Enhanced Vehicle Book API
The Enhanced Vehicle Book API enables Sabre to book any vehicles from suppliers connected to Sabre.
The information returned in response includes confirmation number(s) from the car supplier and other data elements. The car segment(s) are added to the Sabre PNR. The response also provides the travel agency or booking tool with confirmation of the booking.
Suppliers connect to Sabre and requests from the API are sent to them through SSG. Then the supplier forms a response with confirmation details of the booked car(s), and sends it as a response.
The current Booking APIs offered by Sabre provide support for a two-step booking process. It permits the travel agency to make an initiation request and get a response, to hold onto the car vehicle being booked (while other activities may be carried out, e.g. adding an air or hotel component), and to follow up with a commit request and get a response or submit an ignore request to cancel the original initiation request.
The picture below presents a quick overview of the two-step EDIFACT-like workflow:
The fields to include in a supplier request for a car booking are listed below. Please note that this is not a definitive list and many are optional.
- travel agency (PCC, IATA code, etc.) making the booking request
- car vendor code and name
- car vendor location
- pickup date and time
- return date and time
- car type and other identifiers of the car being booked
- car extras / special equipment
- form of payment (including any guarantee such as credit card number)
- personal details of the person whose name, address (if vehicle is for delivery/collection), etc. are to be included in the car rental agreement
- updated corporate discount number, frequent flyer/renter number, rate code, promo codes, and tour codes
The fields to be included in the supplier response to a booking request are listed below and many are optional depending on what was provided in the request:
- confirmation number/identifier of the booking
- details of the booked vehicle including confirmation of pickup date and time, and return date and time
- vehicle rental information including rate code, rate plan, guarantee and rate assured indicator, supplier currency, vehicle type, and seat belts and bag details of the vehicle
- vehicle charge information including amount, charge types, mileage allowance, and extra mileage allowance
- any commissions associated with the booking
- any extra charges
- prepaid guarantees
The following tables present attribute values of request and response messages:
|
REQUEST MESSAGE |
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|
Action |
XML Message |
Attribute |
Attribute Value |
|
NEW/PENDING BOOKINGS |
|
|
|
|
Request a New Booking |
OTA_VehResRQ |
ResStatus |
Initiate |
|
Commit a Pending Booking |
OTA_VehResRQ |
ResStatus |
Commit |
|
Ignore a Pending Booking |
OTA_VehResRQ |
ResStatus |
Ignore |
|
RESPONSE MESSAGE |
|||
|
Action |
XML Message |
Attribute |
Attribute Value |
|
NEW/PENDING BOOKINGS |
|
|
|
|
Initiate a New Booking (Dummy Initiate) |
OTA_VehResRS |
ResResponseType |
Pending |
|
Initiate a New Booking (Actual Initiate) |
OTA_VehResRS |
ResResponseType |
OnHold |
|
Ignore a Pending/onHold Booking |
OTA_VehResRS |
ResResponseType |
Ignored |
|
Commit a New Booking |
OTA_VehResRS |
ResResponseType |
Committed |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Initiate a New Booking (Dummy Initiate) |
OTA_VehResRS |
RoomStayStatus |
Initiate |
|
Initiate a New Booking (Actual Initiate) |
OTA_VehResRS |
RoomStayStatus |
Hold |
|
Commit a New Booking |
OTA_VehResRS |
RoomStayStatus |
Commit |
|
Ignore a Pending/Held Booking |
OTA_VehResRS |
RoomStayStatus |
Ignore |
Specs and Samples
Go to the resources for Enhanced Vehicle Book API to access specs and samples.