How to Connect Zaui with Expedia Local Expert

Overview

Expedia is one of the world’s leading full-service online travel brands helping travellers plan and book travel from the widest selection of vacation packages, flights, hotels, rental cars, rail, cruises and of course tours & activities! Expedia’s brands attract more than 70 million web visitors every month. Local Expert is Expedia's one-stop resource specializing in activities, tours and transportation in more than 750 vacation destinations. 

If you are planning to work with Expedia Local Expert or already are, you can automate your relationship with them using API Connectivity and Zaui's Channel Manager. 

API Connectivity will allow your Zaui system and Expedia to talk to each other. Specifically, Expedia will be able to:

• Pull availability information
• Create new bookings
• Update and cancel their existing bookings in your Zaui system. All based on the rules you set

Save time and money - let Expedia bookings automatically flow into your Zaui system! No more email booking requests and manual data entry. 

This article will cover the following topics:

• Registering with Expedia Local Expert, Creating your products & product options
• Creating Expedia Local Expert as an Agency in Zaui
• Enabling the Expedia Local Expert channel in Zaui
• Contacting Expedia team for Product Mapping 
• Important FYI's 

Registering with Expedia Local Expert, Creating your products & product options

You must have a Supplier Account with Expedia Local Expert and your products & product options created in order to use API Connectivity with this channel partner.

If you don't already have an account, you can sign-up by completing the online application here. Please make sure to select Zaui as your booking reservation system. If your application is accepted, the Expedia team will reach out to you via email or phone with information on further steps. You will also negotiate a commission/net rate and sign a contract with Expedia Local Expert at this stage. Please note Zaui is not involved here and cannot assist with this process.

Once completed, you will be given access to Expedia’s Supplier Administration Portal, where you will be able to create and manage products and product options you want to be listed with Expedia. For more information on creating your products, please see this page or your Expedia Account Manager.

For Interval activities in Zaui, you will need to create start time product options in the Expedia system for each time slot you would like.

Creating Expedia Local Expert as a Company in Zaui

All bookings created via API Connectivity automatically appear in Zaui as PAID with the Voucher payment type, therefore it is important Expedia Local Expert is set up as a Wholesale Company in your Zaui system. 

To set up Expedia Local Expert as a Wholesale Company:

1. From the navigation bar, select Resellers > Companies > Company List. If Expedia Local Expert or Expedia is not on the list of companies, click Create Company from the shortcuts panel. If it is on the list, click on it to view details.
2. Fill out the Company Information section (only Company Name is required, other fields are optional).
3. In the Rate Type section, select Wholesale Discount/Invoice type and leave all boxes unchecked.
4. In the Rate Codes section, assign a rate code to Expedia Local Expert based on your negotiated commission/net rate with them and define to which products it applies. This will ensure your reports account for the correct Net Rate. Learn more about rate codes here.

Enabling Expedia Local Expert channel in Zaui

By default, API Connectivity is disabled to protect your business information. As a business manager/owner, you need to enable this for each Channel Partner and define any applicable rules. 

To enable Expedia Local Expert channel:

1. From the navigation bar, select Resellers > Channel Partners.
2. Click on Expedia on api.zaui.io on the list of channel partners. 
3. In the Map reseller to account field within the Channel Information section, select the Expedia Local Expert agency created earlier. 
4. Check the Enable Channel box to turn this channel on.
5. If you would like Zaui to also notify you via email every time Expedia Local Expert performs actions via API Connectivity (i.e. pulls a list of available activities, creates, updates, cancels bookings, etc.), check Enable Alerts box and enter email for notifications to be sent to.
6. In Channel Rules and Controls section, define which activities you allow Expedia Local Expert to access via API Connectivity and what rules to apply. Learn more about Channel Rules and Controls here.
7. Don't forget to click on Save. 

Contacting Expedia for Product Mapping

Now that you have created Expedia Local Expert as a Wholesale Agency in Zaui, have enabled their channel and defined its' rules, you will have to let the Expedia team know which products in Expedia correspond to which activities in Zaui. This process is also called Product Connection, Product Mapping or API Mapping. 

To finish the setup, please email your contact at Expedia or their Centralized Account Management team (lxcam@expedia.com) and request to connect your products to Zaui. They may ask you to complete the mapping file to better understand how your Expedia products and options correspond to your Zaui activities. The Expedia team will let you know when the connection is complete. 

Contact Zaui Support using this form (or email connectivity@zaui.com) to let us know you would like to enable Expedia Local Expert Channel. We will get back to you within 1-3 business days to confirm when we have enabled the connection after which you can proceed with the next steps.

Important FYI's

• API Connectivity with Expedia Local Expert currently only supports Standard, Interval and Ticket activities in Zaui. Custom, Point to Point and Rental activities as well as Packages and Merchandise Products CANNOT be connected.
• Your passenger types in Zaui must exactly match those listed on your Expedia Local Expert product for the connection to work. It is not possible to change the mapping for passenger types at this time. Zaui pricing options cannot be connected.

API Connectivity with Expedia Local Expert currently only automates inventory (availability) updates as well as booking creations, amendments and cancellations. Product content (options, descriptions, pictures and rates) on Expedia are NOT automatically updated with information from your Zaui system. We recommend that you regularly check your product listings with Expedia to ensure all information is correct and up-to-date.