Best travel and booking APIs: types and providers

Digital transformation has revolutionized everything, and hospitality technology trends are changing each other continuously. Like any other business, travelers want to book their flights, hotels, and tours online, and this is where custom software development for travel comes into play! 

In the travel market, 74% of global revenue will be generated through online sales within the next 4 years. It's a huge number that signifies all the reasons why travel companies should level up their services to get the most benefits.

Travel APIs are the best sources for travel platforms to match user needs. 

They are making efforts to share their tools to get more clients. User prefers to avoid switching online pages to book their flights, hotels, or car services. Everyone prefers an easy way out, and that's what a travel API integration can do for you.

Whether you're a developer looking to integrate travel data into your application, or a business owner seeking to streamline your travel booking process, there is an API out there to suit your needs. 

From flight information to hotel room availability, we'll take a deep dive into the types of APIs available and the top providers in the industry. 

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So pack your bags and join us on this journey to discover the best travel and booking APIs!

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What is a travel API?

Integrating APIs into travel applications involves several essential processes, such as data mapping, data normalization, error handling, and conflict resolution. Even with a perfect API, it is crucial to have an experienced developer to prevent data corruption and loss.

A travel API is a valuable tool that allows developers to access and interact with travel-related data from various sources, including airlines, hotels, car rental companies, and other travel service providers. Using APIs, developers can standardize how they request and receive data in a structured format.

APIs can provide a wide range of travel-related data, such as flight schedules, prices, hotel room availability, and reviews. However, an API’s functionality ultimately depends on the developer’s expertise who integrates it into the application.

What are the benefits of travel APIs?

There are several benefits you get from a travel API. Let's have a look at a few:

1. Encourages data sharing

One of the primary benefits of using APIs is the access they provide to a vast array of travel-related data. This data can include everything from flight schedules and availability to hotel room rates and reviews.

Different service providers have an opportunity to keep an updated inventory of flights, hotels, rental car services, and tourist spots through APIs. As a result, the traffic on a travel site or an app increases, and customers can book anything on their own. It also helps all those agencies as they don't need to update or maintain anything after a booking.

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2. Improves customer engagement

Once a customer visits your site, they don't need to leave the page since there's an influx of consolidated information on a single site. 

Your customer will have access to real-time data, which can be crucial for businesses in the travel industry. For example, airlines can use APIs to provide real-time flight information, such as delays and cancellations, to their customers, ensuring they have up-to-date information on their flights.

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3. Streamlines bookings 

With APIs, developers can create booking engines that allow travelers to search for and book flights, hotels, and other travel services all in one place. 

This reduces the need for travelers to visit multiple websites to book their trip, making the booking process more efficient and less time-consuming. Analyzing all this data in one place also becomes a simple task and streamlines the user's experience to make it hassle free!

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4. Resolves management and control issues

A software developer applies all the travel data, flight bookings, and hotel bookings to extend Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) solutions. So, most travel agencies do not need to maintain their bookings or hire many people. A signaller can handle bookings with ease.

By automating certain tasks, such as searching for and comparing flight prices, businesses can free up their employees' time to focus on other important tasks, such as customer service and marketing.

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The main types of travel APIs

There are several types of travel APIs, each with its own unique features and functions. Some of the main types of APIs for travel include:

Flights APIs

Flights API helps travel agencies or businesses provide a proper travel solution. 

Flight information is usually provided by airlines, travel agencies, contributors, or data platforms. An API provides a solution where the user doesn't need to bother much about the bookings.

Similarly, when we talk about it, it is a challenging job to operate if you are running a small travel agency. Advanced tech and modern travel booking software development has made it difficult for them to compete in the market. 

Online travel booking API allows service providers to stay alive in the market and helps them grow their businesses. In addition, it can help you keep your clients intact as you constantly provide services to them.

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What does flight API offer?

In a simple user journey: 

• A user enters information about the flight; for example, he searches for a flight from London to Tokyo
• A search result is shown on the mobile application or web page about the available flights
• He can check flight details, fares and timing
• He can now choose his flight

How can a flight API help in business?

Travel agency software can significantly benefit from integration with a Flight booking API. This integration offers flexible rates and streamlines the booking process for customers. With the ability to search, compare, and book flights directly from the platform, there is no need to visit multiple websites or contact airlines individually.

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List of a few flight APIs

• Sabre APIs
• Amadeus APIs
• Travelport API
• Mystifly API
• KIU API

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Hotel booking APIs

Hotel APIs have integrated small to large-scale travel agencies offering services according to the luxury level. There are hotels for users according to their budgets and trips. Like explorers, people who like to visit city to city always need a day or two-night stay in a hotel.

How to find hotel APIs? Where should you go to rent your rooms? What kind of inventory should you show your users to get more bookings? 

These questions need brief answers. Which are provided by APIs in a snap.

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How do hotel APIs work?

Most hotels make bookings online if they have applied for PMS software development or indirectly if they don't. Traditionally, a middleman always gets those hotels and displays them to your customers. You need to find that middleman to get rooms booked in the digital world, and hotel APIs play that role.

Hotels connect to a local or global API, like booking.com, which in turn connects to other agency sites offering a large database updating in real-time. That's a general example, but the main advantage of hotel APIs is that the users have plenty of options to avail. They can book rooms according to their preferences, match costs, and filter for preferences with advanced APIs combined with powerful search portals.

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How can hotel booking API help in business?

OTAs get a lot of benefits as Hotel APIs to help them generate more sales and distribute rooms from large to small hotels. The ease is what makes it more reliable for a user to book rooms before their tours. An API allows a business to have more clients over and over again. It is a boost for many service providers as well as getting recurring clients.

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List of hotel APIs

• Travelport Universal API
• Airbnb API
• TripAdvisor API
• Booking.com API

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Transportation APIs

YYou need transport services according to your visits from one place to the other, no matter where you go. For this, transportation APIs have a lot of perks to utilize. OTAs usually book car services for their customers to have a luxurious tour. Travel APIs help you provide the maximum solution to the problems for both clients and travel agencies.

Landing at your tourist location and wandering around for a reliable and cheap transport option is nearly impossible unless you have them booked in advance. APIs help travelers connect with thousands of rental services and pick the best ones to fit their needs and budget.

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How do transport APIs work?

A transport API covers rental brands and rents their cars to customers. When a user searches for vehicles with respect to location, he is offered multiple options to avail from the list provided by multiple brands.

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List of transportation APIs

• Trawex API
• eTravos API
• Smartcar APIs
• Priceline API

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How to choose the right travel API?

‍When choosing the right travel API for your business or application, there are several factors to consider to ensure that you select the one that meets your needs. These factors include:

Data coverage

It's important to consider the data coverage of the travel API, which refers to the types of travel-related data it provides access to. For example, some APIs may specialize in flights or hotels, while others may provide access to a broader range of travel services. It's important to choose an API that provides access to the data you need to build your application or business.

Quality of data

The quality of the data provided by the API is also important. You should choose an API that provides accurate and up-to-date data to ensure that your application or business is providing reliable information to your customers.

Pricing and payment model

The pricing and payment model of the API is another important factor to consider. Some APIs may charge a subscription fee, while others may charge based on the number of API calls or the amount of data accessed. It's important to choose an API with a pricing and payment model that aligns with your business needs.

Ease of integration

The ease of integration of the API with your application or business is also important. You should choose an API that provides clear documentation, robust developer tools, and support to ensure you can integrate the API quickly and easily.

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COAX Software – Let the experts redefine your travel APIs!

In the end, to maximize the profit in the ever-growing travel business and equip your online website/ app with the best-in-class APIs, you'll need the right team of experts covering for you!

At COAX Software, we have years of experience in the travel industry, working with a range of clients, from property management systems to online booking solutions for small Destination Management Companies (DMCs).

We have helped numerous clients improve their travel booking process with advanced APIs, and our experts have a deep understanding of the unique needs of the travel industry to pick up and integrate the most relevant API for your specific project

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Get in touch with the experts and consult us to help you ideate, develop, and integrate the most advanced travel APIs!

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