Common Mistakes to Avoid in Flight Booking API Integration for Travel Agencies

According to Statista the online travel industry is at an all-time high and is expected to grow by 2.47% annually. However, not every travel agent is able to utilize this gap due to multiple factors like fierce competition, weak flight booking portals, and incomplete knowledge of API. Integrating a flight booking API is not enough, you must also understand how to use it effectively.

Now that new-age flight booking portals provide many booking options, it’s crucial to remember that even a small mistake can break the agency’s success. In this blog, we’ll discover why many TMCs, DMCs, and travel agencies fall short in providing a seamless and personalized travel experience to their customers.

We’ll analyze common mistakes travel agencies make while integrating flight booking API and how they affect the overall business. Additionally, this blog will reveal how OneClick’s innovative tools can turn these pitfalls into profits. Let’s dive in!

Top 10 Mistakes Travel Agencies Make in Flight Booking API Integration

Let’s get started by discussing how you can improve customer satisfaction by avoiding some common mistakes. 

Table of contents

1. Lack of Personalization in Customer Experience

Nowadays, it’s very rare that customers go after pre-designed travel packages by travel agents and tour operators. Today’s travelers have an itinerary in mind, and they wish to stick to their plan. So why not just give them that? According to research, 78% of travelers seek an open-to-personalization travel platform that lets them customize their booking as desired. 

OneClick understands these demands and allows you to analyze user behavior using AI. OTAs, B2B, and B2C businesses can use the search history, budget preferences, and booking interests of the users to auto-generate customized itineraries. For instance, if anyone is searching for a trip to Paris, the portal could suggest the best activities, rentals, and affordable hotels.

Such additions provided with the flight booking API allow the customer to foster deeper relationships with the businesses as their needs are fulfilled. With dynamic pop-ups like “We noticed you love beaches! How about an offshore villa add-on?” you can help your customers to plan the perfect trip.

2. Not Offering Comprehensive Travel Services

It’s not uncommon for customers to leave the flight booking engine midway through the booking if they have to juggle between multiple platforms. The portal should be designed in such a manner that it serves the multipurpose needs of the customers like bundling flights, hotels, and activities together.

However, with OneClick, you won’t have to worry about this issue. Our experts can help you convert your platform into an end-to-end booking solution by integrating flights, hotels, car rentals, and even niche services like different activities. If a last-minute booking is made on your platform, the portal will automatically suggest extra services like car rental or hotel transfer.

3. Poor Website Design and User Experience

The most integral part of running a B2B flight booking portal is to provide an easy-to-navigate interface. Even if your travel portal is feature-rich but is too cluttered with multiple things, the user will bounce off. To retain customers, you must ensure that the travel portal is user-friendly for customers of all ages.

OneClick enables you to utilize filters to get preferred flight updates in real time. Simply put, you won’t have to use different sections for various options like under $1000, pet-friendly, and direct routes. All can be described under one option to make the booking experience much simpler for the customers.

4. Ineffective or Unappealing Calls-to-Action (CTAs)

When customers are going through your custom flight booking engine, there should be enough engaging CTAs that prompt them to book their journey. It’s important that the CTAs should be crafted with precision so that they showcase clear benefits or create urgency.

This may look like a small integration, but it goes a long way. It helps the potential customers to make a decision who hesitate to take action. With OneClick, you can further refine your CTAs as we help you in curating an interactive interface strategically. 

5. Complex or Lengthy Booking Process

If your website is taking more than 3 seconds to load, you have already lost so many potential customers. Not everyone is patient enough to wait around, as there are many other options available. Additionally, if you try to collect excessive information with too many steps, customers may abandon their bookings and leave.

To tackle such problems, you must choose your flight booking API provider carefully. At OneClick, we keep the customers in mind before developing a travel solution. We utilize AI models to collect data and keep the booking interface direct with no other distractions. 

6. Ignoring the Power of Original Content

Getting more people to know your business is not a child’s play. It requires a lot of effort and actionable strategies. One good approach to attracting new customers is to publish original content that travelers often search for on Google.

Don’t run after generic content like “10 Things to Do in Paris”, as it does not help you stand out. Start by focusing on well-researched content that helps travelers in making an informed decision. Include video guides and user stories in your content as it will increase your chances of ranking in Google.

7. Inadequate Online Presence and Marketing

Even if you are starting off producing content regularly, effective SEO strategies are always necessary, or else your content will not reach the target audience. To tackle this challenge, travel agencies must focus on establishing brand value with social media or paid advertising.

This will help you to get a boost and get in the front line, where you can claim your travel portal as a viable option. But remember you will be required to implement strong SEO strategies that bring strong customer engagement to your website.

8.Overlooking the Importance of APIs and Tech Upgrades

It goes without saying, but if your flight booking software boasts outdated data and inaccurate pricing, you’ll end up losing customers. The primary goal of travel agencies is to equip their customers with airlines and pricing updated in real-time. Additionally, a lack of automation in your portal will end up causing unexpected errors and lost bookings.

OneClick’s no-code flight booking API range offers access to 500+ airlines like Amadeus and Sabre. By simply making a one-time payment and integrating it with your travel portal, tour operators and agents can get access to real-time data, seamless pricing updates, ancillary services, and much more.

9. Neglecting Customer Service & Post-Booking Support

To keep the customers happy, travel agencies must equip their flight booking app with real-time customer support as well. If not, it can result in negative customer reviews and distrust. What’s more, delayed responses tend to drive customers toward the competitors.

A simple solution to this problem is to integrate 24/7 trained chatbots that can answer basic customer questions instantly. In addition, there must be a customer support team readily available to help customers with their issues. Flight API providers like OneClick can help with all customer service and booking support-related issues.

10. Not Complying with Legal and Regulatory Standards

Securing customer payment information is yet another important factor that should not be overlooked. Failure to adhere to industry regulations and data privacy laws can result in legal penalties and damage the reputation of your travel agency.

The flight booking APIs provided by OneClick are compliant with industry standards like PCI-DSS, CCPA, and GDPR. This assures that customer’s information will be protected against fraudulent activities on the internet.

Future-Proof Your Travel Agency

Running a travel agency has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. And when running B2B and B2C businesses on a huge scale, mistakes are bound to happen. But only those who stay ahead of the curve who identify their mistakes at the right time and take the necessary steps to rectify the problem.

The right tech provider, like OneClick, can help your travel agency to bring the best game. Our wide range of travel tech solutions can help you embrace technology by optimizing your customer experience and staying legally compliant. These qualities are just the beginning, as our experts will always be vigilant and at your disposal to help you improve.

FAQs