Techtalks: Traveltech

Expedia is one of the market leaders, and they are very selective when it comes to integrating partners. They must engage their engineering team for each integration, so Expedia carefully vets businesses. If you’re a small startup, it's not likely they accept you. It’s better to try their affiliate program first. If you have a decent volume of bookings and they do choose you, the enrollment with contract negotiation and API connection may take months. Say, Priceline integration is much simpler and faster. 

Regarding the cost, there’s no flat rate for all. It’s individual for each partner. The end price may depend on many factors, including your market, its coverage, booking volumes, etc. 

As an alternative, try bed banks (Hotelbeds, Webbeds, etc.) or other resellers. 

Also consider your internal booking engine integration with suppliers. It normally takes 2-3 months to enable standard search and booking flow for a single supplier API. 

The process of connecting a booking engine with Expedia via API can vary in time and cost depending on multiple factors such as the complexity of the integration, the number of features required, and the availability of resources. Connecting to Expedia's API can be a complex task that requires technical expertise, so it's recommended to hire a professional developer or a development team to handle the integration.

The cost of connecting to Expedia's API can also vary depending on the scope of the project and the rates of the development team involved. It's important to keep in mind that there may be additional costs associated with maintaining the integration, such as ongoing support, updates, and bug fixes.

As for whether a deposit is required, this is something that would need to be discussed with Expedia directly. The terms and conditions of the integration may vary depending on the agreement reached between the booking engine and Expedia.

The process of connecting a booking engine with Expedia via API can be complex, time-consuming, and costly, and it's recommended to hire a professional developer or development team to handle the integration. The cost and terms of the integration would need to be discussed with Expedia directly.

Expedia is a big player in the market, and they carefully choose who they partner with. They have a thorough process for integrating partners, involving their engineering team for each connection. So, if you're a small startup, it might be tough to get in. Trying their affiliate program first is a better idea. Even if they do accept you, getting enrolled with contract negotiations and API connection could take months. In contrast, integrating with Priceline is usually simpler and faster.

The cost isn't a one-size-fits-all deal. It varies for each partner and depends on factors like your market, its coverage, and booking volumes.

If Expedia doesn't work for you, consider looking into bed banks like Hotelbeds Webbeds, and other resellers.

Another option is integrating your internal booking engine with suppliers, which typically takes 2-3 months for a standard search and booking flow with a single supplier API.

Connecting a booking engine to Expedia via their API can be a pretty nifty process, but let's break it down into bite-sized pieces to make it easier to digest.

First off, the time it takes to integrate with Expedia's API can vary quite a bit. It's kind of like putting together a puzzle – the complexity and time needed depend on your own system's setup and how tech-savvy your team is. Generally speaking, you could be looking at anything from a few weeks to a couple of months. It's not just about coding, you know. There's testing, tweaking, and making sure everything plays nice together.

Now, onto the cost - it's a bit like asking how long is a piece of string. Expedia doesn't usually broadcast their pricing structure for API access, so it's a bit of a "contact us for more details" situation. But here's the kicker: the cost can depend on a bunch of factors, like the scale of your business, the specific features you want, and the level of support you need. It's not just a one-size-fits-all deal.

As for a deposit, it's not usually the norm in the industry to need one for API access. However, it's always good to ask directly. Each company can have its own way of doing things, and you don't want any surprises down the line.

So, the long and short of it is: it can be a bit of a journey to get connected, and the cost can vary. It's best to reach out to Expedia directly for the nitty-gritty details. And hey, while it might seem like a lot, getting connected to a big player like Expedia can really open doors for your business. Just think of all the potential customers out there!