TTE 2016: KDS open API attracts suppliers to new travel industry content hub

Suppliers are showing increased interest in integrating with door-to-door corporate travel planning and booking platform KDS as they look to take greater control of how their product is distributed.

Suppliers are showing increased interest in integrating with door-to-door corporate travel planning and booking platform KDS as they look to take greater control of how their product is distributed.

KDS this week announced it had brought private hire service Addison Lee into the system through its open API interface.

Stanislas Berteloot, marketing director at KDS, said the API is enabling the firm to create a content hub or marketplace of travel product which could allow new players in the sharing sector like Airbnb to let its product be booked by business travellers.

“Suppliers now have access to a platform where they can plug in their content to see how it’s displayed within KDS and look at everything and review and validate it before they press the button to go live. It means we are basically becoming a content hub for the travel industry.

“Now pretty much every supplier who fits the requirement of the business travel industry can be part of it. They need to be able to be bookable online and they need somewhere to cancel the booking. If they have those features they can be part of this offer. Everyone keeps talking about the API economy, this is what it is.”

KDS already integrated ground transport providers like Groundscope and Snapcar, Berteloot said he saw no reason why the lines of Airbnb and Uber could not also be integrated as long as they are approved suppliers by corporates.

“The content hub is growing. A lot of suppliers want to be a part of it. We have the tools you need to make it happen. It’s like a sandbox, they can test in. It gives them control.”

Berteloot said KDS has no plans currently to move into leisure travel although he said many of the functions would be applicable to the sector.