Travel Insurance: Coverage, API Integration and Major Providers Explored

Traveling can be an exciting adventure, but it also comes with its fair share of risks. From flight delays and cancellations to lost luggage, medical emergencies, and even natural disasters, unexpected events can turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. That’s where travel insurance comes into play, providing a safety net for travelers and peace of mind during their journeys. In this comprehensive blog post, we’ll delve into the world of travel insurance, exploring its coverage, API integration, and major providers in the industry.

Travel APIs: main types and how they work

Travel APIs, or Application Programming Interfaces, are a crucial component in the travel industry, enabling seamless communication and data exchange between different systems and platforms. These APIs act as intermediaries, allowing travel companies to access and integrate various services and functionalities into their applications or websites. There are several main types of travel APIs, each serving a specific purpose:

1. Flight APIs: These APIs provide access to flight search, booking, and information services from various Global Distribution Systems (GDSs), Online Travel Agencies (OTAs), and airlines.
2. Hotel APIs: These APIs allow for hotel search, booking, and content management, connecting to Property Management Systems (PMSs), channel managers, bed banks, and aggregators.
3. Car Rental APIs: These APIs facilitate car rental search, booking, and information retrieval from rental companies and aggregators.
4. Tours and Activities APIs: These APIs provide access to a wide range of tours, attractions, experiences, and restaurant reservations from various providers.
5. Travel Planning and Management APIs: These APIs cater to business travel needs, offering services like itinerary management, expense tracking, and travel policy compliance.
6. Mapping and Location APIs: These APIs provide location-based services, such as geocoding, routing, and map rendering, which are essential for travel applications.
7. Review and Rating APIs: These APIs offer access to user-generated reviews, ratings, and social proof for various travel products and services.

APIs work by exposing a set of endpoints, or URLs, that developers can call from their applications using standard web protocols like HTTP or HTTPS. These endpoints allow developers to send requests (e.g., search queries, booking requests) and receive responses (e.g., flight availability, booking confirmations) in a structured format, such as JSON or XML.

Flight search and booking APIs by GDSs and OTAs

Global Distribution Systems (GDSs) and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs) are major players in the travel industry, providing access to a vast inventory of flights, hotels, and other travel services. Here are some of the notable flight APIs offered by GDSs and OTAs:

Amadeus flight APIs Travel Insurance

Amadeus is a leading GDS that offers a suite of flight APIs, including:

• Air Search API: Provides access to real-time flight search and availability data.
• Air Booking API: Enables flight booking and reservation management.
• Air Confirmation API: Retrieves and displays flight booking details and itineraries.

Sabre flight APIs

Sabre is another prominent GDS with a range of flight APIs:

• Air Shopping API: Allows for flight search and availability checks.
• Air Booking API: Facilitates flight booking and reservation management.
• Air Pricing API: Retrieves pricing information for flight itineraries.

Travelport flight APIs

Travelport, a major GDS, offers the following flight APIs:

• Air Pricing API: Provides access to real-time flight pricing and availability data.
• Air Booking API: Enables flight booking and reservation management.
• Air Merchandising API: Allows for the integration of ancillary services and merchandising content.

Travelfusion API

Travelfusion is an OTA that provides a unified API for flight search, booking, and management across multiple GDSs and airlines.

Kiwi APIs

Kiwi.com is an OTA that offers a set of APIs for flight search, booking, and management, including:

• Kiwi Flight Search API: Allows for real-time flight search and availability checks.
• Kiwi Flight Booking API: Facilitates flight booking and reservation management.

FlightsLogic Flight API

FlightsLogic is a flight search and booking platform that provides a comprehensive API for flight data, search, and booking capabilities.

NDC integration for merchandising and rich content

The New Distribution Capability (NDC) is an XML-based data transmission standard developed by IATA (International Air Transport Association) to enhance the distribution of airline products and services. NDC APIs enable airlines to provide richer content, such as ancillary services, personalized offers, and bundled products, to travel agencies and third-party sellers. Here are some notable NDC APIs and integrations:

Amadeus NDC

Amadeus offers NDC-enabled APIs and solutions for airlines to distribute their offers and Sabre NDC

Sabre provides NDC-enabled solutions and APIs that allow airlines to distribute personalized offers, ancillary services, and rich content to travel agencies and online channels.

Travelport NDC

Travelport’s NDC solutions and APIs enable airlines to deliver personalized offers, ancillary services, and rich content to travel agencies and online travel sellers.

ATPCO Routehappy content and NDC

ATPCO (Airline Tariff Publishing Company) offers the Routehappy Content API, which provides rich content and amenity information for flights, as well as NDC integration services.

tfFlight API by TravelFusion

TravelFusion’s tfFlight API offers NDC integration and access to rich content from airlines, including ancillary services and personalized offers.

Duffel Flights API

Duffel is a travel technology company that provides an NDC-enabled API for flight search, booking, and ancillary services integration.

Verteil API

Verteil offers an NDC-enabled API that allows airlines to distribute and sell their products, including ancillary services and personalized offers, through various channels.

HitchHiker Flight API

HitchHiker is a flight distribution platform that provides an NDC-enabled API for airlines to sell their products, including ancillary services and rich content, to travel agencies and online channels.

Accelya (ex-Farelogix) NDC

Accelya (formerly known as Farelogix) offers NDC-enabled solutions and APIs for airlines to distribute personalized offers, ancillary services, and rich content to travel agencies and online channels.

Flight data, schedules, and fares APIs

In addition to flight search and booking APIs, there are several providers that offer APIs for flight data, schedules, and fare information:

Skyscanner APIs

Skyscanner, a popular travel search engine, offers a suite of APIs that provide access to flight search, pricing, and scheduling data.

Cirium and FlightStats APIs

Cirium and FlightStats are leading providers of aviation data and analytics, offering APIs for flight schedules, status updates, and historical data.

OAG APIs

OAG (Official Airline Guide) provides APIs for flight schedules, route mapping, and analytics, covering thousands of airlines and airports worldwide.

SITA APIs

SITA (Société Internationale de Télécommunications Aéronautiques) offers APIs for flight data, including schedules, delays, and cancellations, as well as baggage tracking and other aviation-related services.

Direct hotel booking with PMSs and channel managers

For direct hotel bookings, travel companies can integrate with Property Management Systems (PMSs) and channel managers through their APIs:

SiteConnect API by SiteMinder Channel Manager

SiteMinder is a leading channel manager that offers the SiteConnect API, enabling real-time hotel room inventory management, availability updates, and reservations.

Cloudbeds API

Cloudbeds is a cloud-based property management system that provides an API for hotel room booking, inventory management, and channel distribution.

Hotel booking APIs by aggregators: GDSs, connectivity providers, and switches

In addition to direct hotel booking APIs, there are various aggregators and connectivity providers that offer hotel booking APIs, including GDSs and switches:

Hotel Aggregator API by MakCorps

MakCorps is a travel technology company that offers a Hotel Aggregator API, providing access to a global inventory of hotels from various sources.

RateGain and Dhisco Switch

RateGain and Dhisco are leading hotel distribution platforms and channel managers that offer switch solutions and APIs for hotel booking, rate distribution, and inventory management.

DerbySoft: connectivity APIs for booking and content

DerbySoft is a hospitality technology provider that offers APIs for hotel booking, room mapping, content distribution, and connectivity with various hotel systems.

Wholesale hotel booking: APIs by bed banks

Bed banks are companies that contract with hotels to purchase room inventory in bulk and resell it to travel agencies, tour operators, and online travel platforms. Here are some notable bed bank APIs for wholesale hotel booking:

Hotelbeds APIs

Hotelbeds is a leading bed bank that provides APIs for hotel search, booking, and rate distribution, offering access to a vast inventory of properties worldwide.

WebBeds API: JacTravel, Destinations of the World, and others

WebBeds is a global bed bank that operates several brands, including JacTravel and Destinations of the World, offering APIs for hotel booking and inventory management.

Bonotel API

Bonotel is a bed bank that specializes in hotel booking and distribution, providing an API for travel agencies and online platforms to access their inventory.

Travco XML API

Travco is a bed bank that offers an XML API for hotel search, booking, and inventory management, catering to travel agencies and tour operators.

HPro Travel (HotelsPro)

HPro Travel, also known as HotelsPro, is a bed bank that provides an API for hotel booking, rate distribution, and inventory management for travel agencies and online platforms.

Partner rooms reservations: APIs by Expedia and Booking.com

Major online travel agencies (OTAs) like Expedia and Booking.com offer partner programs and APIs that allow travel companies to access their inventory and make bookings on behalf of their customers:

Expedia Partner Central

Expedia Partner Central is a platform that provides APIs for hotels, flights, car rentals, and other travel services, enabling travel agencies and partners to access Expedia’s inventory and make bookings.

Expedia Rapid API

Expedia Rapid API is a set of APIs that allow developers to integrate Expedia’s travel services, including hotel booking, flight search, and car rental, into their applications.

Booking.com APIs

Booking.com offers APIs for hotel search, booking, and content management, enabling travel agencies and partners to access their inventory and make reservations on behalf of their customers.

Priceline API

Priceline, a subsidiary of Booking Holdings, provides an API for hotel booking and rate distribution, catering to travel agencies and online platforms.

Hotel and room mapping APIs: GIATA and Gimmonix

Hotel and room mapping APIs are essential for ensuring accurate and consistent data across different systems and platforms:

GIATA API

GIATA is a leading provider of hotel and accommodation content, offering an API for hotel and room mapping, as well as content distribution and management.

Gimmonix Mapping.Works APIs

Gimmonix is a hotel technology company that provides APIs for hotel and room mapping, content distribution, and data management, ensuring consistency across various systems.

Car rental APIs: Rentalcars.com and CarTrawler

Car rental services are an integral part of the travel industry, and there are APIs available for car rental search, booking, and management:

Rentalcars API

Rentalcars.com is a leading car rental platform that offers an API for car search, booking, and inventory management, providing access to a global network of rental companies.

CarTrawler API

CarTrawler is a car rental distribution platform that provides an API for car search, booking, and ancillary services, enabling travel companies to offer car rental options to their customers.

Business travel management and planning APIs from SAP Concur

Business travel requires specialized tools and services for planning, expense management, and policy compliance:

SAP Concur API

SAP Concur is a leading provider of integrated travel, expense, and invoice management solutions, offering APIs for travel booking, expense reporting, and policy management for corporate clients.

Tripit API

Tripit is a travel planning and itinerary management platform that provides an API for integrating travel plans, itineraries, and trip details into corporate travel management systems.

Reviews and ratings: TripAdvisor Content API for social proof

User-generated reviews and ratings are crucial for building trust and credibility in the travel industry. TripAdvisor, one of the largest travel review platforms, offers the TripAdvisor Content API, allowing travel companies to integrate TripAdvisor reviews and ratings into their applications and websites.

Things-to-do APIs: tours, attractions, experiences, and restaurants

In addition to flights, hotels, and transportation, travelers often seek out local experiences, tours, attractions, and dining options. Here are some notable APIs for booking and managing these types of activities:

Bókun API

Bókun is a booking and distribution platform for tours and activities, offering an API for operators and resellers to manage bookings, inventory, and pricing.

TrekkSoft API

TrekkSoft is a tour operator software that provides an API for tour and activity booking, inventory management, and distribution to online channels.

Rezdy API

Rezdy is a tour booking and distribution platform that offers an API for tour operators and resellers to manage bookings, inventory, and pricing.

Rezgo API

Rezgo is a cloud-based tour operator software that provides an API for tour and activity booking, inventory management, and distribution to online channels.

Ticketmaster APIs

Ticketmaster is a leading ticketing platform for live events, concerts, and sports, offering APIs for event search, ticket purchase, and inventory management.

Ingresso TicketSwitch API

Ingresso is a ticketing and distribution platform that provides the TicketSwitch API for event ticketing, inventory management, and distribution to online channels.

Viator APIs

Viator is a popular platform for booking tours and activities, offering APIs for tour search, booking, and inventory management.

GetYourGuide API

GetYourGuide is a leading platform for booking tours and activities, providing an API for tour search, booking, and inventory management.

Klook API

Klook is an online platform for booking tours, activities, and attractions, offering an API for tour search, booking, and inventory management.

Musement API

Musement is a platform for booking tours, activities, and attractions, providing an API for tour search, booking, and inventory management.

Tiqets API

Tiqets is a platform for booking tickets for museums, attractions, and tours, offering an API for ticket search, purchase, and inventory management.

OpenTable API

OpenTable is a popular platform for restaurant reservations, providing an API for restaurant search, reservation booking, and inventory management.

Public transportation: APIs to support the get-around experience

Integrating public transportation options into travel applications can enhance the overall user experience and provide a seamless get-around experience:

Google APIs

Google offers a range of APIs for public transportation, including the Google Maps Platform APIs for directions, geocoding, and transit information, as well as the Google Maps Mobility APIs for transportation services like ride-hailing and bike-sharing.

Local APIs from owners and consortiums

Many cities, transit authorities, and transportation consortiums provide their own APIs for accessing local public transportation data, such as schedules, routes, and real-time updates.

How to choose the right travel API

With so many travel APIs available, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. Here are some key factors to consider when selecting a travel API:

1. Coverage and inventory: Ensure that the API provides access to the desired inventory of flights, hotels, car rentals, or other travel services, and covers the required destinations and markets.
2. Data quality and accuracy: Evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the data provided by the API, as well as the frequency of updates and the handling of changes and cancellations.
3. Functionality and features: Assess the API’s capabilities and features, such as real-time availability, booking and reservation management, ancillary services, and content enrichment.
4. Integration and documentation: Consider the ease of integration with your existing systems, the quality of the API documentation, and the availability of developer resources and support.

FAQs

Conclusion:

The travel industry has undergone a massive digital transformation, with APIs playing a pivotal role in enabling seamless integration and data exchange between various systems and platforms. From flight search and booking to hotel reservations, car rentals, tours and activities, and travel planning and management,

 APIs have revolutionized the way travel companies operate and deliver exceptional experiences to their customers. By leveraging the power of APIs, travel businesses can streamline their operations, enhance their offerings, and provide personalized and customer-centric services. As the travel industry continues to evolve, the role of APIs will become even more crucial, enabling innovation,