Patent ID: RE42001

Claim:
In a computer system having a data input device, a data storage device, and a processor, a method for determining a travel scheme for minimizing travel costs for an organization, where the organization expects to purchase travel trips for a plurality of travelers for a plurality of predetermined travel links, each travel link comprising a travel origin and a travel destination, each travel link being served by at least one of a plurality of travel carriers, the method comprising the steps of: obtaining travel information relating to the carriers and the links via the data input device; storing the travel information via the data storage device; constructing an objective function from the travel information via the processor, the objective function representing a travel cost to the organization to purchase travel trips for the plurality of travelers for the plurality of predetermined links; constructing a set of constraints from the travel information via the processor, the constraints comprising restrictions relating to the objective function; applying the constraints to the objective function via the processor to determine a solution of the objective function that satisfies the constraints and that minimizes the travel costs of the organization; and applying the solution as the travel scheme for minimizing travel costs by purchasing travel trips in accordance with the solution ; and generating output report data representative of the solution .