Patent ID: 8265966
Filing Date: 2012-09-11
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a computer system including one or more computers, a travel search request including travel preferences for each of a plurality of passenger groups, each passenger group having different members, traveling on multiple, different routes and at least one joint travel preference or requirement shared by each member of the plurality of passenger groups; constructing, by operation of a computer, a first query for a first passenger group of the plurality of passenger groups, the first query comprising at least one attribute for each of a first origin and a first destination and at least one attribute for the joint travel preference or requirement; receiving a first plurality of travel solutions from a travel planning system, the solutions comprising sets of flights based on the first query; identifying, by operation of a computer, a selection of at least one solution from the first plurality of solutions received from the travel planning system in response to the first query, the selected at least one solution comprising at least two of the first origin, the first destination, or a first intermediate location between the first origin and the first destination; constructing, by operation of a computer, a second query for a second passenger group of the plurality of passenger groups, the second query comprising at least one attribute for each of a second origin and a second destination and at least one attribute for the joint travel preference or requirement; receiving a second plurality of travel solutions from the travel planning system, the solutions comprising sets of flights based on the second query; selecting, by operation of a computer, a predetermined number of solutions from the second plurality of travel solutions, each of which involves at least one passenger of the first passenger group traveling together with at least one passenger of the second passenger group on at least one segment of travel, each of the selected solutions further comprising at least one of: (i) a second intermediate location between the second origin and second destination that matches the first origin, or (ii) a second intermediate location between the second origin and second destination that matches the first intermediate location when the selected at least one solution includes a first intermediate location; and returning information regarding travel solutions for each of the plurality of passenger groups in response to the travel search request.