AirIQ is a flight distribution platform used by many travel agents in India, particularly for series and group fares on popular domestic and international routes. Integrating its API lets agencies and consolidators show these fares inside their own B2C website or B2B portal, alongside GDS and low-cost carrier content. This article explains how such an integration typically works and what to plan for. Confirm current products and terms directly with the provider.
Why agencies add series and group fares
- Competitive prices on busy routes and peak dates when published fares rise.
- Seat availability when regular inventory sells out.
- Useful for groups, labour travel and seasonal demand.
Search and display
The integration sends searches for route and date and receives available fares with seat counts, timings, baggage and fare rules. These fares should be clearly labelled in results, because their rules, such as refundability and name change policies, often differ from regular airline fares.
Booking and ticketing
- The customer or agent selects a fare and enters passenger details exactly as on their ID.
- The portal confirms availability and price.
- Payment is taken from the customer or agent wallet.
- The booking is confirmed with the provider, and ticket details are returned when available.
- The portal sends the e-ticket or booking confirmation.
After-sales
Cancellation and change rules for series fares can be strict. Show them clearly before booking, and set up a process for cancellations and refunds through the API or the provider's support channel. Track each request's status in your admin panel.
Combining with other sources
Most portals show series fares together with GDS and low-cost carrier results in one search. The booking engine merges results, highlights the best option and applies your markup rules to each source. Agents get broader choice without switching between websites.
Pricing and markups
- Set markups by route, date or agent group.
- Keep margins healthy on peak dates where demand is strong.
- Show agents their net fare and suggested selling price.
What to test
- Searches on routes with and without series inventory.
- Bookings with several passengers.
- Price or availability changes before booking.
- Cancellation and refund flows.
- Ticket delivery to customers and agents.
In practice: peak-season coverage
A B2B portal found that its agents switched to other websites during holiday peaks, when GDS fares became expensive. After adding series fares through an API, its search showed lower-priced options on busy dates, labelled clearly with their rules. Agents stayed on the portal during peak season, and bookings on those dates increased.
Common mistakes
- Showing series fares without clear refund and change rules.
- Not entering passenger names exactly as on ID.
- Applying the same markup on peak and off-peak dates.
Communicating with agents
Agents need to know when series fares are available and how they differ from regular fares. Use labels in search results, short notes on fare rules and announcements in your portal for new routes or peak-date availability.
Frequently asked questions
Are series fares refundable?
Often only partly or not at all. Always display the specific rules for each fare.
Can B2C customers book series fares?
That depends on the provider's terms; many series fares are intended for agent distribution.
Key takeaways
- Series and group fares add competitive prices and seats on busy dates.
- Label fares clearly and show their rules before booking.
- Combine them with GDS and low-cost content in one search.
Add series fares to your portal with our AirIQ API integration service.
