Question 1

Can my customers search and book trips on my white label travel portal using their mobile phones?

Accepted Answer

Yes, your white label travel portal can be set up so customers can search and book trips using their mobile phones. The pages can adjust to smaller screens, making it easier to enter travel dates, compare options, add passenger details and review a booking without needing a computer. The exact mobile experience depends on the features included in your portal and the travel products you offer. Some supplier content, payment pages or extra services may open in a different layout, and their appearance may not be fully controlled by the portal. Availability and booking rules will also continue to depend on the relevant supplier. A mobile friendly portal does not automatically mean that every booking will be quick or simple. Trips with several passengers, multiple rooms or detailed flight choices can still require more information. Clear page labels, short forms and easy to read booking conditions can help customers complete these bookings with fewer mistakes. Before opening the portal to customers, test the full journey on common mobile phones, including search, traveller details, payment, confirmation and access to booking documents, and check which mobile features are included in your plan.

Question 2

Can I manage a customer's flight and hotel bookings together in the same travel agency software?

Accepted Answer

Yes, glideFares travel agency software can help you search for and manage a customer's flight and hotel bookings in the same place. This gives your staff a clearer view of the trip and reduces the need to move between separate booking systems when helping the customer. The flight and hotel may still be treated as separate bookings, with their own confirmation details, payment status, cancellation terms and supplier rules. The exact information and actions available depend on the travel products connected to your portal, the supplier response and the features included in your plan. A change to the flight will not automatically change the hotel, so each part of the trip should be checked before anything is confirmed or cancelled. Keeping the bookings together can make it easier to follow the customer's full journey, find the correct documents and respond when travel plans change. It can also help staff avoid missing an important detail, such as a hotel stay that no longer matches revised flight dates. Some documents or updates may arrive separately because they come from different suppliers. Before using this for live bookings, check which flight and hotel connections are enabled for your business and test how both booking records appear to your staff.

Question 3

Can my hotel booking API let a customer book several rooms for the same stay?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a hotel booking API can allow a customer to reserve several rooms for the same hotel and travel dates, but the exact options depend on the hotel supplier and the connection included in your glideFares plan. Some suppliers support several rooms in one booking, while others may require each room to be booked separately. When this option is available, the customer can usually choose the number of rooms and enter the guest details needed for each room. The available room types may be the same or different, depending on what the hotel has available. The price, meal plan, cancellation terms and occupancy rules should be checked for every room before the booking is confirmed, because they may not be identical. Availability can change while the customer is completing the booking. The API may check the rooms again before confirmation, and a room may become unavailable or return a different rate. A booking is not final until the supplier confirms it. If separate bookings are required, the rooms may also have separate confirmation details and cancellation conditions. Before offering group room booking to customers, check which hotel suppliers connected to your glideFares setup support it, whether mixed room types are allowed, and how confirmation and cancellation details will appear on your portal.

Question 4

Can I see whether a flight ticket can be changed or refunded before my customer books?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when the airline or flight supplier provides the rules, a flight booking API can show whether a fare may be changed or refunded before the booking is completed. This helps you explain the main conditions to your customer while they are comparing flights, instead of waiting until after payment. The details can vary between airlines, routes and fare types. One fare may allow changes with an extra charge, another may allow changes but no refund, and a cheaper fare may not allow either. Some suppliers provide a clear summary, while others return longer fare rules that need to be read carefully. The information shown through glideFares can only be as complete and current as the information supplied through the connected API. Change and refund conditions do not always tell you the final amount that would apply later. Airline charges, fare differences and supplier rules may depend on when the request is made and whether any part of the journey has already been used. A ticket marked as refundable may also have conditions or deductions, so it should not be described as a full refund unless the fare rules clearly say that. Before confirming a booking, check the fare rules shown for the selected flight and make sure your customer understands the change, cancellation and refund conditions.

Question 5

Can I send a guest's special requests to the hotel when I make a booking through the API?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a hotel booking API can often let you add a guest's special requests when you make the reservation. These may include a preferred bed arrangement, a quiet room, connecting rooms, an early arrival or other notes that could help the hotel prepare for the stay. A request is not the same as a confirmed service. The hotel may receive the note but still be unable to provide what the guest asked for. What can be sent, how it appears to the property and whether a reply comes back all depend on the hotel supplier and the information supported by its API. This is especially important when the request is essential to the guest, such as an accessible room or a particular sleeping arrangement. Your portal should make it clear when something is only requested, and your staff should avoid telling the customer it is guaranteed unless the booking response clearly confirms it. Some services may also need to be arranged directly with the property after the booking is completed. Before relying on this feature, check which special request fields your hotel connection supports, review how they appear in the booking confirmation and contact the property when a request is necessary for the guest's stay.

Question 6

Can I see the exact departure and arrival times for each flight before my customer books, or just the duration?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can see the exact departure and arrival times for each flight in the search results and booking flow. When your customers search for flights on your portal, they will see the time the plane leaves from the departure airport and the time it lands at the destination airport, not just how many hours the journey takes. This helps them choose flights that fit their schedule, especially if they need to arrange ground transport or have meetings to attend. The times shown will be in the local timezone of each airport, so your customers can see whether they are arriving in the morning, afternoon or evening at their destination. This is important information for planning their trip, and it also helps them understand what time they need to be at the airport to check in before their flight departs. Keep in mind that flight times can sometimes change after a booking is confirmed, so it is a good idea to remind your customers to check their confirmation email and to arrive at the airport with plenty of time to spare. Some airlines also give you the option to receive alerts if a flight time changes, which can help you keep your customers informed about any updates to their bookings. Check your portal settings to make sure the timezone display is set correctly for your market, so your customers always see the times in a format they understand.

Question 7

Can my hotel booking API show the room type and bed arrangement before my customer books?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a hotel booking API can usually show the room type and available bed information before your customer completes a booking. This may include details such as a double bed, twin beds, a sofa bed, or a choice between different room categories. The amount of detail depends on what the hotel supplier sends through the API. Some suppliers provide clear bed arrangements and room descriptions, while others use general room names or leave certain details out. Similar rooms may also be described differently by different suppliers, so the information may not always look consistent across every property. A requested bed type is not always guaranteed unless the booking result clearly says it is confirmed. In some cases, the customer can state a preference, but the hotel makes the final decision based on availability at check in. The room details should also be checked again before payment because availability and conditions can change between the search and booking stages. Ask glideFares which room and bed details are supplied by your chosen hotel connection, then test several properties to see how that information appears in your booking portal.

Question 8

Can I set up automatic reminders to send to my customers before they need to check in for their flights?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can set up reminders, though what you can do depends on which features come with your plan and how your portal is configured. Many travel agencies use automated reminders to help their customers remember important dates and times, like when online check-in opens or when they need to arrive at the airport. This reduces the number of calls you get from worried customers and helps them have a smoother travel experience. The reminders typically go out by email or SMS at times you decide, such as 24 hours before departure or 48 hours before check-in opens. You can usually customize the message to include the booking reference, flight time, and any other details your customers need. Some portals let you set up reminders for other events too, like hotel check-in dates or transfer pickups, so your customers get all the information they need at the right moment. Because reminder features can work differently depending on your setup and plan, you should check with your account manager about exactly what options are available to you. They can walk you through how to set reminders up and make sure they are turned on for all your customers or just certain groups if you prefer.

Question 9

Can I see how long it takes for a flight booking to be confirmed with the airline after my customer pays?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can see the confirmation status in your portal, but the timing depends on the airline and how quickly they process the booking on their end. When your customer completes payment, glideFares sends the booking to the airline right away. You will be able to track whether the booking is pending, confirmed, or if there has been an issue, all from your dashboard. The actual time it takes for the airline to confirm can vary quite a bit. Some airlines confirm bookings within seconds, while others may take several minutes or occasionally longer during busy periods. You will see the booking reference number appear in your system as soon as the airline assigns one, and your customer will receive their confirmation email at the same time. If the airline takes longer than expected to confirm, you can check the status in your portal rather than having to contact the airline directly. What you should keep in mind is that occasionally a booking payment can go through but the airline might reject it for reasons like invalid passenger details or system issues on their side. When this happens, you will see the failed status in your portal, and you can contact your customer to fix the problem and try again. Check your portal settings to make sure you have email notifications turned on so you get alerted as soon as confirmations come through from the airlines.

Question 10

Will my hotel API show me which properties have rooms available right now, or do I only find out after my customer tries to book?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the hotel API will show you real-time availability for each room type at a property, so you can see exactly how many rooms are left before your customer completes their booking. This means you know whether a room is genuinely available or whether someone else has just booked the last one. Real-time data protects you from the frustration of confirming a booking to your customer only to find the hotel has no rooms left, which damages your reputation and creates extra work dealing with the cancellation. The level of detail you see depends on what the hotel supplier shares through the API. Some properties are more generous with their inventory data than others, and some may only show you whether rooms are available or sold out rather than the exact count remaining. You will also see the room types, rates and cancellation terms that are currently active, all updated throughout the day as bookings come in. Keep in mind that between the moment your customer sees availability on your portal and the moment they click to book, another agent's customer could book the same room. This is why the API includes a final availability check right before the booking is confirmed, which catches any last-minute changes. If a room sells out in that final moment, your portal will let your customer know and suggest alternatives instead of taking their payment for something that no longer exists. You can test how the availability information appears on your portal by searching for hotels and checking which room types show up for different dates, then comparing that against what you see in your supplier's own system to make sure the data is matching correctly.