To integrate liteAPI travel booking into your application, it is helpful to understand how data is meant to flow through the static data, search, and booking endpoints.
An API key is required to call liteAPI. You can get an API key by signing up for a free account at liteAPI. An account provides analytics and management for all bookings through the attached API keys.
Want to dive in right now? Use this example sandbox API key: sand_c0155ab8-c683-4f26-8f94-b5e92c5797b9
STATIC DATA is data that rarely changes. This endpoint collection includes lists of airport codes, countries, cities, and currencies. However, the most common use of these content endpoints is to call Hotel List to get a list of hotel IDs for a specific area and Hotel Details to get details for particular hotels.
SEARCH, the most common task, involves searching for available room rates. This is typically achieved by calling the Hotel full rates availability endpoint. This endpoint takes a list of hotel IDs (which you can get from the Hotel List above) and returns the available room rates that match the criteria passed, like days of stay and number of guests.
BOOKING refers to endpoints related to booking room rates. These fall into two categories: Workflow, which turns a searched rate into a booked room, and Management, which manages an already booked room.
- Workflow endpoints start with Hotel rate prebook where the rate ID from the search step is passed through to confirm availability and lock in the price. This becomes the prebook ID that is usually passed to Hotel rate book where it is combined with the guest's Information and a payment method to book the room's rate.
- Management endpoints are used after a booking is finalized. Booking retrieve will return the details of a booking based on the Booking ID. The Booking cancel endpoint cancels an existing booking. Important note: Cancelation is subject to the reservation cancelation policy; for example, a non-refundable room can be canceled but won't be refunded.