In the last ten years, the travel sector has seen remarkable expansion driven by multiple factors. Firstly, technological advancements have completely transformed the process of planning, booking, and enjoying travel. The widespread use of smartphones and internet connectivity has given travelers immediate access to information, booking platforms, and reviews, significantly enhancing the accessibility and convenience of travel.

Furthermore, globalization and the increase in disposable incomes have contributed to a significant rise in international travel over the past decade. More individuals are now venturing beyond their borders to explore diverse destinations, adding to the momentum of growth in the travel industry. Flight aggregators play a larger role in digital transformation from a conventional agency to full scale OTA model (online travel agency). 

Flight APIs are key tools that allow travel agencies, DMCs, distribution platforms and extranets to provide great value to customers. Customers can search the flight prices & deals globally and book it online. 

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As per the current market research, the global tourism market size is expected to record a CAGR of 3.7% from 2023 to 2032. In 2023, the market size is projected to reach a valuation of US$ 8,880 Billion. By 2032, the valuation is anticipated to reach US$ 12,314 Billion. ‘All-in-one-place’ online travel portal platforms have improved the user experiences to another level. According to Statista, OTA revenue is expected to show an annual growth rate of 10.8% over the next five years. 

How to find the best flight aggregator : A quick guide in 6 Steps

Finding the best flight aggregator involves considering various factors to ensure you get accurate information, competitive prices, and a user-friendly experience. In this section, we will go through the six steps to help you in selecting the top flight aggregators :

Step 1 : Research and Compare

Begin by researching different flight aggregators available. Look for popular ones like GDS, third party flight aggregators, flight suppliers or APIs. Compare their features, such as search inventory, rates, airlines covered and user reviews, to understand which one aligns best with your preferences and needs.

Step 2 : Check Coverage

Evaluate the flight aggregator’s coverage in terms of airlines and destinations. A comprehensive aggregator should include a wide range of airlines and routes to ensure you have ample options to choose from.

Step 3 : Price Transparency

Look for flight aggregators that offer transparent pricing. Ensure that the displayed prices include all taxes and fees upfront, so you’re not surprised by additional costs during the booking process.

Step 4 : User-Friendly Interface

Opt for a flight aggregator with a user-friendly interface and intuitive search functionalities. The platform should allow you to easily input your travel dates, preferred destinations, and any other relevant preferences, and then present the results clearly for comparison.

Step 5 : Filter and Sorting Options

Consider the filtering and sorting options provided by the flight aggregators. Look for features like flexible date search, filtering by airline alliance or specific airlines, sorting by price, duration, or number of stops. These features can help you refine your search and find the most suitable flights quickly.

Step 6: Reviews and Recommendations

Lastly, read reviews and recommendations from other travelers to gauge the aggregator’s reliability, accuracy, and customer service. Pay attention to any recurring complaints or praises mentioned in the reviews to make an informed decision

By following these steps and considering these factors, you can identify the best flight aggregator that meets your requirements and helps you find the most suitable flights for your travel plans.

Is your travel agency API ready?

Flight Booking API (which stands for Application Programming Interfaces) are interfaces which communicate with other technologies / platforms / environments and which effectively allow content and data to be pulled from one system to another. For travel agents and aggregators, travel APIs can give them global access of the inventory / deals including airlines, hotels, car-rental, transfers, sightseeing and holiday packages. 

List of the Best Flight Aggregators for IATA and Non IATA Agencies. 

Below is the list of top travel API companies (2024) as per geography and contents. 

Amadeus APIs

Amadeus is one of the most preferred flight aggregators for travel agents. Global travel management companies are using Amadeus gds to access online travel contents including airline, hotels, transfers, sightseeing, cars and other ancillary services through Amadeus travel APIs / web services. Amadeus processes the highest number of transactions on a day to day basis. In the last 25+ years, Amadeus has become the largest gds system and the biggest travel content aggregator around the world.

PROVAB APIs

Provab Technosoft is a leading travel API provider and along with its IATA accredited fully owned subsidiary, it helps you to maximise your need of travel inventory through a single unified flight API connection while providing rich flight contents aggregated through several IATA and Non IATA consolidators. Provab’s open travel API XML suite includes flight API, hotel API, car API, transfer API and sightseeing API. 

Travelport UAPIs

Galileo GDS system – offered by TravelPort, is one of the top flight aggregators globally. Galileo GDS provides global distribution services for the travel industry with advanced computer reservation software, top of the line travel system and web services APIs. B2B and B2C booking software with Travelport universal APIs are surging in India, United States, Mexico, Europe, South Africa and Malaysia. In the last 22+ years, Galileo software has become one of the largest gds systems.

Sabre APIs

Sabre GDS system is a leading wholesaler of airline tickets. Sabre GDS is supported (in terms of flight inventory) by more than 400 flight carriers, 200,000 hotels, global tour operators and several car and cruise providers. Sabre system is connected to more than 400,000 travel agents worldwide, who are serving to end clients. Sabre GDS system processes more than a million travel booking transactions per minute during the high season. B2B and B2C travel portals with Sabre software are surging in United States, Europe, UAE, India, Africa (Nigeria, Egypt) and Indonesia.

TBO APIs

TBO Holidays is one of the leading travel wholesalers, connected with 70,000 travel agencies across 100+ countries while using TBO’s award winning platform to book global travel contents online. TBO offers flights, accommodations, cruise, cars, transfers and sightseeing.

PKFare APIs

PKFARE is a leading flight aggregators, aggregates real time big data from over 600 airlines, 400,000 properties and 20 DMCs, covering over 100 countries and regions. PKFARE is an innovative global travel trade marketplace offering air tickets, hospitality and destination products. Empowered by its global resources, machine learning technology, big data and dynamic hedging and payment model, PKFARE provides global travel players with smart integrated solutions including real time inventory data, best buy rate, seamless multilingual customer service and diversified product portfolios.

Hotelbeds APIs

Hotelbeds is one of the largest hotel wholesalers with 1,80,000 hotels in around 185 destinations worldwide. Hotelbeds API enables any hotel booking system or distribution platform to provide their agents and B2C clients, best hotels and activities at lowest wholesale rates. Simply using Hotelbeds API integration solution is enough to gain access to vast inventory from multiple sources with competitive prices. Hotelbeds booking API additionally provides you access to additional services such as sightseeing, transfers and even car rentals.

Skyscanner APIs

Skyscanner was established in 2003 with the unique objective of showing all flight options in one place. Today it has gone from a flight search engines to a global leader in travel. More than 100 million people across the world (that’s quite a few!) rely on its app and website each month to help them with their travel plans. It also provides skyscanner APIs to distribute the contents on global OTA platforms.

Booking.com APIs

If you are an OTA or a destination website, want to have top of the hotel inventory on your booking platform, integrate Booking.com APIs. It offers solutions for OTAs, hotel channel managers, property owners and affiliates like travel bloggers and media outlets. The online accommodation platform currently offers over 29,420,861 properties, 12,500 affiliates, and well-architected framework features in 41 languages, 23 countries with payment card supports Visa, American, Express, MasterCard. The Booking.com APIs support both XML and JSON formats using HTTP basic authentication.

Expedia API

Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN) APIs robust structure brings quick responses and retrieves data from multiple sources instantly to give real-time updates on rates and availability on your booking platform. The EAN APIs are used to book hotels, flights and cars. Expedia’s well designed framework enables 200+ travel booking sites across 75 countries and 150+ mobile websites. Expedia API Integration connects any online booking system to 140,000 hotels spread across 245 countries. Expedia has a great user base in the United States, Canada, Mexico, India and UAE.

Flight Wholesaler Integration Workflow

At PROVAB, our flight aggregator integration team and framework experts provide extensive support during APIs integration and live certification. They let you leverage the ready codes and libraries to complete the integration sooner than expected. You are assured of full scale OTA or mobile application to build rapid growth in travel booking vertical.

Sandbox Access

Post API contract signoff, agency code is created. Same time, sandbox and test credentials are sent to client’s developers.

Web Services Integration

Developers get the integration kit and they can start integrating PROVAB’s travel APIs on their platform in a seamless way.

Test Cases Evaluation

Post flight APIs web services integration, test cases are sent to client’s developers to validate the logic of application or mobile app.

Live Credentials

On approval of all test cases, followed by few airline bookings in test environment, live credentials are granted to set the application live.

Definition of A Flight Aggregator

A flight ticket aggregator is a company or entity that aggregates the airline data (inventory/rates) globally. These are typically acquired through negotiated agreements or contracts with airlines, allowing wholesalers to secure lower prices than those available to individual travelers or traditional travel agencies. Flight wholesalers then sell these tickets to travel agencies, tour operators, or other resellers at a markup, enabling them to earn a profit while still offering competitive prices to their customers. Wholesalers often specialize in specific markets, routes, or regions, leveraging their purchasing power and expertise to secure the best deals from airlines.

Importance of Flight Aggregators to Travel Industry

Flight aggregators play a crucial role in market expansion and reach, particularly in niche or underserved markets. Their specialization and expertise allow them to reach customers who may not have direct access to airline booking platforms or traditional travel agencies, thus increasing airlines’ market penetration.

Furthermore, flight aggregators offer efficient distribution channels, simplifying the booking process for travel sellers and consumers alike. They provide flexibility and customization options, such as group bookings and flexible air ticketing, catering to diverse customer needs.

List of things to consider before hiring a flight APIs integration company?

Now that you are well aware of flight aggregators and why to integrate flight APIs, you must find the best flight wholesaler and flight API integration company. While plenty of travel technology companies are available, the question is how to find the best travel API company. Let me help you in preparing a questionnaire that fits your requirements.

• What are the major flight API integration services you offer?
• Please provide 7-8 benefits you offer to travel agents?
• Do you make custom web design or use the theme?
• Can you provide the portfolio?
• Do you provide case studies to showcase the results of your web design?
• What is the policy for building websites in comparison with the competitors?
• How do I get the timely work progress of the project?
• What are the types of travel technologies you are specialized in?
• Do you give round the clock support and also handling the updates of the applications?