Real-time seat availability updates

Purpose

1.1. Enable automatic and immediate updates to seat availability across all sales channels after tickets are booked, canceled, or changed.
1.2. Eliminate double-booking by synchronizing airline seat inventories in real time between suppliers, agencies, OTAs, and customer portals.
1.3. Provide transparent visibility to customers and agents, reducing manual workload and errors in inventory control.
1.4. Enhance customer satisfaction by presenting only up-to-date and bookable options during search and reservation.
1.5. Support dynamic allocation—block, hold, or release seats according to external events or transactional rules.
1.6. Allow partners and affiliates to query seat status programmatically or via event-driven notifications.

Trigger Conditions

2.1. New booking creation, ticket issuance, seat hold, or seat release event from any connected system.
2.2. Cancellation or modification of an existing reservation impacting seat inventory.
2.3. Scheduled auditing interval triggers (e.g., every 5 minutes) for verification and update propagation.
2.4. API webhook, push notification, or polling response indicating seat count change.
2.5. Partner integration call requesting up-to-date seat data.

Platform Variants

3.1. Amadeus Self-Service APIs
• Feature/Setting: /v1/shopping/availability API; configure webhook to fetch and update seat data after booking.
3.2. Sabre REST APIs
• Feature/Setting: Get Air Availability endpoint; connect booking workflow to trigger real-time updates via POST booking notification.
3.3. Travelport Universal API
• Feature/Setting: AirService/AvailabilityReq; schedule periodic pulls and link to reservation change events.
3.4. Galileo GDS
• Feature/Setting: Seat Availability function; set up listener for seat inventory changes and automate downstream updates.
3.5. SITA Horizon
• Feature/Setting: Horizon Reservations AIR segment; activate update notification feature for instant seat status reflection.
3.6. Mystifly API
• Feature/Setting: Instant Seat Availability endpoint; use seat_matrix change callback for triggers.
3.7. Duffel API
• Feature/Setting: Order seat availability webhook; trigger downstream notifications on seat change.
3.8. Kiwi.com Partner API
• Feature/Setting: Availability endpoint; implement GET and POST triggers on booking success or fail.
3.9. Navitaire API
• Feature/Setting: Inventory Management update event; automate downstream sync after hold/release.
3.10. Fareportal (CheapOair) API
• Feature/Setting: SeatMap API call; poll and propagate results to partner displays.
3.11. Ryanair Data API
• Feature/Setting: Flights Inventory endpoint; listen on booking changes and re-query.
3.12. Skyscanner Partner API
• Feature/Setting: Live Pricing endpoint; execute updates upon booking confirmation.
3.13. Facebook Messenger
• Feature/Setting: Messenger webhooks; notify customers of updated seat status in chat flow.
3.14. Salesforce Travel Cloud
• Feature/Setting: Platform event trigger on updated Case/Opportunity with seat field changes.
3.15. Oracle Hospitality OPERA
• Feature/Setting: Reservations auto-update rule; trigger REST push to connected systems.
3.16. Microsoft Power Automate
• Feature/Setting: HTTP Webhook connector; monitor seat change endpoint for flow runs.
3.17. AWS Lambda
• Feature/Setting: Scheduled function or API Gateway trigger for on-demand seat polling and notifications.
3.18. Slack
• Feature/Setting: Incoming Webhooks; send seat change alerts to agent channels.
3.19. SendGrid
• Feature/Setting: Transactional Email API; notify agents or partners when inventory thresholds are met.
3.20. Twilio SMS
• Feature/Setting: Programmable Messaging send; alert customers of updated availability or waitlist status.
3.21. Zendesk
• Feature/Setting: Ticket Automation; create/update ticket for manual intervention if inconsistency found.
3.22. Google Sheets
• Feature/Setting: API update cell; reflect live seat counts for manual reconciliation or embedded dashboards.
3.23. Zapier
• Feature/Setting: Webhook and GDS trigger pairing; chain update actions across disparate services.

Benefits

4.1. Reduces manual workload and risk of overbooking through automated updates.
4.2. Ensures all distribution points reflect true, bookable seat status instantly.
4.3. Elevates customer trust and satisfaction by preventing failed purchases from outdated data.
4.4. Improves operational efficiency and partner synchronization via programmatic notifications.
4.5. Enables rapid reaction to market events—seat releases, flash sales, or cancellations.
4.6. Strengthens agency reputation with reliable, real-time booking experiences.