The Harsh Reality of Travel APIs (And How to Fix It)

APIs are the backbone of modern travel, but let’s be real—they’re also a nightmare. There are over 2,000 travel-related APIs (anything from flights, hotels, activities, travel insurance, eSIMs, etc) and on average, each integration takes 3 months; 59 working days.

• Integration is painful?– Integration is slow because travel APIs are feature-dense and complex. Standards aren’t the solution. NDC launched 12 years ago, yet every airline API is still different despite using the same schema. The real challenge is the inconsistency in implementation.
• Data is fragmented & unreliable – Pricing, availability, and bookings rely on multiple systems that don’t talk to each other properly. This leads to delays, mismatches, and failed transactions.
• APIs in travel tech are costly—not typically per request, but per booking or conversion. Some providers impose request-based fees only when the look-to-book ratio (searches vs. bookings) exceeds a set threshold, adding another layer of expense for OTAs, airlines, and aggregators.
• Latency kills UX – Travel requires real-time updates, but most APIs struggle with speed, leading to slow searches, booking errors, and bad customer experiences.

How We Fix Travel APIs

Companies like Trapi are tackling the complexities of API integrations by using AI agents to automate a lot of the complex workflows that come with integrating with travel-related APIs. But the industry needs more:

? A "plug-and-play" approach – APIs should be frictionless. No 300-page documentation, no endless back-and-forth with engineers. Just connect and go.

? Blistering speed – Response times should be instant, enabling real-time pricing, availability, and transactions without lag.

Nick Castrioty, CEO & Co-founder of Trapi, on tackling API complexity in travel tech with AI:

“One of the biggest pain points impacting travel sellers’ ability to scale is the amount of time, resources & budget spent on API Integrations. At Trapi, we’re tackling this pain point by using AI to automate complex API Integration tasks, so that travel sellers can focus their attention of building the unique business logic on top of the APIs.”

How Hubby eSIM Is Leading This in Connectivity

At Hubby eSIM, we’re making API integration effortless. Check out our developer docs—blisteringly simple connectivity, no nonsense. The goal? To make eSIM as easy to integrate as Stripe for payments.

Travel APIs should be this simple. Why aren’t they?

If you've reached this far, share with us, what’s the biggest API nightmare you’ve faced in travel tech? ??

#TravelTech #APIs #SeamlessIntegration #RealTalk