The Vehicle workflow allows you to book a vehicle for a customer.
Vehicle.xsd transactions
- Vehicle Shop: Search for vehicle options.
- Vehicle Details: Request information about rules, location, and media.
- Vehicle Book: Book the vehicle to lock in the prices when you are satisfied with the rules.
When a vehicle is booked, a Passenger Name Record (PNR) is created and added to a booking file record that Universal API creates, called the Universal Record Locator (UR) (UniversalRecordLocatorCode). The UR identifies a traveler's entire booking file, including general traveler information and travel provider information, as well as any PNR data from air, car, hotel, rail, or other travel segments available through Universal API. This booking record is specific to the Universal API, and can include PNRs from one or more providers that supplied the data for the bookings.
The Universal Record service (UniversalRecord.xsd) allows you to refund, cancel, modify, and retrieve a vehicle reservation.
Note: Each request has a corresponding response, with the same naming structure. For example, VehicleSearchAvailabilityReq (request) and VehicleSearchAvailabilityRsp (response).
Click a box to find out more.
Required vs. Optional Requests
In the flow, some requests are required for a successful booking, while others are optional.
| Request | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
|
Vehicle Search |
Yes |
Provides a generic request for rental vehicles that are available in a certain city between two specific dates. By default, responses are sorted from low to high rate. Modifiers such as specific vehicle types, features, or rental locations can be used to narrow the response. Note: Only one or the other of Vehicle Search or Vehicle Matrix is required. |
|
Vehicle Matrix |
Yes |
Provides a basic Vehicle Search Availability call that returns a maximum amount of vehicle rates in the fastest time possible. This transaction supports web-based applications that display a table of vehicle rates where the axes represent vehicle suppliers by vehicle types. The Vehicle Matrix response provides the data necessary to complete this grid in one transaction. No follow-up “Get More” transactions are required to obtain additional response data. Note: Only one or the other of Vehicle Search or Vehicle Matrix is required. |
|
Vehicle Location |
No |
Stand-alone functionality that requests details about a specific vehicle vendor location for a specific date. Optional, but recommended |
|
Vehicle Rules |
No |
Recommended. Stand-alone functionality. Obtains additional information regarding conditions and charges associated with a vehicle rental. |
|
Vehicle Media |
No |
Stand-alone functionality that requests vehicle images and descriptions. Typically, images and descriptions are requested as part of shopping functions, such as a Vehicle Search or a Vehicle Details request. |
|
Vehicle Keywords |
No |
Uses keyword information to detail a vehicle supplier's business policies and services. Optional, but recommended. |
|
Vehicle Booking |
Yes |
Reserves a vehicle option that was selected from the Vehicle Search response. |
Next Steps
Review the Vehicle Shopping transactions:
Review specific Vehicle Details transactions:
Review the Vehicle Booking transaction.
Review Universal Record transactions: Universal Records and Bookings.
Review the Sample Transactions.
