Abstract: A customer-based availability method for a service provider such as a transportation carrier is disclosed. This method provides programmable logic to allow predetermined request types and service types to be defined. Associations are then formed between request types and service types. When a request is received from a potential customer to book a service, it is automatically determined whether the request is included within one of the request types. If so, it is automatically determined whether that request type is associated with a service type that includes the requested service. If this is the case, the request is allowed to book the service regardless of whether the service is considered to be unavailable, or the sale of the service is otherwise restricted.

Abstract: A system for managing inventory on a market basis is disclosed. When employed by a transportation carrier, the system allows for the creation of a market group that includes a limited amount of space that is provided by any one or more of a certain group of physical routes (e.g., airline flights traveling between predetermined departure and destination points flying on selected dates). A qualifying customer or request may book one or more seats to this market group rather than to a specific physical route. The customer is guaranteed a seat on one of the physical routes, but is not informed as to the route on which travel will occur until a time closer to departure when the space allocated to the market group is mapped to the physical routes. In one embodiment, the market groups are defined using programmable business rules of a type interpreted by a rules engine.

Abstract: A system and method for managing inventory on a market basis is disclosed. When employed by a transportation carrier, the system allows for the creation of a market group that includes a limited amount of space that is provided by any one or more of a certain group of physical routes (e.g., airline flights traveling between predetermined departure and destination points flying on selected dates). A qualifying customer or request may book one or more seats to this market group rather than to a specific physical route. The customer is guaranteed a seat on one of the physical routes, but is not informed as to the route on which travel will occur until a time closer to departure when the space allocated to the market group is mapped to the physical routes. In one embodiment, the market groups are defined using programmable business rules of a type interpreted by a rules engine.