results displayed on the flight recommendation page can be adjusted according to the user's selected booking date.

[0111] For example, if there are no available flights within the scope of the ticket card for the selected booking date, such as when the original available flights were out of stock, the travel service platform can display a message on the flight recommendation page indicating that there are currently no flights within the applicable scope, and recommend flights from other airlines. The platform can also display cross-airline available flights matching the booking date on the flight recommendation page. In a specific example, combined with... Figure 7A As shown, assuming that the first airline (the original airline within the applicable scope) does not have any flights available for booking on the user's selected booking date, the travel service platform can display available cross-airline tickets for that booking date on the ticket recommendation page, such as available tickets from the second airline (using cross-airline direct redemption as an example) and available tickets from the third airline (using cross-airline surcharge redemption as an example), so that the user can choose to book.

[0112] For example, if the available tickets for the selected booking date include available tickets for the first airline within the scope of the ticket card, meaning there is at least one originally available ticket for the first airline, the travel service platform can display the originally available ticket for the first airline for that booking date on the ticket recommendation page. In this case, the travel service platform may not recommend extended available tickets, such as not recommending cross-airline available tickets.

[0113] For example, regardless of whether there are any available tickets within the scope of the ticket card in the available flight results for the selected reservation date, this application embodiment can display the extended available tickets matching the reservation date on the flight recommendation page, such as cross-airline available tickets.

[0114] In other words, in the optional implementation, if there are no originally bookable tickets within the applicable scope for a certain reservation date, the travel service platform can prompt the user that there are currently no flights available within the applicable scope, and supplement the display with extended bookable tickets for that reservation date, such as cross-airline bookable tickets matching the user's itinerary. Conversely, if there are originally bookable tickets within the applicable scope for a certain reservation date, the travel service platform can either display only the originally bookable tickets matching the user's itinerary for that reservation date, or further display extended bookable tickets, such as cross-airline bookable tickets. Therefore, regardless of whether there are originally bookable tickets within the applicable scope for a certain reservation date, the embodiments of this application support the display of extended bookable tickets to provide users with richer flight reservation options.

[0115] In further optional implementations, combined with Figure 7AAs shown, the flight recommendation page can have a floating control for users to expand or collapse. Specifically, the flight recommendation page can be presented as a floating layer, hovering above the booking calendar page. When the floating layer is expanded, it will partially obscure the booking calendar page. Therefore, the flight recommendation page can have a floating control for users to expand or collapse. For example, when a user needs to view available flight results, they can expand the floating layer using the control; when they need to view booking calendar information, they can collapse it using the control, thus avoiding obscuring the booking calendar page content. In this way, users can flexibly switch between browsing booking calendar information and recommended available flight results, improving page operability and interactive experience.

[0116] To facilitate further understanding, Figure 7B An example image of another page recommending bookable flight results to users is shown below, such as... Figure 7B As shown, after responding to a user's flight search request, the travel service platform can display a booking calendar page, while the flight recommendation page is displayed in a collapsed state. At this time, the booking calendar page displays various booking dates and their corresponding availability. When the user selects a booking date, the flight recommendation page expands its display area, overlaying the booking calendar page and partially obscuring the calendar page's booking dates. In this state, the flight recommendation page can be considered partially expanded, displaying available flights for the selected date. Furthermore, users can flexibly manipulate the overlay control to expand or collapse the flight recommendation page, even displaying it while completely obscuring the calendar page (i.e., making it fully expanded), for example, by swiping up the overlay control to the fully expanded position. Additionally, the flight recommendation page allows users to view available flights by swiping. For example, swiping up on the flight recommendation page will bring up available flights not currently displayed on the screen.

[0117] In other possible implementations, the embodiments of this application are not limited to the display format of the flight recommendation page being overlaid on the booking calendar page as a floating layer. For example, booking calendar information and available flight results can be displayed on the same page, such as displaying booking calendar information and available flight results in separate areas on the same page. Alternatively, the travel service platform can display the flight recommendation page after the user selects a booking date via page redirection.

[0118] In a further optional implementation, from a presentational perspective, this embodiment of the application can display a page showing the available flight results (e.g., a flight recommendation page). This page has multiple page tabs for users to switch between different types of available flight results. For example, the multiple page tabs include at least: a cross-airline recommendation page tab for displaying available flights across different airlines; and a nearby destination recommendation page tab for displaying available flights to nearby destinations. For instance, when there is no stock of the original available flights within the applicable scope, different page tabs can be used to display available flights across different airlines, available flights to nearby destinations, etc.

[0119] For ease of understanding, Figure 8 An example image of a page with page tags is shown, such as... Figure 8 As shown in the example, for the user's selected booking date, if there are no available tickets within the applicable range of the flight pass (e.g., the original airline has no available tickets within the applicable range), the travel service platform can include cross-airline available tickets and nearby destination available tickets in the recommended booking results. Furthermore, when displaying the flight recommendation page, a separate "cross-airline recommendation page" and "nearby destination recommendation page" label are used. The page area corresponding to the "cross-airline recommendation page" label displays cross-airline available tickets, recommending cross-airline booking options to the user, which may include direct cross-airline redemption of available tickets, cross-airline surcharge redemption of available tickets, etc. The page area corresponding to the "nearby destination recommendation page" label displays nearby destination available tickets, recommending nearby travel options to the user, thus enriching the user's flight booking choices. In a further optional implementation, the page displaying the booking results can also have a "original airline surcharge" page label to display available tickets redeemed with a surcharge from the original airline. Therefore, users can flexibly switch between different page labels to view different types of booking results. Furthermore, as the user adjusts the selected appointment date, the content displayed in the corresponding page area for each page tab will be adjusted accordingly.

[0120] In a further optional implementation, the results for a specific booking date selected by the user may not show any available tickets (e.g., no existing available tickets within the applicable range for that booking date, or no extended available tickets beyond the ticket redemption range), or the results may show available tickets for that booking date, but the user is not satisfied. To address these situations, the travel service platform can also display a one-click waitlist prompt, for example... Figure 8As shown in the example, travel service platforms can use a one-click waitlist notification to prompt users that if they cannot find their desired flight in the available booking results, they can submit a waitlist application with a single click. This allows users to wait in line for available tickets and potentially secure a booking. This method reduces user complexity and increases willingness to waitlist.

[0121] Furthermore, after accepting a user's waitlist application, the travel service platform can promptly match tickets that meet the user's itinerary based on subsequent releases of ticket inventory, returned ticket inventory, or newly added ticket inventory. For example, it can match previously available tickets and / or expand available tickets that meet the user's itinerary, and notify the user of the available ticket results.

[0122] In a further optional implementation, if a user selects a flight from the available flight results (not limited to the original available flights or the expanded available flights), for example, if the user selects a specific flight from the available flights for a certain booking date, the travel service platform can respond to the user's flight selection action by displaying the order confirmation page for the selected flight. This order confirmation page guides the user through the process of submitting the flight redemption order, allowing the user to confirm travel information, select or edit passenger information, fill in contact information, select additional services, and submit the flight redemption request.

[0123] For ease of understanding, Figure 9 An example image of an order confirmation page is shown for reference. Figure 9 As shown, the order confirmation page allows travel service platforms to display key information about selected tickets, such as flight date, departure and arrival cities, departure time, flight type (e.g., direct flight), airport construction and fuel surcharges, and the corresponding baggage refund and change policies. In the passenger area of ​​the order confirmation page, the platform displays a list of frequently used passengers, allowing users to select existing passengers, edit document information, or add more passengers. Furthermore, the platform provides an entry point on the order confirmation page to invite fellow travelers to complete the form, improving efficiency when multiple travelers are involved. Users can also fill in or confirm contact numbers for receiving travel notifications and flight change alerts. The platform also supports enabling all passengers to receive flight change SMS messages, ensuring synchronized travel information and reducing communication costs among travelers.

[0124] Meanwhile, the order confirmation page can also display additional service options for users, such as travel protection (insurance) services and baggage services, so that users can choose whether to purchase additional services according to their own needs. The order confirmation page can also display the number of times the flight pass has been used for this order (e.g., 1 use already deducted), the amount to be paid (e.g., airport construction and fuel surcharges, cash surcharges, etc.), and provide a "Go to Payment" button so that users can submit the order and complete the flight redemption.

[0125] The flight recommendation method based on flight pass usage provided in this application embodiment realizes intelligent recommendation of expanded bookable flights adapted to the user's travel destination. For example, when there are no originally bookable flights for the user's desired date within the applicable scope of the flight pass, the travel service platform can intelligently recommend expanded bookable flights adapted to the user's travel destination, such as cross-airline bookable flights, original airline tickets redeemed with a surcharge, and nearby destination tickets, to supplement the user's bookable flight options. Furthermore, this application embodiment can introduce user coupons or other surcharges to expand the flight search scope of the expanded bookable flights, further expanding the bookable flights that the user can choose from.

[0126] Therefore, this application embodiment can improve the success rate of users using flight pass cards, that is, improve the redemption success rate of flight pass cards. Meanwhile, compared to flight reservation schemes that rely solely on a single waitlist capability, this application embodiment, by combining user search behavior, flight ticket supply, surcharge rules, coupon deductions, and multi-airline allocation, constructs a precise extended flight matching system centered on city, date, and price. This expands the available flight options for users when the original available flight supply within the scope of the flight pass's applicability is unstable or inventory is limited. It also increases the utilization rate of idle flight resources from other airlines or the same airline beyond the applicable scope, reducing user cancellations due to users being unable to book tickets for their desired dates, reducing user churn, and ultimately improving overall user satisfaction.

[0127] In a further optional implementation, this application embodiment also provides a storage medium storing computer execution instructions. When the computer execution instructions are executed (e.g., when the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor), the flight recommendation method based on flight ticket usage cards provided in this application embodiment is implemented. In a further optional implementation, this application embodiment also provides a computer program product including computer execution instructions. When the computer execution instructions are executed (e.g., when the computer execution instructions are executed by a processor), the flight recommendation method based on flight ticket usage cards provided in this application embodiment is implemented.

[0128] The foregoing descriptions have outlined multiple embodiments of this application. The various optional methods described in each embodiment can be combined and cross-referenced without conflict, thereby extending to a variety of possible embodiments. These can all be considered as embodiments disclosed in this application. Although the embodiments of this application are disclosed above, this application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can make various modifications and alterations without departing from the spirit and scope of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope defined in the claims.

Claims

1. A method for recommending airline tickets based on a flight pass, characterized in that, Applied to a travel service platform, the method includes: The system obtains flight search requests from users using flight pass cards. The flight pass card has a corresponding applicable scope, is used by users to redeem flight tickets within the applicable scope, and has a number of uses. The applicable scope at least includes the flight redemption range, and the flight search request at least indicates the user's travel destination. Based on the flight search request, the system recommends bookable flight results to the user. These bookable flight results include extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination and are outside the scope of the original flight redemption. The extended bookable flights can be redeemed by the user using the flight pass to supplement the original bookable flights within the applicable scope.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The user's travel location includes the user's departure point and the user's destination; the ticket redemption range includes at least one of the following: airline redemption range, flight redemption range, and redeemable cabin class; the originally bookable tickets are bookable tickets that match the user's departure point and the user's destination and are within the ticket redemption range, and support the user to directly redeem using the number of uses of the ticket card; The expanded bookable tickets include at least one of the following: The system matches the user's departure point and destination with the original airline's bookable tickets available for redemption at a premium. This is used to determine the number of times the user uses the ticket card and the premium amount for redemption. The airline corresponding to the bookable tickets available for redemption at a premium is within the airline redemption range, but the flight is not within the flight redemption range and / or the cabin class is not within the redeemable cabin class. This system matches users' departure and destination locations with available cross-airline tickets. These tickets are categorized into direct cross-airline redemption tickets and surcharged cross-airline redemption tickets. The airlines corresponding to these tickets may not be included in the ticket redemption scope. Direct cross-airline redemption tickets are used to redeem tickets based on the number of times the user has used the ticket card, while surcharged cross-airline redemption tickets are used to redeem tickets based on the number of times the user has used the ticket card and the surcharge amount. The available flight tickets are for nearby destinations, where the departure point is close to the user's departure point and / or the destination is close to the user's destination; wherein, the available flight tickets for nearby destinations can be directly redeemed by the user using the flight pass.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The surcharge is used to expand the search scope for the expanded bookable tickets, and the surcharge includes a cash surcharge and / or a coupon surcharge.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The process of recommending bookable flight results to the user based on the flight search request includes: If a user is detected to have a coupon, the amount of the coupon and the amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass are added to the budget amount used for flight search, so as to expand the scope of flight search for extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination, and obtain extended bookable flights recommended to the user. or, The amount corresponding to a single use of the flight pass and the set amount are added to the budget amount used for flight search to expand the flight search range for extended bookable flights that are suitable for the user's travel destination, thereby obtaining recommended extended bookable flights; and based on the detected user coupons, the portion of the recommended extended bookable flights that exceeds the amount of a single use of the flight pass is deducted.

5. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The total redemption amount for the extended bookable tickets recommended in the available flight results reaches the corresponding acceptable amount; the acceptable amount is not higher than the price at which the user directly purchases the extended bookable tickets without using a flight pass; wherein, for extended bookable tickets redeemed with a markup, the amount of a single use of the flight pass and the markup amount constitute the corresponding total redemption amount; for extended bookable tickets redeemed directly, the amount of a single use of the flight pass constitutes the corresponding total redemption amount. And / or, The additional charge amount is preset or corresponds to user preferences.

6. The method according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that, The extended bookable tickets, which can be redeemed with a premium, are divided into multiple premium tiers; different premium tiers correspond to different bookable ticket service benefits, and the amount of the premium tier is positively correlated with the corresponding bookable ticket service benefits.

7. The method according to any one of claims 3-4, characterized in that, The extended bookable tickets that can be directly redeemed in the extended bookable tickets list will be displayed with a direct redemption prompt message; The extended bookable tickets that can be redeemed at a higher price will display a corresponding information prompting the higher price redemption. This information includes: information prompting the use of coupons and / or information prompting the higher price in cash.

8. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: Display reservation calendar information, which includes at least one reservation date for the user to select corresponding to the flight pass, and the availability of reservations for each reservation date; based on the reservation date selected by the user, display the available flight tickets for that reservation date; Specifically, for any given reservation date, if there is at least one available flight in the available flight results for that date, the reservation status for that date is "available for booking". If there is no available flight in the available flight results for that date, the reservation status for that date is either "waitlist available" or "unavailable". "Waitlist available" means that there are currently no available flights for that date, but users can wait in line for flight availability to have the opportunity to book a flight. The reservation calendar information is displayed on the reservation calendar page, and the available flight results are displayed on the flight recommendation page. The flight recommendation page is overlaid on the reservation calendar page as a floating layer, and the flight recommendation page has a floating layer control for users to operate, such as expanding or collapsing the flight recommendation page; or, the reservation calendar information and the available flight results are displayed on the same page.

9. The method according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method further includes: When there are no available tickets for the original bookable flights, it is recommended to expand the number of bookable flights. And / or, A page displaying the available flight results is provided, and the page has multiple tabs for users to switch between different types of available flight results. And / or, Display a one-click waitlist notification to prompt users to submit a waitlist application with a single click when they cannot find their desired flight in the available flight results. And / or, In response to the user's selection of a flight in the available flight results, the order confirmation page for the selected flight is displayed. The order confirmation page is used for the user to confirm travel information, select or edit passenger information, fill in contact information, select additional services, and submit the ticket redemption request.

10. A computer program, characterized in that, It includes computer execution instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the flight recommendation method based on flight pass cards as described in any one of claims 1-9.

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