Question 1

Can I add my own markup or service fee to bookings made through my white label travel portal?

Accepted Answer

Yes, your white label travel portal can usually be set up to include your own markup or service fee in the amount shown to customers. This helps you sell travel products at a rate that covers your operating costs and supports the margin you want to earn. The available options may depend on your plan, the type of travel product and the supplier providing the booking. You may be able to apply different rules to flights, hotels and other services, or use separate rules for particular destinations, suppliers or customer groups. Some supplier rules may limit how a charge is presented or whether it can be changed after a booking has started. Customers should see the final payable amount clearly before they confirm and pay. Your staff should also be able to understand the original booking cost and the amount added by your business, subject to the reporting and access options included with your portal. Taxes and supplier charges may still be calculated separately, depending on the booking. Before taking live bookings, check which markup and service fee settings are included in your plan, then test each travel product to make sure the customer sees the correct final amount.

Question 2

Can the hotel booking API show whether a guest pays now or at the hotel?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the hotel booking API can show whether a room is paid during booking or at the hotel, as long as the hotel supplier provides that information. This helps your customer understand when payment is due before they confirm. The wording may vary because hotels and suppliers describe payment terms differently. For a pay now rate, the booking page can explain that payment is taken as part of the online booking. For a pay at hotel rate, it can show that the property expects payment later. Some rates may still require card details to secure the room, and a hotel may require a deposit under its own terms. The API may also return conditions such as the accepted payment method, deposit requirement, local charges, or the date when payment becomes due. Not every supplier sends every detail, and some information may appear inside the rate conditions instead of a separate field. What can be displayed also depends on the API connection and your glideFares plan. Before offering these choices to customers, ask glideFares which payment details are available from your selected hotel suppliers, then make a test booking for each payment type and check that the wording is clear before confirmation.

Question 3

Can my travel agency software help me track what each customer still needs to pay?

Accepted Answer

Yes, travel agency software can help you record what a customer has paid and what is still due for a booking. This gives your staff one place to check the payment position before confirming services, sending travel documents or following up with the customer. You may be able to record deposits, part payments, payment due dates and the method used. The booking can then show whether payment is pending, partly received or complete. This can reduce manual notes and make it easier for another staff member to understand what has happened when they open the booking. The exact process depends on your plan, setup and payment connection. Some payments may update automatically, while bank transfers, cash payments or payments collected outside the portal may need to be recorded by a staff member. Supplier charges, refunds and changes may also need checking before the balance is treated as final, especially when the booking has been amended. Check which payment methods you use, whether you accept deposits and whether you need payment updates to pass to your accounting system, then ask glideFares which balance tracking options are available for your setup.

Question 4

Can the flight booking API collect passport details for international flight bookings?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a flight booking API can collect and send passport details when they are required for an international flight. This can allow the traveller or agent to enter the passenger name, passport number, nationality, date of birth, passport expiry date and other required travel information as part of the booking process. The exact details requested depend on the airline, route, destination and flight supplier. Some airlines require this information before a booking can be completed, while others may ask for it after confirmation or during check in. The available fields and the point at which they appear can also depend on the API connection and the glideFares plan being used. Collecting passport information does not confirm that the traveller has the correct passport, visa or permission to enter a country. The traveller and travel agent still need to check the entry and transit requirements for the full journey. Names should also be entered exactly as shown on the travel document, because corrections may be restricted by the airline and could require a new booking. Before accepting an international booking, check which passenger details the selected airline requires, when they must be provided and whether the booking flow supports those fields.

Question 5

Can my customers change or cancel a booking themselves through my white label travel portal?

Accepted Answer

Yes, customers may be able to request a change or cancellation through your white label travel portal, depending on the travel product, supplier rules and the features included in your plan. The portal can give customers a convenient place to open their booking, review the available options and send a request without starting a separate enquiry. Not every booking can be changed or cancelled in the same way. A flexible hotel booking may allow a straightforward cancellation, while a restricted room rate may not allow changes. Flight changes can also depend on the airline, fare rules, ticket status and travel dates. Any charges or refund conditions should be shown before the customer agrees to continue, when that information is supplied through the connected service. Some requests may still need help from your staff. This can happen when the supplier requires manual approval, when part of a trip has already been used, or when several travel products are linked to the same journey. The portal should not suggest that a request is completed until confirmation has been received from the relevant supplier. Check which self service change and cancellation options are included in your glideFares plan, then confirm how each connected supplier handles approval, charges and refunds before making the feature available to customers.

Question 6

Can the hotel booking API let me see which rooms are available before my customer completes their booking?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the hotel booking API shows you the available room types and their current rates at the hotel and dates your customer is searching for, so they can see exactly what they are booking before they pay. When your customer searches for a hotel, the API returns the room options that the hotel has told us are free on those dates. Your customer can see the room type, the bed configuration, the size, any special features and the price per night. If they want to book, they go ahead and complete the reservation. This gives them confidence that they are choosing the right room for their needs and not booking something they cannot use. The rates and availability you see during the search are live information from the hotel supplier, so they reflect what is actually free right now. However, availability and prices can change quickly if other travellers are booking the same hotel on the same dates at the same time. The API will tell you if a room is no longer available or if the price has changed before your customer confirms their payment, so you and they will never be caught out by a surprise. Your customer should click through the search results to see the full details of each room type before they decide which one to book.

Question 7

Can the flight booking API help my customers find cheaper travel dates when their plans are flexible?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the flight booking API can help customers compare flights across nearby travel dates when this type of search is supported by the connected flight supplier. This can make it easier for a customer who does not need to leave or return on an exact day to find a more suitable fare without repeating the whole search several times. The way flexible date results appear can vary. Some suppliers may return a calendar showing the lowest available fare for nearby dates, while others may require a separate search for each date. The results can also differ by route, airline, cabin and journey type. A fare shown during an earlier search may change when the customer selects it because airline availability is updated frequently. Your booking portal can present the available dates in a simple form and let the customer choose one before continuing. It should still check the selected flight and fare again before payment or confirmation. This helps the customer see the latest availability, fare conditions and journey details before making a decision. Check whether your selected flight suppliers support flexible date searches and confirm that this feature is included in your glideFares plan before deciding how it should appear on your booking portal.

Question 8

Can staff in different branches use the same travel agency software?

Accepted Answer

Yes, staff in different branches can usually use the same travel agency software and work with shared travel information. This can help everyone follow customer enquiries, prepare bookings and check trip details without keeping separate records at each location. What each person can see or change may depend on the access settings included in your plan. You may be able to give managers a wider view while limiting other staff to their own branch, customers or bookings. The available controls should be checked before access is given, especially if branches operate independently or handle confidential traveller information. Shared access does not mean that every booking action will work in exactly the same way for every branch. Ticketing rights, payment methods, currencies, supplier access and approval steps may depend on your business setup and the travel products being sold. Some supplier services may also require separate permission or arrangements for each location. Before setting up your branches, decide which information should be shared, which staff should be allowed to make changes and whether managers need a combined view of the whole business, then ask glideFares to confirm which branch and access options are available with your plan.

Question 9

Can the flight booking API issue an electronic ticket after a reservation is confirmed?

Accepted Answer

Yes, a flight booking API can support electronic ticket issuance after a reservation is confirmed. A confirmed reservation is not always the same as a ticketed journey, so your portal should show the status clearly. When ticketing succeeds, the customer can usually receive an itinerary and the ticket details needed for travel. Ticketing depends on the airline, the fare rules, the supplier connection and the features included in your plan. Some bookings may be ticketed immediately, while others may need extra checks or action by an agent. A booking can remain pending or fail if the fare changes, the airline rejects the request, payment is not accepted or required passenger details are missing. The API response should confirm the actual status before the customer is told that a ticket has been issued. Your booking process can normally record the airline reference, ticket details and current ticketing status, then make the travel document available to the customer. The document format and the timing of updates can vary by supplier, and any changes after ticketing will follow the airline's rules. Before going live, check which connected suppliers support ticket issuance, what each status means and how your team will handle bookings that need manual attention.

Question 10

Can the hotel booking API show hotel photos, room details and facilities during the search?

Accepted Answer

Yes, the hotel booking API can usually provide photos and useful property information alongside the available rooms and rates. This can help customers understand what a hotel offers before they choose where to stay, without leaving your booking website to search elsewhere. The details may include the hotel description, location, room name, bedding information, facilities, meal options, check in information and important booking conditions. Photos may be available for the property and sometimes for individual room types. The exact content depends on what the hotel supplier sends through the API, so some listings may have fuller descriptions or more images than others. Hotel information can also vary between suppliers, even when they are showing the same property. A facility or room feature should not be treated as guaranteed unless it is clearly included in the selected rate and confirmed in the booking details. Special needs, such as accessible rooms, specific bed types or parking, may still need to be checked directly before the customer travels. Ask glideFares which hotel content is available with your chosen supplier connection, then check how photos, room details and facilities will appear on your booking pages.