Flight-price monitoring systems and methods

A computing apparatus comprising a processor and a memory having stored thereon instructions that when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to perform a method for monitoring a flight-ticket price, the method comprising:

• obtaining, via a travel-agent device, a request to monitor prices associated with a previously-booked flight itinerary;
• obtaining, from a computerized reservations system (“CRS”), an itinerary record corresponding to said flight itinerary;
• identifying a plurality of flight segments indicated by said itinerary record;
• grouping one or more of said plurality of flight segments into a flight-segment group for which a flight ticket was previously purchased;
• determining, based at least in part on said itinerary record, metadata associated with said flight-segment group, said segment-group-associated metadata including a passenger surname, a purchase price, a purchase date, and an entity identifier identifying an entity on whose behalf said previously-purchased flight ticket was purchased;
• generating a macro ticket fingerprint based at least in part on macro metadata including said passenger surname, said entity identifier, and metadata associated with each flight segment of said flight-segment group, said segment-associated metadata including a plurality of data items selected from an airline identifier, a flight origin identifier, a flight destination identifier, a departure date, and an arrival date;
• determining a change-penalty status associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket;
• inserting or updating a ticket-monitor record, identified according to said macro ticket fingerprint, in a data store such that said ticket-monitor record comprises said segment-associated metadata, said segment-group-associated metadata, and said macro ticket fingerprint;
• determining a price-monitoring schedule based at least in part on said segment-associated metadata;
• and
• periodically monitoring prices associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket;
• wherein at least one price-monitoring period comprises:
• obtaining an up-to-date version of said itinerary record from said CRS;
• generating an up-to-date macro ticket fingerprint according to metadata extracted from said up-to-date version of said itinerary record;
• verifying, according to said macro ticket fingerprint of said ticket-monitor record and said up-to-date macro ticket fingerprint, that since said ticket-monitor record was inserted or updated, no significant change has occurred to said previously-purchased flight ticket;
• obtaining current pricing data associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket according to said segment-associated metadata of said ticket-monitor record;
• and
• determining, based at least in part on said current pricing data, said purchase price, and said change-penalty status, that a cost saving is currently obtainable by re-ticketing or re-booking said plurality of flight segments.

A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that when executed by a processor, configure the processor to perform a method for monitoring a flight-ticket price, the method comprising:

• obtaining, via a travel-agent device, a request to monitor prices associated with a previously-booked flight itinerary;
• obtaining, from a computerized reservations system (“CRS”), an itinerary record corresponding to said flight itinerary;
• identifying a plurality of flight segments indicated by said itinerary record;
• grouping one or more of said plurality of flight segments into a flight-segment group for which a flight ticket was previously purchased;
• determining, based at least in part on said itinerary record, metadata associated with said flight-segment group, said segment-group-associated metadata including a passenger surname, a purchase price, a purchase date, and an entity identifier identifying an entity on whose behalf said previously-purchased flight ticket was purchased;
• generating a macro ticket fingerprint based at least in part on macro metadata including said passenger surname, said entity identifier, and metadata associated with each flight segment of said flight-segment group, said segment-associated metadata including a plurality of data items selected from an airline identifier, a flight origin identifier, a flight destination identifier, a departure date, and an arrival date;
• determining a change-penalty status associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket;
• inserting or updating a ticket-monitor record, identified according to said macro ticket fingerprint, in a data store such that said ticket-monitor record comprises said segment-associated metadata, said segment-group-associated metadata, and said macro ticket fingerprint;
• determining a price-monitoring schedule based at least in part on said segment-associated metadata;
• and
• periodically monitoring prices associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket;
• wherein at least one price-monitoring period comprises:
• obtaining an up-to-date version of said itinerary record from said CRS;
• generating an up-to-date macro ticket fingerprint according to metadata extracted from said up-to-date version of said itinerary record;
• verifying, according to said macro ticket fingerprint of said ticket-monitor record and said up-to-date macro ticket fingerprint, that since said ticket-monitor record was inserted or updated, no significant change has occurred to said previously-purchased flight ticket;
• obtaining current pricing data associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket according to said segment-associated metadata of said ticket-monitor record;
• and
• determining, based at least in part on said current pricing data, said purchase price, and said change-penalty status, that a cost saving is currently obtainable by re-ticketing or re-booking said plurality of flight segments.