Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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Does it matter which credentials I use to access Sabre APIs?
Yes. You must use the Sabre credentials issued by your Sabre account manager. Whether or not you are issued a PCC or iPCC depends on your type of travel agency.
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I'm just trying things out and am not a customer yet. Can I use my API Explorer client ID and client secret to create my token credentials?
Yes. Sign-in to Dev Studio, click My Account at the top right, then My Applications, and use your Client ID and Client Secret to create your single base64-encoded string according to REST APIs: token credentials then get a sessionless token (using the steps on this page)—you can use this token to call any of the REST APIs available in API Explorer.
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I'm a current customer. Can I use my API Explorer client ID and client secret to create my token credentials?
Not recommended. Keep in mind that these are test credentials, are not permanent, and only allow you to access the publicly-available REST APIs in our certification environment. If you are a current customer, you must use the Sabre credentials provided by your Sabre account manager.
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Do I use the same credentials for REST and SOAP APIs?
Yes. You should use the same token credentials (PCC, EPR, etc.) for both REST and SOAP APIs. The only difference is the domain and in the way you construct your token credentials. Use the steps on this page.
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My agency was issued more than one EPR or PCC, can I use any of those?
Check with your Sabre account manager. An agency may be issued one or more PCCs/iPCCs or EPRs. These credentials are often granted unique permissions. Access may vary.
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How do I know which kind of token is supported for an API?
Check the API's documentation page under "Authentication Type." Browse from our list of all APIs in the Product Catalog.
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How do I get 50 tokens?
Calling one of our authentication APIs 1 time gets you 1 token. Calling it 50 times gets you 50 tokens.
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Can I get a token from the certification environment to call an API in the production environment?
No. You can only use a token in the same environment where you obtained it. In other words, if you get a token from the certification environment, you can only call an API in the certification environment.
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Why don't I have access to an API that is part of my contract?
Verify you are using the correct PCC and EPR in your token credentials. If you are not using the correct PCC in your token credentials to a given API, you won't have access to your agency's specific subset of Sabre APIs. If you know you are using the correct credentials, contact your Sabre account manager.
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Why can't I access the Bargain Finder Max API?
The Bargain Finder Max API requires customers to sign a special amendment. Contact your Sabre account manager for details.
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Are sessionless tokens available for all APIs?
No, but we're working to enable sessionless token authentication for more Sabre APIs. Stay tuned! Ask your Sabre account manager to add you to our email distribution list.
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What's wrong with my request?
Check documentation for the Sabre APIs you wish to call to be sure the request is valid and you have provided the required data elements. See our errors documentation for details.
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Do I always have to close a session (token)?
Always. If you let session tokens time out instead of closing them properly with the Close Session API, it is possible that all session tokens/sessions in your pool will be in use and unavailable.
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Are all time-out values for session tokens the same?
No. The default is 15 minutes and is set when your Sabre and token credentials are created. Contact your Sabre account manager for details.
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How can I prevent a session token from expiring?
To prevent a Sabre session from timing out, you can send a request to any Sabre API. We recommend calling the Refresh Session API, which is a simple ping and easily integrated into your workflow.
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What happens if a traveler is in the middle of a transaction when Sabre weekly maintenance starts to run?
If a pooled session is in use the state of any transaction in progress must be persisted locally or it will be lost. If a booking is in progress, save to the Sabre work area to store changes, render the session token invalid and get a new token, then retrieve the PNR to continue.
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What happens if I call a SOAP API during Sabre weekly maintenance?
When a SOAP API call is issued during the 5 minute warning period before Sabre weekly maintenance runs (00:15-00:20 CST) a warning will be returned. The error will indicate a number between 01 to 05 based on the time remaining before Sabre weekly maintenance begins. For example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <OTA_AirAvailRS xmlns="http://webservices.sabre.com/sabreXML/2003/07" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchemainstance"> <Errors> <Error ErrorCode="SessionFailure-103" Severity="High" ErrorMessage="Parameter not supported"> <ErrorInfo> <Message>SYSTEM HOUSKPING REQUIRES AAA TO BE CLEARED RE-ENTER LAST INPUT THEN COMPLETE OR END TRANSACTIONS IN ALL AREAS ENTER SOALL WITHIN 04 MINUTES AND THEN SIGN BACK IN TO CONTINUE WORKING</Message> </ErrorInfo> </Error> </Errors> </OTA_AirAvailRS>
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What happens if I call a SOAP API while Sabre weekly maintenance is running?
If a SOAP API call is issued while Sabre weekly maintenance is running (00:20 to approximately 00:25 CT) you may receive an error that looks like this:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> <OTA_AirAvailRS xmlns="http://webservices.sabre.com/sabreXML/2003/07" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"> <Errors> <Error ErrorCode="SessionFailure-103" Severity="High" ErrorMessage="Parameter not supported"> <ErrorInfo> <Message>1SYSTEM HOUSKPING - ALL AREAS SIGNED OUT SIGN BACK IN TO CONTINUE WORKING </ErrorInfo> </Error> </Errors> </ OTA_AirAvailRS>
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What happens if I don't get all new session tokens after Sabre session maintenance?
SOAP API calls issued after NORM OAA runs will return a USG_INVALID_SECURITY_TOKEN error.
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Why don't I have access to an API that is part of my contract?
Verify you are using the correct PCC and EPR in your token credentials. If you are not using the correct PCC in your token credentials to a given API, you won't have access to your agency's specific subset of Sabre APIs. If you are using the correct credentials, contact your Sabre account manager.
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Why can't I access the Bargain Finder Max API?
The Bargain Finder Max API requires customers to sign a special amendment. Contact your Sabre account manager for details. Or take the REST API for a test spin on the Reference tab on the Bargain Finder Max API (REST) page.