Patent Publication Number: US-2015088619-A1

Title: Techniques for processing customers affected by involunary denial of boarding

Description:
BACKGROUND  
     The present invention relates to travel systems, and more specifically to techniques for processing customers affected by involuntary denial of boarding. 
     Involuntary denial of boarding (IDB) occurs when an airline has oversold a flight and therefore has no seats remaining for one or more customers who have purchased tickets for the flight. Airlines typically ask for volunteers with seats on the flight to give up those seats so that customers without seats may become passengers on the flight. However, some customers without seats may still not become passengers on the flight. 
     Airlines are obligated to provide notice to customers who have been involuntarily denied boarding and to customers who have given up their seats. The notice explains the airline&#39;s obligations to these customers. Airlines typically rebook them on the next available flight and offer a travel voucher or other compensation award to such customers. 
     Current procedures for handling customers who have been involuntarily denied boarding or given up their seats involve paper forms. For example, when a customer accepts a travel voucher, the customer must sign a paper form. The airline must keep the signed form on file or be subject to fines imposed by law. 
     It would be desirable to provide an alternative method of processing customers affected by airlines that involuntarily deny boarding. 
     SUMMARY  
     In accordance with the teachings of the present invention, techniques for processing customers affected by involuntary denial of boarding are provided. 
     An example method includes displaying terms of a compensation award to a customer affected by involuntary denial of boarding by a computer, recording an electronic signature of the customer by the computer, and storing the terms and the electronic signature in a data store by the computer. The method may further include issuing the compensation award in accordance with the terms. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example travel system. 
         FIG. 2  is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of processing customers affected by involuntary denial of boarding. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
     Turning now to  FIG. 1 , travel system  10  is illustrated in an air travel example. Other types of transportation methods and corresponding types of travel systems are also envisioned. 
     Example travel system  10  primarily includes one or more airline systems  12 . Airline system  12  includes one or more servers including one or more processors, memory, and program and data storage. Airline system  12  may execute an operating system such as a Microsoft or Linux operating system. Airline system  12  further includes network circuitry for connecting to network  40 , and may include other circuitry for connecting to peripherals, such as a display, a printer, a mouse, and a keyboard. 
     Network  40  may include any combination of wireless or wired networks, including local area, wide area, virtual private, and global communication networks, such as the Internet. 
     Airline system  12  maintains one or more databases containing flight data  30  and passenger data  32 . Flight data  30  may include information about each scheduled flight. Passenger data  32  may include passenger identification information and other information associated with the passenger identification information, including travel document information. Travel documents may include passports or visas issued by government authorities, or other required travel documents. Travel document information may include passenger nationality, travel document number, travel document expiration, travel document issuing authority, or other required information. Airline system  12  may also include third part host computers that store and manage some of the flight data  30  and passenger data  32  in a Departure Control System (DCS) for an airline. 
     Airline system  12  may be connected to the web and include a web server which hosts a web site  36  including web pages, web applications and other web content. Passengers may visit web site  36  to make or change reservations and to check-in for flights. 
     Airline customers who have been affected by involuntarily denied boarding (IDB) may also visit web site  36  to obtain a travel voucher and/or other compensation award. For this purpose, web site  36  may include or provide IDB capture software  38 . 
     IDB capture software  38  receives identifying information from a customer affected by IDB. IDB capture software  38  verifies the identifying information against passenger data  32  and/or flight data  30 , including verifying that the customer was denied boarding. Example identifying information may include a confirmation number, a name, and/or a flight number. 
     IDB capture software  38  may receive the identifying information from any of a variety of example devices. For example, IDB capture software  38  may receive the identifying information entered by the customer using a touch screen. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may receive the identifying information from a loyalty or credit card using a card reader. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may receive the identifying information from a barcode on a boarding pass using a barcode reader. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may receive the identifying information from a chip or machine readable zone of a passport or visa using a passport reader. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may wirelessly receive the identifying information from a mobile communication device of the customer equipped with near field communication circuitry. 
     If the verification passes, IDB capture software  38  displays a notice of airline obligations and a compensation award form containing terms of compensation. IDB capture software  38  prompts the customer to enter an electronic signature. The electronic signature may be a signature applied via a stylus, the customer&#39;s typed name, or other entry signifying the customer&#39;s agreement with the terms of the compensation award. IDB capture software  38  captures the electronic signature and stores signed forms in IDB data  34 . 
     IDB capture software  38  issues a travel voucher or other compensation award. For example, IDB capture software  38  may electronically provide the compensation award by adding a record of the award to passenger data  32 . 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may print a document evidencing the award. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may credit an amount of the award to a credit or other payment card account of the customer. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may send an electronic document evidencing the award to the customer&#39;s email address, and/or transfer the electronic document to the customer&#39;s mobile communication device for storage through email, text message, near field communications, or other means. 
     It is envisioned that airlines may offer different types of awards and the amount and types of awards may vary among airlines. For example, an airline may issue an award of ‘airline dollars’ good only on flights with that airline. The same airline may issue a cash refund award if a customer decides to cancel travel. 
     IDB capture software  38  may be written in a programming language such as the Java programming and be hosted within browser software. 
     As another example, IDB capture software  38  may include a script, written in a scripting language such as JavaScript, combined with hypertext markup language (HTML) or other suitable web page language and hosted within browser software. 
     As yet another example, IDB capture software  38  may include a software applet written to be executed within an operating system of a host computer system. 
     Airline customers who have been involuntarily denied boarding use computer  14  to complete and sign the form. For this purpose, computer  14  may include a personal computer, kiosk, or wall-mounted computer located at the airport. In an alternative embodiment, the customers who have been involuntarily denied boarding may complete and sign the form remotely, using a personal computer or mobile communication device, such as a smart phone, personal digital assistant, tablet computing device, or other portable communication device. 
     Computer  14  may include one or more processors, memory, and program and data storage. Computer  14  may execute an operating system such as a Microsoft, Google, or Apple operating system. Computer  14  may execute other computer software, which may be stored in a computer readable medium, and which may include web browser software to display web pages from airline system  12  and IDB capture software  38 . Computer  14  further includes wired and/or wireless network circuitry for connecting to airline system  12  through network  40 , and includes other circuitry for connecting to peripherals, such as a touch screen (or a display, keyboard, and mouse), and a printer. Computer  14  may further include one or more of a card reader, a barcode reader, a near filed communication reader, and a passport reader. 
     Example travel system  10  further includes agent computer systems  16  at terminal check-in and/or gate locations. In addition to other check-in functions, agent computer systems  16  may assist agents in making decisions regarding which airline customers will be denied boarding and which customers will receive compensation awards, and in processing compensation awards for these customers. 
     Agent computer systems  16  each include one or more processors, memory, and program and data storage. Agent computer systems  16  may execute an operating system such as a Microsoft or Linux operating system. Agent computer systems  16  further include network circuitry for connecting to network  40 , and may include other circuitry for connecting to peripherals, such as a touch screen or display, keyboard, and mouse. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the functions of computer  14  may be combined into agent computer systems  16 . Each of agent computer systems  16  may include a second display and associated peripherals facing the customer for completing IDB procedures with attendant assistance. 
     With reference to  FIG. 2 , an example IDB method is illustrated beginning with step  60 . The example method facilitates self-service processing of customers affected by involuntary denial of boarding and electronic storage of completed forms. 
     In step  60 , IDB capture software  38  displays a startup screen or home page with selection buttons to begin IDB processing by an airline customer using computer  14 . 
     In step  62 , IDB capture software  38  records selection of a start button by the airline customer. 
     In step  64 , IDB capture software  38  displays a prompt to the customer to enter information identifying the airline customer. Example identifying information may include a confirmation number, a name, and/or a flight number. The customer may enter identifying information through one or more peripherals of computer  14 . 
     In one example embodiment, the customer enters the identifying information using a touch screen. For example, IDB capture software  38  may display one or both of a keyboard and drop down list for entering or selecting a flight number, a date, and a customer name using the touch screen. 
     In another example embodiment, the customer enters the identifying information using a card reader. For example, IDB capture software  38  may display a prompt to swipe a loyalty or payment card. IDB capture software  38  obtains a customer name from the card through the card reader. 
     In another example embodiment, the customer enters the identifying information using a barcode reader. For example, IDB capture software  38  may display a prompt to scan a barcode on a boarding pass previously issued to the customer. The boarding pass may include a printed boarding pass or an e-boarding pass stored within a mobile communication device of the customer. IDB capture software  38  obtains a customer name, flight number, date and other information helpful to the airline from the barcode in the boarding pass through the barcode reader. 
     In another example embodiment, the customer enters the identifying information using a near field communication device. For example, IDB capture software  38  may display a prompt to place a customer&#39;s mobile communication device within communication range of the near field communication device of computer  14  and transmit the identifying information from the mobile communication device. IDB capture software  38  obtains a customer name from the mobile communication device through the near field communication device. 
     In another example embodiment, the customer enters the identifying information using a passport reader. For example, IDB capture software  38  may display a prompt to insert a customer&#39;s passport into a passport reader of computer  14 . IDB capture software  38  obtains a customer name from the machine readable zone of the passport or a chip in the passport through the passport reader. 
     In step  66 , IDB capture software  38  compares the customer provided identifying information against information in flight data  30  and/or passenger data  32  to verify that the customer has in fact been affected by an involuntary denial of boarding. 
     In step  68 , IDB capture software  38  displays forms containing a notice of airline obligations and the terms of a compensation award offered to the customer and prompts the customer to enter an electronic signature. 
     The electronic signature may be a signature applied via a stylus, the customer&#39;s typed name, or other entry signifying the customer&#39;s agreement with the terms of the compensation award. 
     In step  70 , IDB capture software  38  captures the electronic signature and stores signed forms in IDB data  34 . 
     In step  72 , IDB capture software  38  displays options for receiving the compensation award and prompts the customer to make a selection. 
     In step  74 , IDB capture software  38  records a customer selection and issues the compensation award in accordance with the selected option. 
     In one example embodiment, IDB capture software  38  electronically provides the compensation award by adding the award to passenger data  32 . 
     In another example embodiment, IDB capture software  38  prints a document evidencing the award. 
     In another example embodiment, IDB capture software  38  credits an amount of the award to a credit or other payment card account of the customer. 
     In another example embodiment, IDB capture software  38  sends an electronic document evidencing the award to the customer&#39;s email address, and/or transfers the electronic document to the customer&#39;s mobile communication device for storage through email, text message, near field communications, or other means. 
     Although the present invention has been described with particular reference to certain preferred embodiments thereof, variations and modifications of the present invention can be effected within the spirit and scope of the following claims.