Itinerary Planning APIs and Why We Need Them

Anybody who has ever used an API won’t question the benefits you get when using it and will probably notice the load of work it takes upon itself. The variety of APIs will fit any developer’s needs, so if you want your app to quote Marvel movies, there’s an API for that. But that’s a separate topic for discussion, because today we’re going to have a look at itinerary planners.Itinerary planning APIs are hardworking little elves that take the load of information retrieved from various sources (such as confirmation emails or other APIs) and carefully process it turning into a viable product that makes end-users happy. As a result, the users get a comprehensive plan of where they are going, when they are going to be there and what to expect on the way. The route details vary in different APIs.

AwardWallet API (Email Parsing API)

AwardWallet parses incoming emails for travel information (including the emails already received by the user if they choose to allow it). Then it arranges the received information in an orderly manner. Usually it includes: Flight Reservations, Hotel Reservations, Car Rental Reservations, Train Reservations, Expenses. If some information is missing in the email (such as airport codes or possible delays), it is added by addressing the third-party sources. In the end, the data is returned structured and ready to use.

Concur APIs

are available for both to B2B (Enterprise) and B2C (eReceipt apps) integration. Initially Concur is an expense tracking company, so their APIs rely heavily on this type of experience. But as business expenses often come along with travel, their Itinerary API is also there. The segments of travel it covers varies from the type of client you are, but they definitely include Air, Car, Hotel, and Ride (with Dining, Rail, Parking, and Travel being extra).

Traxo

is similar to . It parses email for travel information and returns it in JSON format. The segments of trip covered by the API usually include: Air, Hotel, Car, Activity, Rail, and Cruise. The parsing process is automated, but sometimes requires human intervention.

Travefy

allows users to include into their itinerary such categories as: Activity, Lodging, Flight, Ground Transport, Cruise, Tour, and Booking. Its main target audience is the travel agents and the itinerary planning requires a bit of manual work on their part. The details about the trip need to be inserted first. The API uses a lot of external sources to provide the travelers with as much information as possible (including historical and cultural data), but it won’t tell you if the flight number is changed (which is a confirmation email info).

Tripit

gives access to Tripit platform and the ability to manage (create, delete and retrieve) a comprehensive set of objects: Air, Activity, Car, Parking, Cruise, Directions, Lodging, Map, Rail, Restaurant, Trip, and others. The API receives the information from confirmation emails and turns it into one master itinerary, thus collecting all the scattered info from across the web (or inbox) in one place.