Travel reward accrual
AssigneeAccenture Global Services Limited
InventorsMartin J. Drefs, David P. Evans
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that includes receiving an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary, determining an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment, and outputting, at a time substantially concurrent with the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary.
Claims21
A computer-implemented method for updating travel reward points during travel so that the travel reward points are redeemable at a time substantially concurrent with when the travel reward points are earned, the method comprising:
- receiving an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary;
- determining, by one or more computers, an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment;
- outputting in response to the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary;
- and
- processing a request for redemption of the travel reward points by the passenger on the second segment of the travel itinerary.
A system for updating travel reward points during travel so that the travel reward points are redeemable at a time substantially concurrent with when the travel reward points are earned, the system comprising:
- one or more computers having
- an accrual module to receive an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary;
- a rules engine to determine an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment;
- and
- a database to output, in response to the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary, wherein the one or more computers process a request for redemption of the travel reward points by the passenger on the second segment of the travel itinerary.
A computer program product tangibly embodied in a computer readable storage device, the computer program product including instructions that, when executed, perform operations for updating travel reward points during travel so that the travel reward points are redeemable at a time substantially concurrent with when the travel reward points are earned, the operations comprising:
- receiving an indication that a passenger is boarding a carrier for a first segment of a travel itinerary;
- determining an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment;
- outputting, in response to the boarding of the carrier for the first segment, the amount of the travel reward points to a travel reward system so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger on a second segment of the travel itinerary;
- and
- processing a request for redemption of the travel reward points by the passenger on the second segment of the travel itinerary.
A computer-implemented method for updating travel reward points so that the travel reward points are available for redemption at a time substantially concurrent with when the travel reward points are earned, the method comprising:
- receiving, at a server, a notification that a passenger is boarding at a carrier for a first segment of travel of a travel itinerary;
- determining, using a rules engine executed by the server, an amount of travel reward points to associate with the first segment of travel;
- transmitting a request to credit the determined amount of travel reward points to an electronic account associated with the passenger, wherein the crediting occurs in response to the boarding of the carrier for the first segment so that the travel reward points are available for redemption by the passenger before the first segment of travel is completed;
- and
- processing a request for redemption of the travel reward points by the passenger on the second segment of the travel itinerary.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.