How Travel APIs Simplify Travel Booking for Agencies

The world is changing and so are the customer demands. The technological advances have now made it possible for one ultimate platform to meet the diverse needs of consumers. As per a report from Statista, the travel and tourism industry is expected to grow in a market volume of US$1,114.00 Billion by 2029.

While this sounds fascinating, travel agents and B2B businesses need to adopt dynamic strategies or risk being left behind. Hence, APIs are necessary for travel agents to make a powerful impact on their customers’ user experience. These allow the OTAs and businesses to integrate essential components into the portal. 

This blog will discuss API for travel agency​ in detail and explain the significance of setting up a multi-purpose platform like Booking.com and Expedia. So let’s get started and discover how OneClick can help you enhance your services like never before.

What Does API Stand for in Travel​?

Application Programming Interface or API for travel agency is a set of web solutions that allows OTAs and businesses to gather information from multiple suppliers and integrate them together in a portal. These suppliers can be airlines, hotels, or car rental services that provide real-time availability, support customer bookings, and showcase pricing. 

With the help of online travel agency API businesses can provide users with real-time travel-related information that allows them to make suitable bookings. For example, a flight booking portal can showcase real-time flight updates, allow users to choose from multiple airlines, pick a date, make payment, and get booking confirmation.

Apart from streamlining the booking process, APIs also enable travel agents and businesses to get rid of monotonous tasks like data entry and offer a seamless booking experience.

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Types of Travel APIs and Their Use Cases

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of using API in travel industry, let’s quickly go through all the different types of APIs that you can integrate into your portal. Experts at OneClick have carefully crafted these APIs to deliver top-notch performance and satisfy your customers’ needs.

Flight Booking APIs

Flight booking portals are equipped with multiple GDSs, OTAs, aggregators, and airlines that provide real-time flight updates. They not only allow the users to compare flights and their pricing but also enable them to choose from the ancillary services. What’s more, top flight APIs provide instant booking confirmation which can be later managed or canceled through the bookings page.

Hotel Booking APIs

The hotel booking APIs for travel agencies allow the websites to accept secure online reservations. This solution allows customers to plan their vacations by choosing a number of visitors, picking a date, and choosing a property as desired without any hassle. Travel agencies can also combine hotel booking with add-ons like tours, cruises, or packages to provide a complete user experience.

Car Rental APIs

The car rental APIs source vehicles in real-time from all the major and minor aggregators. This allows you to provide your customers with multiple options and pricing. Additionally, it streamlines the booking, fleet management, and payment processes, resulting in improving the overall customer experience. Overall, our solution is perfect for regular passengers who prefer to commute as preferred.

Cruise Booking APIs

This API integration allows you to help your customers book their dream cruise vacation in just a few clicks. With features like an ultra-navigable interface and slick payment gateway integration, you can provide an end-to-end cruise booking experience to your users. These APIs will bring the best results in real time so that customers can pick a preferred cruise that suits their budget and preferences.

Activity APIs 

Using this API in your travel portal, you can help your customers to make their experience more delightful. This API provides all details about available tours, activities, and experiences available at different destinations. With this small integration, your customers can check the availability of their favorite activities and make bookings accordingly.

Benefits of Integrating Travel APIs

With that being said, let’s also quickly discuss the entitled benefits you can claim by choosing the services of OneClick.

Dynamic Pricing

APIs for travel agency are developed to provide real-time results from multiple sources. This allows the users to pick the best rates suitable to their budget. Providing such transparent options works in the favor of OTAs and businesses allowing them to build trust with the users. Additionally, they can also provide bundled packages, discounts, and rewards for attracting new users.

CCPA and GDPR Complaint

Keeping the security parameter in mind, customers will be able to make payments without worrying about possible fraud. Most of the travel APIs are compliant with all the important regulations like PCI-DSS, CCPA, and GDPR. However, it’s better to confirm the same with your supplier.

Multi-Currency and Multi-Language Support

API integrations also support multiple modes of payments like credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets, net banking, etc. This allows you to take your business international and cater to their needs in the best possible way. What’s more, the in-built multilingual support allows you to break the language barrier and cater to customers from all across the world.

Dashboard Overview

API in the travel industry also enables the admin personnel to gather key insights like total bookings, users, routes, most searched places, and much more. This allows the OTAs to customize notifications and alerts according to the user preferences. The dashboard also reports different kinds of system errors, updates, and irregular activities. 

Revenue Management

Admins can also benefit from APIs as they allow them to set and manage agent commissions and markups for specific routes or flights. And to praise loyal customers, companies can also provide promotional discounts, vouchers, and special offers.

API and Partner Management

Lastly, online travel agency API also enables the admins to monitor and troubleshoot any issues directly with LCCs, GDSs, and third-party service providers. With this information, teams can resolve the issue at the earliest so that the user experience is not compromised.

Best Practices for Travel API Integration

Selecting a reliable API for travel agency can sometimes be a pretty daunting process. But don’t worry, follow the checklist discussed below and you’ll be able to make an informed decision.

• Opt for trusted and secure consultancy as they can help you figure out the complexities of data format, protocols, and recommend the best workflows. If you’re looking to integrate multiple APIs into your portal, this is very important.
• To avoid issues like latency and improve response times select ideal caching mechanisms and load-balancing techniques. They will help you provide faster response times and reduce the load on API during peak hours. 
• Check the reviews, reliability, and support services of the partner you’re willing to work with. This due diligence will help you get access to consistent data and accuracy while reducing the risk of scams.
• Use smart monitoring tools to detect and resolve issues with your API. This comes in handy to improve API performance, uptime, and error rates. Regular testing also helps to mitigate underlying issues with the portal.
• To reduce the risk of cyber threats and protect consumer data, choose secure APIs that provide encryption protocols like HTTPS. Also, perform regular security checks to ensure your portal is working ideally with no breaches.
• To keep the operational costs under control, you can even negotiate the plans with your partners. Based on the discussion, you may be able to save some money for future use.
• Go for cloud-based infrastructure as it is able to handle higher transaction values without affecting the system. Platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud are some better options to consider. 

Why Choose OneClick for Travel API Integration

Here are some reasons why OneClick remains the best travel APIs provider in this competitive market:

• Comprehensive API Portfolio: OneClick boats a wide range of API portfolios catering to customer needs in almost every travel segment.
• Scalable Solutions: Our integrations are designed to meet market requirements. Your portal will be equipped with all the latest innovations to deliver exceptional results.
• End-to-End Support: Starting from consultation to successful deployment, our experts will guide you through every step of the journey.
• Proven Track Record: With more than 12 years of experience, 50+ active clients, and 1000+ projects, we’ve earned a name for ourselves in the travel industry.
• Future-Ready Systems: We ensure your travel portal stays ahead with scalable and future-ready solutions.
• 24/7 Support: Our support team will always be at your disposal and provide actionable solutions in case of any emergencies.

Simplify Travel Booking and Drive Growth with APIs

It’s safe to assume that the travel industry is evolving at a rapid pace and to catch up travel agents must be equipped with advanced integrations. API integration has made it possible for small businesses and OTAs to provide amazing experiences to their customers without breaking the bank. By choosing the right API solutions and partnering with experts like OneClick, you can elevate your agency’s offerings and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. 

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