Patent ID: 8600784

Claim:
A search method executed by a search system server to process a travel search request for travel-related items, the method comprising: receiving at the search system server and from a user computer, the travel search request for the travel-related items, the travel search request including an origin location and a destination location; establishing, by the search system server, a pruning list with carriers that provide travel-related items for travelers; modifying the pruning list by: applying, by the search system server, a set of outbound carrier rules, selected based on the origin location, to the pruning list, wherein applying the set of outbound carrier rules includes removing from the pruning list carriers that do not service travelers in an area of the origin location; applying, by the search system server, a set of inbound carrier rules, selected based on the destination location, to the pruning list, wherein applying the set of inbound carrier rules includes removing from the pruning list carriers that do not service travelers in an area of the destination location; responsive to modifying the pruning list, selecting, by the search system server, a set of information sources to search with respect to the travel search request based upon the carriers included in the modified pruning list, wherein information sources comprise information identifying travel-related items for travelers; and transmitting, by the search system server, a query request generated based on the travel search request, to the selected information sources for identifying travel-related items that satisfy the query request.