FLIGHT-PRICE MONITORING SYSTEMS AND METHODS

1 . A price-monitoring-server-implemented method for monitoring a flight-ticket price, the method comprising:

obtaining, by the price-monitoring server via a travel-agent device, a request to monitor prices associated with a previously-booked flight itinerary;

obtaining, by the price-monitoring server from a computerized reservations system (“CRS”), an itinerary record corresponding to said flight itinerary;

identifying, by the price-monitoring server, a plurality of flight segments indicated by said itinerary record;

grouping, by the price-monitoring server, one or more of said plurality of flight segments into a flight-segment group for which a flight ticket was previously purchased;

determining, by the price-monitoring server 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, by the price-monitoring server, 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, by the price-monitoring server, 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, by the price-monitoring server, a price-monitoring schedule based at least in part on said segment-associated metadata; and

periodically monitoring, by the price-monitoring server, prices associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket;

wherein at least one price-monitoring period comprises:

obtaining, by the price-monitoring server, an up-to-date version of said itinerary record from said CRS;

generating, by the price-monitoring server, an up-to-date macro ticket fingerprint according to metadata extracted from said up-to-date version of said itinerary record;

verifying, by the price-monitoring server 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, by the price-monitoring server, current pricing data associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket according to said segment-associated metadata of said ticket-monitor record; and

determining, by the price-monitoring server 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.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said at least one price-monitoring period further comprises:

assembling agent instructions instructing a travel agent how to capture said cost saving; and

providing said agent instructions to said travel-agent device.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein providing said agent instructions to said travel-agent device comprises:

inserting said agent instructions into said itinerary record; and

placing said itinerary record, with said agent instructions inserted therein, in a CRS queue periodically monitored by said travel agent.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein grouping said one or more of said plurality of flight segments into said flight-segment group comprises:

identifying a plurality of fare basis codes respectively associated with said plurality of flight segments; and

determining that said one or more of said plurality of flight segments have identical fare basis codes.

5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein grouping said one or more of said plurality of flight segments into said flight-segment group further comprises determining that said one or more of said plurality of flight segments with identical fare basis codes are not separated by a layover exceeding a predetermined threshold.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining said change-penalty status comprises:

identifying a fare basis code associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket;

obtaining, from said CRS based at least in part on some or all of said segment-associated metadata, a plurality of no-penalty fare basis codes,

determining that said previously-purchased flight ticket has no change penalty when said fare basis code matches one of said plurality of no-penalty fare basis codes.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining said change-penalty status comprises:

obtaining, from said CRS based at least in part on some or all of said segment-associated metadata, a plurality of fare rules; and

parsing said plurality of fare rules to determine whether a fare associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket is or is not changeable.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein determining said change-penalty status further comprises:

parsing said plurality of fare rules to determine whether a refund or a credit may be obtained when said previously-purchased flight ticket is re-ticketed or re-booked at a price that is lower than said purchase price.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein determining said change-penalty status further comprises:

parsing said plurality of fare rules to determine a change fee associated with re-ticketing or re-booking said previously-purchased flight ticket.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining said change-penalty status comprises identifying a void window during which period of time said previously-purchased flight ticket may be canceled with no penalty.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying said void window comprises determining whether said previously-purchased flight ticket is an exchange ticket.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one price-monitoring period comprises:

determining an expected price-volatility metric based at least in part on said departure date; and

adjusting said price-monitoring schedule based at least in part on said expected price-volatility metric.

13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based at least in part on said itinerary record, additional metadata associated with said previously-purchased flight ticket, said additional metadata including a flight number, a departure time, and an arrival time;

generating, based at least in part on said segment-associated metadata and said additional metadata, a micro ticket fingerprint that identifies said previously-purchased flight ticket; and

wherein said ticket-monitor record further comprises said micro ticket fingerprint.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein said at least one price-monitoring period comprises:

generating an up-to-date micro ticket fingerprint according to metadata extracted from said up-to-date version of said itinerary record;

determining, according to said micro ticket fingerprint of said ticket-monitor record and said up-to-date micro ticket fingerprint, that since said ticket-monitor record was inserted or updated, a detail change has occurred to said previously-purchased flight ticket; and

synchronizing said ticket-monitor record according to said detail change.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said itinerary record comprises a Passenger Name Record.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said segment-associated metadata excludes a flight number, a departure time, and an arrival time for each flight segment of said flight-segment group.

17 . 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.

18 . The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein said at least one price-monitoring period further comprises:

assembling agent instructions instructing a travel agent how to capture said cost saving; and

providing said agent instructions to said travel-agent device.

19 . 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.

20 . The storage medium of claim 19 , wherein said at least one price-monitoring period further comprises:

assembling agent instructions instructing a travel agent how to capture said cost saving; and

providing said agent instructions to said travel-agent device.