Patent ID: 7899692

Claim:
A computer storage medium encoded with a computer program for managing travel services, the program comprising instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising: receiving at a travel reservation system an electronic status change for a travel conveyance; electronically accessing a digital travel record stored in the travel reservation system, the digital travel record comprising a reservation associated with a traveler for at least one ancillary travel service associated with the travel conveyance; determining that a rule indicates that the at least one ancillary travel service should automatically be modified based on the electronic status change for the travel conveyance; generating an initial next action that the rule specifies is to automatically occur with respect to the at least one ancillary travel service, based on determining that the rule indicates that the at least one ancillary travel service should automatically be modified; electronically transmitting an alert from the travel reservation system to the traveler, the alert identifying, and inviting the traveler to, through interaction with the alert, approve, modify, or deny, the initial next action that the rule specifies is to automatically occur with respect to the at least one ancillary travel service; receiving an approval indication indicating that the traveler approves of the initial next action; electronically transmitting, from the travel reservation system to a remote travel service provider associated with the at least one ancillary travel service, a request to modify the at least one ancillary travel service based on the approval indication, the request identifying a current cost associated with the at least one ancillary travel service, and a threshold, set by a company providing the travel conveyance, that specifies a maximum extent to which a cost associated with the modified ancillary travel service may vary from the current cost; receiving, by the travel reservation system from the remote travel service provider, an indication that the remote travel service provider can provide the modified ancillary travel service while satisfying the threshold; and electronically transmitting payment information from the travel reservation system to the travel service provider for use in crediting or debiting a payment associated with the at least one modified ancillary travel service, wherein the payment information is associated with a customer that reserved the at least one ancillary travel service.