Abstract: Methods and systems for strategic planning of a first transportation organization such as an airline. A multi-player game model (502-530), such as a model simulating the strategy of the first organization and strategies of competitive organizations reacting to moves made by one another, can be used to derive demographics representing potential sales of transportation by the first organization. The first organization derives a feasible schedule for meeting the requirements for transportation specified by such demographics. The scheduling step provides realistic costs and revenues, allowing realistic evaluation of the strategy. The process can be repeated with multiple possible strategies to select a best strategy. Methods of revenue management can include automatically modifying a strategy based on similar multi-player game modeling.

Abstract: Methods for scheduling a transportation operation such as the operation of an airline. The method desirably selects a demand (100) for transportation specifying an origin, destination, and time of arrival or departure, and selects resources from a database of available resources such as aircraft (508), crew, and departure gates. The resource selection desirably is conducted so as to optimize a result function such as contribution to margin or other financial result from the particular operation specified in the demand. Upon developing a schedule fragment (108), the specified resources are committed, and the database of available resources is modified (110) to indicate that the resources are no longer available at the relevant times. The system then treats another demand and repeats the process so as to develop a full schedule. The system can develop a feasible schedule, even for a complex transportation operation in a brief time, typically in minutes or less.