Group travel planning, optimization, synchronization and coordination software tool and processes for travel arrangements for transportation and lodging for multiple people from multiple geographic locations, domestic and global, to a single destination or series of destinations

摘要

The present application is built around a software tool that optimizes group travel versus today's solutions. The present invention enables a user to search, optimize, synchronize, coordinate and book travel for Lodging and Transportation for multiple people from multiple locations around the country/globe to a single destination or series of destinations. The search and planning software tool allows one user to plan and query a group trip in one click which returns a summarized group trip itinerary along with each group members individual itinerary. The high level optimization engine can be used to select destinations, dates of travel, lodging, transportation modes representing air, bus, train, automotive travel and routes for each based on group member locations, “True Time of Travel” relative to value of time, and optimization preferences such as lowest total cost of the trip, “maximize the amount of time group members spend together at group budget”, or shortest total travel time. The synchronization engine works with data at the lower level of detail and optimizes individual itineraries subject to individual and group trip constraints such as “Each member must arrive within a two hour window.” The coordination engine allows the trip for all members to be coordinated in one place with the ability to hold reservation, auto/systemic confirmation of each individual, book reservation, choose costing methods, negotiate changes, and communicate with trip members. This software tool reduces the time/stress involved in planning/coordinating group trips, reduce environment costs, reduce financial costs, and simplify the current coordination process.