Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates a purchase of a travel itinerary. During operation, the system obtains a query containing one or more destination preferences provided by a user for the travel itinerary, wherein the one or more destination preferences include at least one of a region and an experience. Next, the system matches the one or more destination preferences to a set of destinations and generates a ranking of the destinations based on a set of criteria associated with the query. The system then uses the set of destinations to perform a search of available travel itineraries matching the query. Finally, the system provides the available travel itineraries to the user based on the ranking.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that processes a query from a user. During operation, the system obtains a set of travel products matching the query. Next, the system provides a minimum bid for each of the travel products and enables additional bidding on the travel products by a set of suppliers associated with the travel products. The system then generates a ranking of the travel products based on the minimum bid, the additional bidding, and a set of quality scores associated with the travel products. Finally, the system provides the travel products to the user based on the ranking.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates a purchase of a travel product. Upon detecting a participation of a user in a first qualification event associated with a first market segment, the system associates the user with the first market segment. Next, the system provides the user with a first discount offer on a first travel product associated with the first market segment. Upon obtaining an acceptance of the first discount offer from the user, the system uses the first discount offer to process a purchase of the first travel product by the user.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates a purchase of a travel product. Upon receiving a commitment to purchase the travel product from a first supplier by a buyer, the system presents the buyer with a first upgrade option of a first premium travel product from a second supplier. If the buyer accepts the first upgrade option, the system processes the purchase with the first premium travel product. If the buyer declines the first upgrade option, the system processes the purchase with the travel product.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates a purchase of a travel product. Upon receiving a commitment to purchase the travel product from a first supplier by a buyer, the system presents the buyer with a first upgrade option of a first premium travel product from a second supplier. If the buyer accepts the first upgrade option, the system processes the purchase with the first premium travel product. If the buyer declines the first upgrade option, the system processes the purchase with the travel product.

Abstract: A method of completing a booking based on a plurality of travel itineraries added to a travel online shopping cart that includes processing, from a buyer, the travel itineraries and a plurality of destinations; processing, from the buyer, at least: (i) travel party information and (ii) payer information for the travel itineraries and the destinations; obtaining from the buyer, an agreement that includes: (i) buying a subset of a) the travel itineraries and b) the destinations, and (ii) a penalty for subsequently canceling the booking; selecting, by a provider, at least one destination from the destinations to obtain a selected destination; processing, from the buyer, at least one travel itinerary that corresponds to the selected destination; performing a monetary transaction to complete the booking for the selected destination; and communicating that the at least one travel itinerary and the selected destination has been purchased by the buyer.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that facilitates a purchase of a travel itinerary subject to date uncertainty. This system is configured to receive a plurality of selected itineraries from a buyer, wherein the plurality of selected itineraries includes a first itinerary associated with a first set of dates and a second itinerary associated with a second set of dates. Next, upon receiving an agreement from the buyer to purchase an unspecified one of the plurality of selected itineraries, the system chooses one of the plurality of itineraries for the buyer and completes the purchase of the chosen itinerary on behalf of the buyer.