Method and apparatus for facilitating meta search proxy bidding

1. A method for providing a platform comprised of a processor, memory, and a communication interface, and configured for operation within a metasearch environment, to programmatically and dynamically determine whether to provide a response to a property level availability call through API request based on run-time information, the method comprising:

in a metasearch environment, receiving, via the communication interface, the property level availability call, the property level availability call configured to elicit a response identifying an availability of one or more of the plurality of specified properties for a specified time frame, wherein an affirmative response requires participating in a metasearch auction;

determining, via the processor, the availability of the one or more of the plurality of specified properties for the specified time frame;

determining, via the processor, based on an associated fixed-value bid at least one of an unprofitability or a likelihood of unprofitability of rendering the affirmative response and participating in the metasearch auction; and

upon a determination, based on the associated fixed-value bid, of the unprofitability or the likelihood of unprofitability in rendering the affirmative response and participating in the metasearch auction, causing, via the communication interface, no response or delaying an affirmative response.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in an instance in which the affirmative response is not profitable, causing delay of the affirmative response.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating whether a bid price is less than a length of stay multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate; and

in an instance in which the bid price is less than a length of stay multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate, determining that the affirmative response is profitable.

4. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

calculating whether a bid price is less than an average order value multiplied by property margin multiplied by a conversion rate multiplied by return on sales; and

in an instance in which the bid price is less than the average order value multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate multiplied by the return on sales, determining that the affirmative response is profitable.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

in advance of a property level availability call, generating a bid sheet, the bid sheet configured to identify a plurality of specified properties and an associated bid for each of the plurality of specified properties.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a property type of the specified property; and

generating a second availability call, the second availability call comprising at least information contained in the property level availability call and the property type, the property type indicative of a system to query for availability of the specified property.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a desired placement in the results for the specified property in advance of a the property level availability call; and

determining a desired bid price, the desired bid price configured to achieve the desired bid placement.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising:

calculating an average order value based on the property level availability call, the calculation being based on the length of stay indicated in the property level availability call.

9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

calculating a conversion rate of the specified property identified in the property level availability call based on the advance purchase window; and

determining profitability of the desired bid price based on the average order value and the conversion rate.

10. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:

calculating the conversion rate based on sales of the specified property or based on sales of the specified property and converted cross sales.

11. An apparatus for providing a platform, configured for operation within a metasearch environment, to programmatically and dynamically determine whether to provide a response to a property level availability call through API request comprising at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to at least:

in a metasearch environment, receive, via a communication interface, the property level availability call, the property level availability call configured to elicit a response identifying an availability of one or more of the plurality of specified properties for a specified time frame, wherein an affirmative response requires participating in a metasearch auction;

determine, via the processor, the availability of the one or more of the plurality of specified properties for the specified time frame;

determine, via the processor, based on an associated fixed-value bid at least one of an unprofitability or a likelihood of unprofitability of rendering the affirmative response and participating in the metasearch auction; and

upon a determination, based on the associated fixed-value bid, of the unprofitability or the likelihood of unprofitability in rendering the affirmative response and participating in the metasearch auction, causing via the communication interface, no response or delaying an affirmative response.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

in an instance in which the affirmative response is not profitable, cause delay of the affirmative response.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate whether a bid price is less than a length of stay multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate; and

in an instance in which the bid price is less than a length of stay multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate, determine that the affirmative response is profitable.

14. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate whether a bid price is less than an average order value multiplied by property margin multiplied by a conversion rate multiplied by return on sales; and

in an instance in which the bid price is less than the average order value multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate multiplied by the return on sales, determine that the affirmative response is profitable.

15. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

in advance of a property level availability call, generate a bid sheet, the bid sheet configured to identify a plurality of specified properties and an associated bid for each of the plurality of specified properties.

16. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine a property type of the specified property; and

generate a second availability call, the second availability call comprising at least information contained in the property level availability call and the property type, the property type indicative of a system to query for availability of the specified property.

17. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

determine a desired placement in the results for the specified property in advance of a the property level availability call; and

determine a desired bid price, the desired bid price configured to achieve the desired bid placement.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculate an average order value based on the property level availability call, the calculation being based on the length of stay indicated in the property level availability call.

19. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculating a conversion rate of the specified property identified in the property level availability call based on the advance purchase window; and

determining profitability of the desired bid price based on the average order value and the conversion rate.

20. The apparatus according to claim 18 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:

calculating the conversion rate based on sales of the specified property or based on sales of the specified property and converted cross sales.

21. A computer program product for providing a platform, configured for operation within a metasearch environment, to programmatically and dynamically determine whether to provide a response to a property level availability call through API request based on run-time information comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:

in a metasearch environment, receiving, via a communication interface, the property level availability call, the property level availability call configured to elicit a response identifying an availability of one or more of the plurality of specified properties for a specified time frame, wherein an affirmative response requires participating in a metasearch auction;

determining, via the processor, the availability of the one or more of the plurality of specified properties for the specified time frame;

determining, via the processor, based on an associated fixed-value bid at least one of an unprofitability or a likelihood of unprofitability of rendering the affirmative response and participating in the metasearch auction; and

upon a determination, based on the associated fixed-value bid, of the unprofitability or the likelihood of unprofitability in rendering the affirmative response and participating in the metasearch auction, causing, via the communication interface, no response or delaying an affirmative response.

22. The computer program product according to claim 21 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

in an instance in which the affirmative response is not profitable, causing delay of the affirmative response.

23. The computer program product according to claim 21 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

calculating whether a bid price is less than a length of stay multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate; and

in an instance in which the bid price is less than a length of stay multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate, determining that the affirmative response is profitable.

24. The computer program product according to claim 21 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

calculating whether a bid price is less than an average order value multiplied by property margin multiplied by a conversion rate multiplied by return on sales; and

in an instance in which the bid price is less than the average order value multiplied by the property margin multiplied by the conversion rate multiplied by the return on sales, determining that the affirmative response is profitable.

25. The computer program product according to claim 21 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

in advance of a property level availability call, generating a bid sheet, the bid sheet configured to identify a plurality of specified properties and an associated bid for each of the plurality of specified properties.

26. The computer program product according to claim 21 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

determining a property type of the specified property; and

generating a second availability call, the second availability call comprising at least information contained in the property level availability call and the property type, the property type indicative of a system to query for availability of the specified property.

27. The computer program product according to claim 21 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

determining a desired placement in the results for the specified property in advance of a the property level availability call; and

determining a desired bid price, the desired bid price configured to achieve the desired bid placement.

28. The computer program product according to claim 27 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

calculating an average order value based on the property level availability call, the calculation being based on the length of stay indicated in the property level availability call.

29. The computer program product according to claim 28 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

calculating a conversion rate of the specified property identified in the property level availability call based on the advance purchase window; and

determining profitability of the desired bid price based on the average order value and the conversion rate.

30. The computer program product according to claim 28 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:

calculating the conversion rate based on sales of the specified property or based on sales of the specified property and converted cross sales.