Travel tech vendor evaluation checklist: RFP questions and proof-of-concept plan

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Content & suppliers

• Which suppliers are live today for my top routes and destinations — not on the roadmap? Supplier counts mean little if the content you sell is missing. Ask for a live search on your own city pairs and hotels.
• Are supplier connections included, or billed per connection? Per-supplier fees change the total cost more than the headline subscription.
• Can I connect my own supplier contracts and direct rates? Your negotiated rates are often your margin. Check how they sit beside aggregated content.
• How is duplicate content across suppliers handled (hotel mapping, fare de-duplication)? Poor mapping shows the same hotel five times and confuses agents.
• What happens when a supplier is down — fallbacks, error messages, timeouts? Every supplier fails sometimes; the platform should fail gracefully.
• How fast is a new supplier added, and who pays for it? Your supplier mix will change as you grow.

Flight distribution

• Which NDC airlines, GDS networks and LCCs are connected, and through which channel? "We connect to a GDS" is not the same as multi-source airfare.
• Can it ticket, void, refund, reissue and handle schedule changes — or only book? Post-booking servicing is where most of the operational work is.
• Does it support my settlement model (IATA BSP, ARC, or a consolidator)? Settlement fit decides whether the platform works for your accreditation.
• Can I keep my existing GDS accounts and PCCs? Re-papering GDS contracts is slow; reuse should be possible.
• How are fare rules and baggage shown to agents? Unreadable fare rules cause mis-sales and refunds.
• Is there a GDS terminal or cryptic access for my ticketing staff? Experienced ticketing staff often need it for edge cases.

B2B & sub-agents

• Can each sub-agent have its own login, markup, commission and credit limit? This is the core of wholesale distribution.
• How are deposits, top-ups and credit exposure controlled? Credit control protects your cash flow.
• Can sub-agents get their own white-label storefront? Agents sell more under their own brand.
• Are there agent statements, ledgers and self-service reports? Without them, your finance team answers every agent query by hand.
• Can I run tiers (master agent → agent → sub-agent)? Multi-level networks are common in consolidator markets.
• How are agents onboarded — KYC, documents, approvals? Onboarding friction slows network growth.

White-label & front end

• Can I use my own domain, logo, colours and content? That is what white-label means in practice.
• Which currencies, languages and right-to-left scripts are supported? Check the markets you sell in, not a generic list.
• Which payment gateways and local payment methods are integrated? Local methods often decide conversion.
• Is there an API if I want my own front end or app later? Keeps your options open without a re-platform.
• How does the storefront perform on mobile? Most consumer and many agent searches happen on phones.
• Who owns the SEO, content and customer data on the storefront? Ownership matters if you ever leave.

Back office & finance

• Do bookings post automatically to invoicing, receivables and payables? Manual re-keying is where errors and fraud start.
• Is supplier and BSP/ARC reconciliation built in? Reconciliation is the biggest hidden workload in travel finance.
• How are multi-currency pricing and FX handled? FX gains and losses can quietly eat margin.
• Which local tax and e-invoicing rules are supported (e.g. VAT, GST)? Compliance is non-negotiable in many markets.
• Can it export to my accounting system, or replace it? Decide whether finance lives in the platform or beside it.
• Is there an audit trail for every price, markup and refund change? Auditors and partners will ask.

Deployment & architecture

• Is it SaaS, self-hosted source code, an API — or a choice? A choice means you can change deployment without changing platforms.
• Where is data hosted, and can I choose the region? Data residency rules vary by market.
• What uptime is committed in the contract, and what are the remedies? A marketing uptime figure is not a contractual commitment.
• How are updates released, and can I control timing? Surprise changes during peak season hurt.
• Is there a documented API with sandbox, rate limits and webhooks? Integration quality decides how fast you can build around it.
• What security certifications and practices apply (encryption, access control, PCI scope)? Payment and passenger data raise the bar.

Onboarding & support

• What exactly does onboarding include, and how long does it take? Get scope and timeline in writing inside the quote.
• Which support channels, hours and response targets apply? Travel runs 24/7; your support should match your trading hours.
• Is there local support or an office in my market? Time zone and language matter during go-live.
• Is training provided for agents and staff? Adoption depends on it.
• Can I speak to two current customers similar to my business? References in your segment are the best predictor.
• Who is my named contact after go-live? Avoid being handed to a generic queue.

Commercials & contract

• Is pricing subscription, one-time licence, per booking, or a mix? Model it at your volume in year one and year three.
• What is the minimum term, and what are the exit terms? Short initial terms and clear exits reduce risk.
• Will the vendor run a proof-of-concept or sandbox on my routes before I sign? A demo on sample data proves very little.
• What happens to my data, domain and agent accounts if I leave? Get data export and transition support in writing.
• Which costs sit outside the quote (suppliers, customisation, extra seats, transactions)? Hidden costs decide the real price.
• How are price increases at renewal capped? Uncapped renewals erode the business case.

How to run a proof-of-concept

A scripted demo shows what a vendor wants you to see. A short, scoped proof-of-concept shows how the platform handles your business.

1. 1Write down what success looks like

   Before any demo, list five to ten measurable outcomes: content found on your top routes, search speed, booking and ticketing completed end to end, sub-agent markup applied correctly, booking posted to finance. Vendors should be judged against your list, not their script.

2. 2Pick real test cases

   Choose your top city pairs, hotels and products, two or three awkward cases (a schedule change, a refund, a group booking) and one sub-agent scenario with its own markup and credit limit.

3. 3Agree a short, scoped sandbox

   Ask for a sandbox or PoC environment with your suppliers or close equivalents, for a fixed period — commonly one to four weeks. Agree in writing what is in scope and who supports you during it.

4. 4Run the tests with the people who will use it

   Let ticketing staff, agents and finance run the test cases themselves. Note every workaround they need; workarounds become daily cost after go-live.

5. 5Score vendors side by side

   Score each vendor against your success list and this checklist, with the same weights. Add total cost over three years at your expected volume, including supplier and transaction fees.

6. 6Check references and the contract

   Speak to two customers similar to you, then confirm in the contract the points that mattered in the PoC: supplier list, uptime, support targets, data export and exit terms.

Red flags during evaluation

• Supplier counts with no live search on your own routes.
• No sandbox or proof-of-concept, only a scripted demo.
• Pricing that will not be written down per supplier, seat or transaction.
• No data-export or exit clause in the contract.
• References that are all in a different segment or market from yours.
• Roadmap features presented as live capabilities.

Where to start your shortlist

The top B2B travel software, top white-label travel portal providers and top travel API providers guides compare ten vendors each, with every rival's details checked against its own website. For one-to-one views, see the alternatives and head-to-head pages.

If you would like to put ReservationHub through this checklist, book a fit call — we will walk through it on your routes and tell you plainly where another platform would suit you better.

Frequently asked questions