Using Universal API and Legacy API Products Together

Many of Travelport’s existing API customers may want to take advantage of Travelport Universal API while maintaining their existing products built using Travelport’s legacy API. Travelport’s Universal API product can easily be integrated into existing business processes to extend current functionality.

For example, customers could use their existing products to book GDS content, and then use Travelport Universal API to add Low Cost Carrier or Rail Content Service content, or to display merchandising options to their users.

The following process explains how to expand existing API products using Universal API functionality:

  1. Customers use legacy API functionality to create a booking record.
  2. Customers book GDS content using existing legacy API functionality.
  3. Customers use Universal API to create a Universal Record, and then import the host booking record created with the legacy API into the Universal Record.
  4. Customers use Universal API’s functionality to add non-GDS content to the Universal Record. This content could be hub content, merchandizing options, or any other future non-traditional, GDS-accessible content that is only available via Universal API.
  5. The Universal API stores information in the Universal Record and stores passive copies of the information in the host booking record.

Universal Records and Host Booking Records (PNRs)

The passive copies of Universal Records stored in the host booking record allow content to be displayed via traditional terminal emulation and traditional API requests. The Universal Record allows the content to be fully accessible via the Universal API.

GDS content can be updated via terminal emulation or traditional APIs. Universal API-only content must be updated via the Universal API.

The host booking record is not linked to the Universal Record. However, the Universal Record is linked to the host booking record. Each time a Universal Record is retrieved, the Universal Record is synchronized with the host booking record. This synchronization does not occur in reverse when a host booking is retrieved.

Where Can Universal API Functionality Be Added?

Universal API functionality can be added in the work flow where necessary. For example, if a work flow requires that air content be booked before merchandising can be sold, the Universal API process for selling merchandising cannot be used until air content is present. This air content can be sold via Galileo Web Services, terminal emulation, DIR, or Universal API. Once the air content is present, the work flow allows merchandising content to be sold via Universal API. The user may then switch back to the traditional API or to terminal emulation in order to add content to the host booking record.

Provisioning

Users will need to be provisioned independently for both Universal API and their legacy API product.

Diagrams

For diagrams, see the white paper: Using Travelport Universal API and Legacy API Products Together

Message Examples

Galileo (GWS)

Universal API Samples