FAQ

BCD Travel provides two categories of APIs:

• Data integration APIs — The Travel Data API (Itinerary) and Travel Expenses API (Invoice) allow you to access trip and expense data for reporting and analytics.
• Booking APIs — The Hotel, Car, and Air APIs enable searching, comparing, and booking travel services programmatically.

Contact api.support@bcdtravel.com or your BCD Travel Account Manager to register your application. You will receive the credentials and endpoint URLs needed to get started.

Yes. BCD Travel provides a test environment for development and integration testing. Request access through your Account Manager or via api.support@bcdtravel.com.

All APIs return data in JSON format. Data extract files are available in .xls, .csv, .txt, and .zip formats.

The Travel Data API and Travel Expenses API use OAuth 2.0 client credentials. You exchange your client_id and client_secret for an access token, then include that token in the Authorization header of subsequent requests.

The ASB (Hotels, Cars, Flights) API uses signature-based authentication. Each request includes an api_key, timestamp, nonce, and a computed HMAC signature to verify authenticity.

OAuth 2.0 access tokens are valid for a limited time (typically one hour). Your application should handle token expiration by requesting a new token when the current one expires.

The Travel Data API provides access to trip and itinerary data. You can search trips by date range, traveler, or booking reference and retrieve detailed segment information for flights, hotels, and car rentals.

The Travel Expenses API provides real-time access to corporate travel transaction data. You can search expenses by trip, date range, or traveler and retrieve detailed cost breakdowns.

Data extracts are bulk files containing aggregated booking activity. They are available as scheduled deliveries (daily or weekly) in spreadsheet and CSV formats. These complement the real-time APIs for batch reporting needs.

The standard flow is: Search → Get rates → Get checkout data → Book. Each step returns the data needed for the next. After booking, use the reservation endpoints to view, modify, or cancel.

Yes. The availability endpoints return results across all configured providers. You can filter results by chain, vendor, or other criteria.

All APIs return standard HTTP status codes. Use the /get_errors utility endpoint to retrieve error code descriptions. Common issues include expired sessions, invalid parameters, and authentication failures.

Email api.support@bcdtravel.com with details about the issue or feature request. Include your API version, request/response examples, and any error messages.

Rate limits depend on your subscription tier and API. Contact your Account Manager for details about your specific rate limits.