Using the Help

This topic orients you to the types of information you can find in the online help for the JSON APIs.

Information about the JSON APIs is available here as either a guide, API reference, or workflow. Each of these types of topic provides similar information in a similar format. You can also use searches to help find what you need.

In this topic:

Guides: Overview, Usage, and Support

This online help provides a guide for all functional areas of using the JSON APIs to book and manage air travel. These include searching, pricing, booking, updating traveler details, and making exchanges. Open the Guides menu at the top of any page for a list, or click the Guides menu heading to see a full list.

Each guide provides a functional overview and basic usage information for the API/s in that area. Guides define basic concepts for that travel area, such as the difference between an itinerary, leg, and segment for travel by air. Guides also include the workflow diagrams detailed below.

Guides for areas with variable support provide a support table. For example, functionality may vary by carrier, differ between NDC and GDS, and/or be supported only in specific workflows. The Seats support table excerpted below includes all three scenarios.

Most guides also include layout diagrams illustrating the basic structure of that API's JSON request and response. Layout diagrams provide a hierarchical view of the API's high-level objects.

 

API References: Technical Details and Examples

Every JSON API has an API reference. Open the API References menu at the top of any page for a list, or click the API References menu heading to see a full list by resource.

Each API reference is a full technical reference for the API. It provides object-level details including supported formats and values.

All API references provide the same navigation at the top of the page, as shown to the right.

An API Reference always includes the following information in this order:

  • method and endpoint

  • any query parameters

  • reference tables for the request and response

  • code examples of the request and response

To make it easier to navigate the page, reference tables and examples load in collapsed dropdown boxes like this:

Click the heading to expand and collapse the dropdown:

Use the Copy button, circled above, to copy that example so you can paste it into your own Postman collection or other application.

 

Workflow Diagrams: API call sequences

The JSON APIs are linked together in workflows from air shopping through booking and ticketing, with optional calls along the way. Open the Workflows menu at the top of any page, or click the Workflows menu heading to see a full list. Workflow diagrams are also embedded in their associated guide.

Workflow diagrams provide a high-level overview of the entire travel booking flow, as well as individual processes that require multiple API calls, such as booking and ticketing. Diagrams can help you decide which workflow to implement in various scenarios.

 

Search Tips: Finding what you need

If you've checked the guide and the API reference for an API and/or its functional area without finding what you need, try a search at the top of any page:

All supported JSON objects are documented in the help. For technical details enter the exact object name. For terms, leave spaces and use quotation marks as needed to group terms, such as "carrier support". The search is not case-sensitive, and you can enter partial words using at least four characters.

Be sure to use the search bar with the text
Search JSON API content.
If you're viewing the help in the Developer Experience frame, the box at the top of those pages searches all Travelport product documentation, not just the JSON APIs.

 

Common Elements: Key terms, notes, and warnings

Throughout the help, the following standard formatting presents the same types of information consistently.

Important concepts are highlighted in bold coral text like this:

In the JSON Search APIs, an offer is a product available at a specific price under a set of terms and conditions. A product is the flight or connecting flights for one leg of the itinerary, plus a service level that includes the cabin class and any fare codes that may apply.

Informational notes are called out with a green sidebar.
Warnings about issues that can cause unexpected results or error messages are called out with a red sidebar.

This online help is the most comprehensive source of information about the APIs. If you need further assistance, please see Support Options.