Integrating data and functionalities has transformed how travelers make reservations in the ever-evolving travel industry. Expedia’s 2015 study revealed that travelers visited an average of 38 websites to book their trips. However, recent developments have led to the rise of “all-in-one-place” platforms, available with the massive help of travel API integration simplifying the user experience and reducing the number of unique websites visited for specific bookings, which is all about Travel API integration Services.
The Role of APIs
The application programming interface (API) is at the heart of this connectivity. APIs serve as control panels that enable developers to link different software components without delving into complex source code. This allows seamless data sharing and functionalities across other platforms. In the travel industry, APIs combine various travel components into a single application, offering convenience and enhancing the customer experience.
Types of APIs in the Travel Industry:
- Ticket Booking
- Room Reservations
- Car Rental
- Business Travel Management
- Public Transport and Taxi
- Restaurant and Hotel Reviews
- Sightseeing and Events
For online travel agencies (OTAs), integrating these APIs into their applications provides a comprehensive solution for travelers. By combining these features, OTAs can simplify the booking process and offer a one-stop platform for customers. However, local or niche travel service providers may focus on specific APIs based on their target audience and services.
GDS Systems and their APIs: Global Distribution Systems (GDS) are a vital source of data and reservation platforms for online travel agencies. GDSs collect and consolidate travel information from various service providers, allowing agents to make flight reservations, hotel rooms, car rentals, and more. Through GDS APIs, online travel agencies can seamlessly integrate reservation support into their booking engines, allowing travelers to book online.
GDSs primarily focus on five types of reservations: airplane seats, hotel rooms, car rentals, cruise lines and ferries, and railways. The market is dominated by three major players: Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport, who collectively cover 99.9 percent of the GDS market share, according to Sabre.
In the rapidly evolving travel industry, using APIs has revolutionized how travel businesses operate. By leveraging Global Distribution System (GDS) APIs, travel agencies and other industry players can enhance their coverage and streamline their services. Additionally, dedicated APIs for flights and hotel reservations provide specific solutions tailored to meet travelers’ needs. This article will explore the benefits and features of various Travel API integration Services in the travel industry.
GDS APIs: Expanding Coverage and Functionality GDS APIs, such as those offered by Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport, play a vital role in connecting travel businesses with a wide range of services. These APIs enable seamless integration of airline reservations, hotel bookings, car rentals, and more. For online travel agencies (OTAs), leveraging GDS APIs provides comprehensive coverage and facilitates efficient booking processes. While GDSs primarily focus on reservations, it’s important to note that their reservation capacity may differ from their API counterparts. GDSs offer broader services for manual booking, whereas APIs automate the booking process, excluding manual efforts.
Amadeus APIs: Versatility and Customization Amadeus offers two APIs: Amadeus Web Services and Travel Innovation Sandbox. With Amadeus Web Services, businesses can access a range of distribution types, including airlines, railroads, hotels, car rentals, transfers, cruises, and travel insurance. This versatility allows for customization and tailoring services to specific business requirements. While not intended for production use, the Travel Innovation Sandbox provides an opportunity for prototyping and experimentation with GDS capabilities.
Sabre APIs: Comprehensive Functionality Sabre APIs cover a similar range of functions to Amadeus, including airlines, ground transportation, cruises, hotels, profiles, trip management, session management, and utility. Sabre’s detailed API division offers specific categories for profiles, trip and session management, and utilities. It’s worth noting that Sabre does not currently provide insurance and airport transfer options through their APIs.
Travelport Universal API: Combined Power Travelport combines three GDS systems, Apollo, Worldspan, and Galileo, into a single Travelport Universal API. This comprehensive API offers access to the three GDSs, air and rail API connections, Travelport rooms, fares, and ancillaries. However, it’s important to mention that Travelport does not provide cruise API options for automated sea travel bookings with Travel API integration Services.
FlightStats API: Real-Time Flight Data For post-booking support and flight management, APIs such as FlightStats provide real-time flight data and disruptions management. These APIs allow OTAs and travel application providers to assist travelers with timely notifications, flight status tracking, and alerts about delays. FlightStats offers two main products: FlightStats Flex APIs, which primarily focus on real-time flight data, and FlightStats Trip Data APIs, which enhance the itinerary experience and provide alerts about flight disruptions.
Expedia and Priceline APIs: Hotel Booking Excellence Expedia and Priceline, the major players in the OTA market, offer APIs specifically tailored for hotel bookings. Expedia Partner Central provides connectivity APIs for seamless property updates, availability retrieval, product management, and more. The Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) API enables online travel agencies to incorporate hotel booking support into their products, allowing for booking, retrieval of itineraries, cancellation of reservations, and access to room images and hotel information. Expedia also provides public APIs, such as Natural Language Hotel Search and Travel Trends, which offer additional functionality for building travel chatbots and accessing time-dependent event information.
Enhancing Travel Services with Car Rental and Business Travel APIs
In the competitive travel industry, integrating car rental services and offering efficient business travel management is crucial for success. By leveraging powerful APIs, travel businesses can tap into the extensive car hire pool supported by Rentalcars.com and streamline travel expenses and itineraries through Concur. In this article, we will explore the benefits and functionalities of these APIs and how they cater to the needs of OTAs, travel application providers, hotels, airlines, and businesses.
Rentalcars.com Integration: Access the Largest Car Hire Pool Regarding car rentals, Rentalcars.com, owned by Priceline, stands out as the largest provider in the market. With a presence in 163 countries and approximately 48,000 locations worldwide, Rentalcars.com offers extensive coverage. Integrating Rentalcars.com into your website provides a convenient solution for users to rent cars directly. Two options are available: placing a customizable banner on your website or becoming a Rentalcars Connect partner and accessing their technology through an API. The latter option offers comprehensive integration with access to dynamic widgets, search panels, and more, ensuring a seamless user experience.
Business Travel Management: Concur API for Expense Tracking and Itinerary Integration For businesses seeking efficient travel management and expense tracking, Concur is a critical player in the market. Concur offers a cloud-based travel management platform that enables enterprises to manage trips, track travel expenses, and make bookings for flights, hotel rooms, and car rentals.
Concur API: Streamlining Business Travel Processes Concur actively engages with the development community, providing an API that allows for seamless integration with Concur business profiles. The Concur API serves two prominent use cases:
- Travel and Itinerary Support: Business travelers can synchronize their travel data with a Concur traveler profile. When users book hotels and flights through providers’ apps, the data seamlessly integrates with their Concur profile. For example, if a traveler books a business trip through the United Airlines website, they can connect their United MileagePlus profile to Concur, enabling direct reservations and automatic synchronization of all trip details.
- Expense Management: The Concur API enables automatic synchronization of payment data, allowing businesses to track expenses and make payments from corporate bank accounts. Integration with popular services like Uber further streamlines expense management, ensuring accurate tracking of all payments made during business trips.
Conclusion
The travel industry has experienced a significant transformation through the power of APIs. These interfaces have streamlined the booking process and enhanced the user experience for travelers. Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) APIs offer comprehensive coverage, allowing online travel agencies to integrate airline reservations, hotel bookings, car rentals, and more. Amadeus, Sabre, and Travelport are key players, offering versatile and customizable APIs to meet specific business needs.
In addition, specialized APIs such as FlightStats provide real-time flight data and disruptions management, while Expedia and Priceline offer dedicated APIs for seamless hotel bookings. Car rental services can be integrated through Rentalcars.com, giving access to a vast car hire pool. Concur’s API enables efficient travel management, expense tracking, and business itinerary integration.
By leveraging these APIs, travel businesses can create comprehensive and user-friendly platforms that simplify booking and enhance customer satisfaction. Whether combining various travel components, managing expenses, or offering a wide range of services, APIs have revolutionized the travel industry, providing seamless connectivity and improving the overall travel experience for businesses and travelers.
