Dhiren R Fonseca

US Patent:

7272568, Sep 18, 2007

Filed:

Aug 25, 2000

Appl. No.:

09/648581

Inventors:

Hugh H. Birch - Woodinville WA, US
David A. Beitel - Seattle WA, US
Dhiren R. Fonseca - Seattle WA, US

Assignee:

Expedia, Inc. - Bellevue WA

International Classification:

G06Q 10/00

US Classification:

705 5, 705 26, 705 27, 705 80

Abstract:

Described is a system and method for matching a customer's offer for travel services with quotes from providers of those travel services in a way that allows the providers to negotiate preferential treatment. An online travel service exchanger receives an offer from a customer for travel services, such as airfare. The online travel service exchanger attempts to satisfy the customer's offer by retrieving from a global distribution system one or more quotes for the identified travel services. Rather than merely requesting quotes from randomly selected airlines, the online travel service exchanger first requests quotes from one preferred airline at a time in descending order of preference until the offer is satisfied. If no preferred airline satisfies the offer, the online travel service exchanger may request quotes from a group of non-preferred airlines. The online travel service exchanger then satisfies, if possible, the offer with one of the quotes from the non-preferred airlines.