JPS6258385A - Air ticket reissuing machine - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] This bulletin contains application data before electronic filing, so abstract data is not recorded.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Technical Field The present invention relates to an airline ticket reissuing machine that exchanges a boarding pass for an aircraft whose flight has been canceled (an airplane operating on a flight) into an airline ticket.

(b) Summary of the Invention The airline ticket reissuing machine according to this invention accepts a boarding pass for an aircraft whose flight has been canceled and issues a new airline ticket based on the identification information recorded on this boarding pass. This makes it possible to automate the process of exchanging boarding passes for aircraft whose flights have been canceled for flight tickets again.

(e) Background of the Invention Aircraft boarding procedures are performed by submitting a ticket at an airport check-in counter and receiving a boarding pass with a designated seat instead. At that time, the ticket will be collected with the reserved seat filled out, but if the aircraft to be boarded is replaced due to a malfunction, or if the flight is canceled due to inclement weather, etc. must exchange the boarding pass for a ticket again. Since airline tickets are required by law to include necessary information such as names and telephone numbers, airline tickets must be accurately returned to their original holders. Therefore, in the past, the boarding pass brought to the counter for exchange was checked one by one against the tickets already collected, and the seat number (this seat number corresponds to the identification information of the present invention) was used.
had returned the matching ticket. However, since the exchange of airline tickets for boarding passes is done randomly, finding a ticket that matches the boarding pass is a very time-consuming task, and in the case of exchanging aircraft, etc., the boarding pass is short-lived. It was a very crowded operation as people had to spend a lot of time bringing the items to the counter.

(d) Purpose of the Invention In view of the above-mentioned current situation, the present invention provides an airline ticket reissuing machine that automatically reissues a new airline ticket from the original boarding pass when the scheduled flight of the aircraft is cancelled. The purpose is to

(13) Structure and Effects of the Invention The present invention provides a boarding pass reception means for accepting a boarding pass issued in exchange for an airline ticket and on which at least the identification information of the holder is recorded; The present invention is characterized by comprising a ticket reissuance means for reissuing a new ticket with necessary information recorded.

With the above configuration, according to the present invention, even if the scheduled flight of the aircraft is canceled and the boarding pass needs to be exchanged for a plane ticket again, the device can accept the boarding pass. A new ticket with the necessary information recorded can be issued. Since this ticket has the same information recorded as the first collected ticket, it has the same validity as the first collected ticket. As a result, when exchanging a boarding pass for a flight ticket, it is no longer necessary to check the collected ticket against the boarding pass and exchange it, as in the past, and the exchange process can be carried out quickly, and there is no possibility of exchange errors. There is an advantage that the work becomes more accurate.

(f) Embodiment FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an airline ticket reissue machine which is an embodiment of the present invention. A boarding pass insertion slot 8 and a ticket release slot 9 are provided on the operation panel surface.

A boarding pass conveyance path is formed from the boarding pass insertion slot 8 to the boarding pass stocker 6, and a magnetic head 2a is installed on this boarding pass conveyance path. This magnetic head 2a is connected to a magnetic data reader 2 (see Figure 2), and the magnetic data reader 2 reads data such as the seat number recorded on the magnetic coating film formed on the back of the boarding pass. . A ticket conveyance path is formed from the ticket stocker 7 installed at the bottom of the device to the ticket discharge port 9, and a thermal head 4a and an ift air head 3a are arranged on this ticket conveyance path. ing. The thermal head 4a is connected to a thermal printer 4 (see FIG. 2), and the thermal printer 4 prints necessary information on the surface of the new airline ticket. The magnetic head 3a is connected to a magnetic data writing device 3 (see FIG. 2), and the magnetic data writing device 3 records the necessary information on the magnetic coating film formed on the back of the new airline ticket. . The airline ticket sheets stacked in the airline ticket stocker 7 are fed out one by one by a feeding roller.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control section of the ticket reissue machine. The microcomputer 1 includes the magnetic data reading device 2. Magnetic data writing device 3. A thermal printer 4 and operation units such as operation keys are connected. Further, a host computer 10 is connected to the microcomputer 1 via an internal line. This host computer 10
The issuance status of boarding passes for each flight, seat allocation, and the above-mentioned necessary information regarding airline tickets exchanged for boarding passes are stored.

This ticket reissuing machine is usually installed in or near an airport check-in counter, and is operated directly by a counter staff member or a boarding pass holder. If boarding of the aircraft is canceled,
Holders of boarding passes bring their boarding passes to the check-in counter to exchange them for airline tickets again.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the ticket reissue machine. When boarding of the aircraft is canceled and the exchange of boarding passes for airline tickets begins, Step NI (hereinafter referred to simply as NI) is completed.

) the boarding pass is inserted into this device. Read the magnetic data recorded on the boarding pass inserted in n2 and judge whether it is a valid boarding pass to be exchanged (n3
). The magnetic data includes date, flight number, reserved seat, etc., but also name, phone number.

There are also records of matters that need to be written on the airline ticket, such as place of work. If the inserted boarding pass is not valid, it is returned (n4) and the operation ends; however, if it is a valid boarding pass, there are two types of processing procedures.

First, if all the items that need to be recorded on the airline ticket are recorded on the boarding pass, the data is read in the above-mentioned operation n2. The necessary information is printed on the surface of the new ticket using the thermal printer 4, and the necessary information is magnetically recorded using the magnetic data writing device 3.
After releasing this ticket (n12), the inserted boarding pass is stocked (n13).

Next, if the boarding pass does not contain all the information that needs to be written (recorded) on the ticket, or if the ticket is not recorded on the boarding pass but based on the host computer's file. To reissue, use n20 to query the host computer using the seat number as a search key, and
At step 21, the necessary information to be written on the ticket is received as a result of the inquiry, and at step n22, the thermal printer 4 prints it on the surface of the new ticket, and the magnetic head 3 magnetically records the necessary information at step n23). After releasing the ticket (n24), the inserted boarding pass is stored (n25).

Note that n2. n3 corresponds to the boarding pass accepting means of the present invention, and n1O-n13 or n20 to n25 correspond to the airline ticket reissuing means of the present invention.

In this way, if you use this ticket reissuing machine, when you receive a boarding pass for an aircraft whose flight has been canceled, simply insert the boarding pass into this device, and the device will automatically retrieve the magnetically recorded contents of the boarding pass. Or refer to the file on the host computer and reissue a new ticket. Since this airline ticket refers to the data recorded when it was first exchanged for a boarding pass, it has the same content as the original airline ticket, and naturally has the same effect. This eliminates the need for the manual process of checking each airline ticket against the boarding pass that was brought in, speeding up the exchange of boarding passes for airline tickets, and allowing new tickets to be exchanged based on records. In order to issue air tickets, the mistake of handing over someone else's air ticket as in the case of exchange is eliminated. This will also lead to improved service at the check-in counter.

Although this embodiment has been described as a stand-alone airline ticket reissuing machine, since the exchange for a boarding pass from the airport can also be performed using almost the same configuration, it is possible to improve the efficiency of counter operations and save space at the counter. It can also be made into an integrated device to save space.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a ticket reissue machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control section of the ticket reissue machine, and FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the control section. It is. 2-Magnetic data reading device, 3-Magnetic data writing device, 4-Thermal printer, 8-Boarding pass slot, 9-Airline ticket release slot.

Claims (3)

[Claims] (1) A boarding pass acceptance means that accepts a boarding pass issued in exchange for a flight ticket that records at least the identification information of the holder, and a new flight ticket that records the necessary information on the flight ticket in place of the accepted boarding pass. An airline ticket reissuing machine comprising: an airline ticket reissuing means for reissuing a ticket. (2) The ticket reissue machine according to claim 1, wherein the ticket reissue means includes means for reading the necessary information recorded on the boarding pass. (3) A patent claim in which the airline ticket reissue means includes means for reading the identification information recorded on the boarding pass, and means for inquiring the necessary information from the read identification information to a host computer. Ticket reissuing machine described in Paragraph 1.