Busie is giving charter bus operators a new way to create branded online booking experiences by opening access to the technology behind its trip-planning platform, the company announced Wednesday.
The new Busie Trip Planning API allows operators to build customized booking flows directly into their own websites using the same infrastructure that powers Busie’s embedded trip planner. The company said the move is aimed at helping operators modernize how customers request quotes and book charter transportation.
Operators already using Busie’s embedded planner can replace traditional contact and quote forms with an interactive process that guides customers through trip planning, provides real-time pricing, and submits requests directly through the operator’s website.
The new API expands those capabilities by allowing operators to tailor the customer experience to their specific markets and branding.
For example, operators specializing in sports team travel can create booking flows with customized language and trip questions geared toward athletic transportation, while corporate transportation providers can collect purchase order information or integrate with systems used by business clients.
Customer control
Busie said operators without internal development teams can also use the company’s professional services group to build and implement custom booking experiences.
“Your website should be one of your sharpest sales tools,” said Busie CEO Louis Bookoff. “This means you finally get to decide how it looks and feels when it comes to your client experience. And if you need help building it, we’re here for that too.”
The company said the custom experience replaces your current quote forms on your website with a branded, dynamic one. Customers booking through custom flows will transact directly with the operator on the operator’s website, while Busie’s platform manages the underlying software infrastructure.
Busie’s platform includes tools for real-time vehicle availability, dynamic pricing, multi-stop itinerary planning, payments, dispatching, driver management, contracts, reporting and analytics. The company said the platform can carry the operator’s branding throughout the customer experience.
Operators can also participate in Busie’s partner distribution network, which connects inventory to integrated demand partners and booking platforms. Participation in the network is optional, and operators retain pricing control and ownership of customer relationships, the company said.
The launch comes as charter bus operators increasingly seek to match the digital booking experiences available in other parts of the travel industry, where branded and automated online reservations have become standard.
The Busie Trip Planning API is available now. Operators interested in building a custom experience, or learning more about Busie’s professional services, can visit getbusie.com/book-a-demo or email hello@getbusie.com with the subject line “Book More Online.”
