Every travel app, OTA and corporate booking tool runs on APIs: connections that fetch prices and availability from airlines, hotels and other suppliers, then make the booking. If you're building in travel, choosing those APIs is one of your biggest decisions.
In one line: a travel API lets your software search, price and book a supplier's inventory. Flights come from GDS, NDC or aggregator APIs; hotels from bedbanks, wholesalers or channel managers; and newer APIs cover cruises, cars, eSIMs and visas.
The main types of travel API
| API type | Where the inventory comes from | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Flight API | GDS (Amadeus, Sabre, Travelport), airline NDC connections, or aggregators that combine both | Ticketing authority, low-cost carrier coverage, GDS surcharges |
| Hotel API | Bedbanks and wholesalers, chain connections, channel managers | Content mapping, rate types, cancellation rules |
| Cruise API | Cruise line systems and cruise consolidators | Cabin-level inventory, deposits, long booking windows |
| Car rental / transfer API | Rental brokers and transfer networks | Pickup rules, deposits, local taxes |
| eSIM API | eSIM wholesalers | Country coverage, activation flow, top-ups |
| Visa API | Visa platforms and government e-visa systems | Data accuracy, document checks, rule changes |
Flight APIs: GDS vs NDC vs aggregators
GDS systems have been the backbone of airline distribution for decades. NDC is IATA's newer standard that lets airlines sell directly through modern APIs, with richer content like bundles and seats. Airlines are pushing NDC hard: many now add a surcharge on GDS (EDIFACT) bookings, for example Lufthansa Group and Air France-KLM charge over €20 per booking or segment from 2026. Aggregators combine GDS, NDC and low-cost carriers behind one API.
What integration really involves
- Search and pricing: the easy part.
- Booking and ticketing: payments, fare re-checks, holds, ticket issue.
- Post-booking: cancellations, changes, refunds, schedule changes.
- Content: hotel photos, room mapping, airline baggage rules.
- Compliance: PCI for cards, GST invoicing in India, data protection.
- Support: someone must answer when a ticket fails at 2 a.m.
Teams often budget for the first point and get surprised by the rest. A ready-made white-label platform can be faster than building on raw APIs, especially for agencies and brands that need to launch quickly.
Questions to ask any travel API provider
- Who holds the ticketing or merchant-of-record responsibility?
- What's the commercial model: markup, commission, per-call fees or minimum volumes?
- Is there a sandbox with realistic data?
- How are cancellations and refunds handled through the API?
- What's the uptime and support commitment?
- Which markets and currencies are supported, including INR invoicing and GST?
- Can you combine products (flight + hotel + visa) in one order?
Why visas belong in the same API
For outbound travel from India, the visa is often the step that decides whether a trip happens. Selling a Dubai flight without checking the traveller's visa route leads to failed trips and refunds. Krosz's angle is a single integration where travel and visa sit together.
How Krosz for Business can help
Krosz is building one B2B platform where agencies and companies book travel and the visa in the same place. Here's what's ready today and what's in early access:
| Product | Who it's for | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Krosz Partners: B2B visa portal with your own markup, wallet and white-label branding | Travel agencies | Live: create a free partner account |
| Krosz Enterprise: business-visa panel with team logins and a status dashboard | Companies and travel desks | Live: talk to us |
| Krosz travel API: flights, hotels and visas in one integration | Agencies, startups and companies | Early access: join the list |
Building a travel product? Tell us what you need and we'll share API documentation and early-access terms.
Talk to the Krosz for Business team →
Last checked on 11 October 2026. Airline distribution rules, taxes and supplier terms change often; confirm current terms with your suppliers and tax adviser.