Rapid API helps travel agency improve customer experience

Switchfly, established in 2003, is an online travel agency (OTA) and travel technology provider. Since 2012, Switchfly has been one of Expedia Group’s premier third-party technology provider partners, helping their clients integrate with Rapid, our flexible API solution. 

When Switchfly wanted to rapidly scale their own platform, a white-label solution that delivers a seamless user experience and live customer support for travellers, they needed to augment their lodging inventory and address servicing issues that were limiting business growth.

By integrating Rapid API with their platform, Switchfly gained access to Expedia Group’s directly contracted rates at more than 750,000 properties around the world.³ The Rapid Content APIs provide access to inspiring and engaging content, giving travellers all the information they need to make a booking.

Rapid is a lightweight, enterprise-grade API, handling around 12 billion calls every day.⁴ Its speed and performance help enable a consistent shopping and booking experience on the Switchfly platform. This pairing of reliable Expedia Group technology and unparalleled inventory helps more travellers find what they want on the Switchfly platform, which helps to reduce lost bookings and other conversion issues.

With Rapid API’s agent-to-agent servicing model, Switchfly agents can work directly with Expedia Group’s agents by phone and email or use intuitive self-service agent booking tools to quickly identify reservations, answer questions and resolve issues for travellers. There is a clear return on investment in delivering effective support services. For travellers, it can mean higher satisfaction and more repeat bookings. For the partner, it can mean quicker resolution, lower servicing costs and more.

By integrating with Rapid API, Switchfly can lean on the expertise of integration specialists, implementation advisors and their dedicated account manager—as well as self-service tools and resources. Our experts provide one-to-one strategic guidance on how to make the best of our innovative technology and provide travellers with exactly what they’re looking for. 

With Rapid API, Switchfly was able to offer travellers more choice and high-quality property content that incentivises them to book. From January to June 2024, Switchfly doubled their Rapid bookings compared to July to December 2023. Rapid bookings now make up 72% of all bookings made on the Switchfly platform.⁵

Before Switchfly’s Rapid API integration, simple booking confirmations typically required an average of four calls to resolve. Now, with Expedia Group’s self-service tools, Switchfly agents can resolve travellers’ issues satisfactorily with just one call.⁶ This helps the business streamline their operations, reduce servicing costs and save time for their agents and for travellers.