Travel retailer Travelport has today (23 June) introduced its new, enhanced RESTful/JSON APIs that will provide next-generation retailing and exchange capabilities to travel retailers worldwide. As part of Travelport’s investment in its next-generation platform, Travelport+, the new APIs are being rolled out globally and will offer retailers a gateway to better content choices, the tools to tailor their retailing experience, and the power to greatly improve the efficiency of their operations.
“With our new APIs, we’ve expanded our modern retailing toolkit so that agencies upgrading to Travelport+ can more easily personalise the retailing experience they provide to their customers,” said Greg Webb, Chief Executive Officer at Travelport.
“The improvements we’ve made with these enhanced RESTful / JSON APIs will give travel retailers around the world simplified access to dynamic retail-ready content, from multiple sources, across all of their points of sale.
“And to ensure agencies can effectively operate as modern digital retailers, our APIs will also deliver the tools to optimise storefronts, better engage customers and manage trips more efficiently.”
IMPROVED API PERFORMANCE
The modern, lightweight and highly functional APIs, which can also be used in conjunction with Travelport’sSOAP / XML APIs, drive up to 68 per cent faster average transactions and a faster shopping and booking experience for travellers, according to Travelport.
It also says that the JSON API also enables greater flexibility and speed for developers, fostering quick, seamless connections and an optimised experience for both developers and travel retailers.
Travelport’s new APIs include all of the details needed for public, private and tour operator specific air content and can be enriched with Travelport’s branded fares.
Additional API capabilities include streamed, cached content, speeding up the delivery of marketplace pricing and giving retailers the ability to inspire customers with highly relevant travel offers.
ENHANCED RETAILING
The new and enhanced APIs, coupled with the latest NDC enhancements from this month’s launch of Smartpoint 10, will ensure that exclusive NDC fares are easily accessible across all agent workflows.
Combining Travelport’s latest NDC progress and next generation merchandising capabilities, Travelport+ creates a gateway to better content choices for travel retailers to maximise value across all points-of-sale (POS).
Travelport currently has NDC connections underway with 10 major airlines and has enabled a wide range of agencies and their customers – including OTAs, TMCs, consolidators and leisure agencies – to successfully book NDC flights.
The company remains focused on the completeness of its NDC offering with the delivery of end-to-end servicing capabilities agents need to support their customers’ NDC reservations and confidently scale those NDC bookings.
With Travelport+, retailers are also gaining access to enhanced intelligent storefront capabilities that will allow them to position the right offers, at the right time, to their travel customers.
The latest intelligent storefront capabilities delivered by Travelport include search enhancements such as the ability to easily search by product attribute and compare offerings from suppliers, which helps agents to better cross-sell, upsell and maximise revenue for retailers and suppliers alike.
SIMPLIFIED EXCHANGES
Travelport is also delivering enhanced airline ticket exchange tools to customers through Travelport+, giving agencies the ability to automate the entire exchange process with Travelport’s new API.
Additionally, travel retailers using the latest self-service exchange tools through Travelport+ can make it easier and faster for travellers to self-service when their plans change, creating an even better customer experience.
The ability to easily select the best alternatives for travel needs, while eliminating calls to agencies or airlines, saves time in agency and airline operations.
