Looking for the Kiwi Tequila API, a Kiwi API key, or current Kiwi.com flight API documentation?
The most important thing to know in 2026 is that Kiwi.com Tequila is no longer an open self-service API for new developers.
Kiwi.com’s latest public partnership guidance says it continues B2B operations with selected partners through the Tequila platform. Existing selected partners can access tools, account management, API documentation and guides, while new Tequila partnerships are handled on an invitation-only basis.
That means older tutorials showing instant Tequila registration, freely available API keys or public endpoints should be treated as legacy information unless verified inside an approved Kiwi.com partner account.
In this guide, we cover:
- Kiwi Tequila API availability in 2026
- How Kiwi API key access works
- Where current Tequila documentation is available
- Whether the Tequila API is free
- How the historical flight-search API worked
- Security and integration considerations
- Current Kiwi Tequila API alternatives
- How travel businesses can integrate flight inventory without building everything from scratch
Kiwi Tequila API Status in 2026
Here is the current situation at a glance.
| Question | 2026 status |
|---|---|
| Is the Kiwi Tequila API publicly available? | Not through open self-service onboarding. |
| Can anyone create a Kiwi API key? | No. Credentials are intended for approved/existing Tequila partners. |
| Are new Tequila partnerships available? | Kiwi.com says new partnerships are invitation-only. |
| Where are current Tequila API docs? | Existing approved partners can access API documentation and guides through the Tequila B2B platform. |
| Is there a public free API tier? | Do not assume a public self-service free tier exists for new developers. |
| Are old Tequila endpoints still valid? | Treat historical endpoints and examples as legacy unless confirmed in your partner documentation. |
| What should new developers use? | Evaluate another currently accessible flight API or a ready-made travel booking platform. |
Kiwi.com publicly described this shift in its B2B strategy when it explained that Tequila had previously provided broad access to APIs and other partnership tools but would thereafter focus on selected business relationships.
What Is the Kiwi Tequila API?
Tequila is Kiwi.com’s B2B partner platform.
Historically, developers and travel companies used the Kiwi.com Tequila API for flight-related workflows such as searching routes, retrieving fares and supporting partner-specific travel booking experiences.
Today, Tequila should be understood primarily as a partner platform rather than an open developer API marketplace.
For approved partners, available functionality can depend on the individual commercial relationship with Kiwi.com. Developers should therefore verify current:
- API endpoints
- Authentication requirements
- Request quotas
- Flight content
- Booking permissions
- Attribution requirements
- Commercial conditions
- Support arrangements
inside the partner documentation associated with their account.
Can You Get a Kiwi Tequila API Key in 2026?
For a new independent developer, there is no public self-service signup flow that should be relied on for obtaining a Kiwi Tequila API key.
If you already have an approved Tequila partnership
Use your existing Tequila partner account to manage your integration.
A sensible checklist is:
- Sign in to your Tequila B2B account.
- Review your current API documentation and guides.
- Locate the credential or application-management area available to your organization.
- Confirm the authentication method required by your approved API.
- Check your permitted endpoints and request quotas.
- Confirm any commercial or attribution requirements.
- Store credentials securely on your server.
If you are not already an approved partner
Do not build a new product around the assumption that an old registration page or tutorial will provide immediate API access.
Kiwi.com says new Tequila partnerships are invitation-only.
For a new travel application, compare other flight API providers before making Tequila a technical dependency.
Where Can You Find Kiwi Tequila API Documentation?
Another frequent search is for Kiwi Tequila API documentation.
Kiwi.com says existing selected partners can continue using its Tequila B2B platform, where API documentation and guides are available alongside other company and account-management tools.
Therefore:
Approved partner: use the documentation available through your Tequila account.
New developer: treat public code examples, GitHub snippets and older blog tutorials as historical references rather than guaranteed current documentation.
This is particularly important for:
- Base URLs
- Endpoint paths
- Authentication headers
- Required parameters
- Date formats
- Response structures
- Request quotas
- Booking endpoints
Do not deploy an old Tequila integration into production without validating it against documentation available to your approved account.
Is the Kiwi Tequila API Free?
There is no public self-service pricing model or free tier that new developers should assume applies to Kiwi Tequila in 2026.
Because Tequila access now focuses on selected partnerships, commercial terms can depend on the individual relationship between Kiwi.com and the approved partner.
Older articles may refer to free API access or historical request limits. Those terms should not be treated as current pricing.
If your business already has Tequila access, confirm directly within your partnership:
- Request limits
- Usage costs
- Revenue-share conditions
- Booking permissions
- Attribution requirements
- Support terms
How Did the Kiwi Tequila Flight Search API Work?
Developers still search for the historical Tequila request format, so removing this section entirely could hurt the page’s usefulness and existing rankings.
However, it should be clearly labeled as legacy documentation.
Legacy Tequila Flight Search Pattern
Historical integrations commonly used:
- A
GETrequest for flight search - Origin and destination location or airport codes
- Departure and return dates
- Currency parameters
- Result limits
- A Tequila API key passed through an
apikeyrequest header
Legacy Kiwi Tequila API Example
# Legacy reference only.
# Do not assume this endpoint is valid for a current integration.
curl --request GET \
--url "https://tequila-api.kiwi.com/v2/search?fly_from=JFK&fly_to=LHR&date_from=01/08/2026&date_to=01/08/2026&curr=USD&limit=5" \
--header "apikey: YOUR_API_KEY"The tequila-api.kiwi.com hostname appeared in historical Tequila integrations.
This example is included to help developers understand older implementations. It should not be interpreted as confirmation that the hostname, endpoint, parameters or authentication method remain available to every Kiwi.com partner.
Approved Tequila partners should use the values specified in their current documentation.
Kiwi API Key Security
Whether you are working with Kiwi.com or another travel API, credentials should remain server-side.
Never place an API key in:
- Public browser JavaScript
- Public Git repositories
- Screenshots
- Support tickets containing unrestricted credentials
- Mobile application source code
- Public documentation
Instead, route supplier requests through your backend and store secrets using environment variables or an appropriate secrets-management service.
You should also rotate compromised credentials immediately and avoid recording API keys or access tokens in production logs.
What Is a Flights API?
A Flights API connects a website, mobile application or booking platform to external flight inventory and travel services.
Depending on the provider, an API may support functions such as:
- Flight search
- Fare and availability retrieval
- Price confirmation
- Booking creation
- Order management
- Seat or baggage information
- Schedule information
- Flight status
Not every provider offers all of these capabilities.
A flight-search API, for example, should not automatically be treated as a ticketing API.
Travel platforms may also combine multiple sources when they need multi-source airfare management, while customer-facing systems may add real-time flight status visibility.
For businesses working with traditional distribution environments, it is also useful to understand the role of a central reservation workflow for Amadeus.
Flight API adoption is part of the wider set of travel technology trends affecting OTAs, travel agencies and booking platforms.
Benefits of Integrating a Flight API
A well-designed flight API integration can help travel businesses automate workflows that would otherwise require multiple manual systems.
Live search and availability
Travelers can search available itineraries and receive supplier-provided fare information directly through your platform.
Better booking experience
Users can compare suitable flight options without leaving your website during the search stage.
Automation
Depending on supplier capabilities, APIs can reduce manual work across search, reservations and post-booking processes.
Multi-supplier products
OTAs may connect different airline, GDS, NDC or consolidator sources to improve inventory coverage.
Scalability
A standardized integration layer makes it easier to process larger search volumes and add suppliers as the business grows.
The exact benefits depend on the supplier. Always evaluate whether the API provides search only, referral links, booking creation, ticketing or complete post-booking servicing.
Kiwi Tequila API Alternatives in 2026
If you cannot obtain Kiwi Tequila API access, choose an alternative according to the workflow you actually need.
A key 2026 change is that the former Amadeus Self-Service developer portal was decommissioned on July 17, 2026. Amadeus now directs users toward its Enterprise API Portal for its current enterprise API offering.
Current options to evaluate
| Option | Access model | Suitable for |
|---|---|---|
| Duffel Flights API | Developers can create an account and begin in test mode; production use requires appropriate live access | Flight offers, booking/order workflows and modern airline integrations |
| Skyscanner Travel API | Commercial application and approval process | Established metasearch and referral businesses |
| Amadeus Enterprise APIs | Enterprise access by request | Established travel companies requiring wider enterprise travel capabilities |
| Ready-made travel booking platform | Platform onboarding rather than developing every supplier connection independently | Agencies and OTAs prioritizing faster deployment |
Duffel
Duffel provides a developer test environment where users can create testing credentials and build flight-search and order flows. Its documentation covers offer requests, offers, bookings and related travel workflows.
This makes it worth evaluating when a team needs more than a simple flight-price feed.
Skyscanner Travel API
Skyscanner continues to offer Travel APIs for commercial partners, including real-time flight pricing.
Access is not an unrestricted public developer signup. Skyscanner says businesses must apply, and its current eligibility guidance targets established commercial organizations.
Its API authentication documentation also confirms that approved partners receive API-key-based access.
Amadeus Enterprise APIs
Amadeus remains a major travel technology provider, but its developer access model changed in 2026.
Its site now states that the Self-Service portal was decommissioned on July 17 and presents its Enterprise API Portal, where companies can request access to its enterprise API portfolio.
So articles that still recommend Amadeus Self-Service as an instant-signup alternative should be updated.
Ready-Made Travel Platform
For an OTA or travel agency, directly integrating every flight supplier may not be the fastest route.
A travel booking platform can provide the booking engine, administrative workflows, supplier connectivity and other modules around the API integration.
PHPTRAVELS supports travel businesses that want to launch a flight booking website without developing the entire OTA stack from the beginning.
Explore the PHPTRAVELS Demo or review PHPTRAVELS Pricing.
Businesses that sell more than flights can also combine airline connectivity with hotel supplier programs such as Expedia TAAP API integration.
How to Integrate a Flight Booking API
A reliable integration begins with defining your commercial and operational workflow.
1. Define what your product needs
Decide whether the application requires:
- Search only
- Price comparison
- Metasearch referral
- Reservations
- Ticketing
- Complete post-booking servicing
These are different products and may require different suppliers.
2. Check provider eligibility
Before writing integration code, confirm that the provider supports:
- Your business model
- Target countries
- Expected traffic
- Required airline inventory
- Search or booking use case
- Production access
This prevents development work around an API you ultimately cannot use commercially.
3. Evaluate inventory coverage
Check which airlines, regions, fare types and content sources are included.
Do not assume one API will provide every carrier or every fare available in the market.
4. Build authentication server-side
Keep access tokens and API keys away from the public frontend.
Your backend should communicate with the supplier API and return only the information required by the customer interface.
5. Normalize supplier responses
Different flight suppliers can represent:
- Segments
- Fares
- Passenger types
- Baggage
- Taxes
- Fare conditions
- Ancillaries
in different formats.
Create an internal data model so your application does not depend entirely on one supplier’s response structure.
6. Revalidate the selected offer
Flight prices and availability can change between search and checkout.
Before creating a booking, retrieve or confirm the latest state of the chosen offer.
Duffel, for example, recommends retrieving an offer before booking because availability or pricing may change.
7. Build error handling
Prepare for:
- Invalid requests
- Authentication failures
- Rate limits
- Timeouts
- Supplier outages
- Price changes
- Expired offers
- Duplicate booking attempts
8. Test post-booking operations
A complete flight product also needs a plan for:
- Schedule changes
- Cancellations
- Refund requests
- Failed reservations
- Customer support
- Supplier downtime
Confirm which actions are automated by the API and which must be handled manually.
Flight API Error Handling Essentials
Common HTTP responses can include:
400 – Bad Request
The request may contain an invalid parameter, date, airport code or unsupported value.
401 – Unauthorized
Authentication credentials may be missing, expired or invalid.
429 – Too Many Requests
Your application may have exceeded an API quota or rate limit. Use appropriate throttling and retry behavior according to the provider’s documentation.
500 – Server Error
The supplier encountered an internal failure. Avoid unlimited retries and follow the provider’s recommended retry policy.
Your logs should contain useful operational information such as:
- Request ID
- Supplier
- Endpoint
- Response status
- Response time
- Retry count
- Sanitized error message
Avoid logging unrestricted passenger information, access tokens, API keys or payment data.
Flight API Maintenance and Monitoring
Flight integrations require ongoing maintenance because supplier APIs, airline content and commercial requirements change.
Useful practices include:
- Monitor supplier changelogs
- Track API response times
- Alert on unusual error rates
- Monitor rate-limit consumption
- Test critical booking flows
- Review deprecated API versions
- Maintain credential-rotation procedures
- Verify production endpoints after supplier updates
This is particularly important when working with historical integrations such as Kiwi Tequila because public tutorials may continue appearing in search results long after an API’s access model has changed.
For PHPTRAVELS customers needing integration assistance, the support portal can be used for technical requests.
FAQ
Is the Kiwi Tequila API publicly available in 2026?
Not as an open self-service API for new developers. Kiwi.com’s public partnership guidance says existing selected partners continue using the Tequila B2B platform, while new partnerships are invitation-only.
Can I get a Kiwi API key?
A Kiwi Tequila API key should not be expected through public instant signup. Approved or existing partners should follow the credential instructions available through their Tequila account.
Is the Kiwi Tequila API free?
There is no public self-service free tier that should be promised to new developers. Commercial access and usage conditions for approved Tequila partners depend on their relationship with Kiwi.com.
Where can I find current Kiwi Tequila API documentation?
Kiwi.com says existing selected Tequila partners can access API documentation and guides within its B2B platform. Older public examples should be treated as legacy references unless verified against current partner documentation.
Does the Kiwi.com API support flight search?
Historically, Tequila supported flight-related search functionality. Current capabilities available to an approved partner should be confirmed through the documentation and permissions associated with that partnership.
Does Tequila support booking as well as flight search?
Do not assume that every Tequila partnership includes the same booking, ticketing or post-booking capabilities. Verify the functionality granted to your organization.
Is the old tequila-api.kiwi.com endpoint still usable?
It appeared in historical Tequila integrations, but developers should not treat an old public endpoint as a guaranteed production endpoint in 2026. Approved partners should use the endpoint specified in their current Tequila documentation.
Can a startup apply for the Kiwi.com Tequila API?
Kiwi.com says new Tequila partnerships are invitation-only. A startup therefore should not plan around guaranteed approval or instant access.
What are the best Kiwi Tequila API alternatives?
It depends on your use case. Duffel is worth evaluating for modern flight offer and order workflows, Skyscanner offers APIs to qualifying commercial partners, and Amadeus now directs businesses toward Enterprise API access following the closure of its Self-Service portal.
Can I build a flight booking website without integrating every API myself?
Yes. A ready-made travel platform can provide the booking interface and broader OTA infrastructure while supporting supplier integrations. PHPTRAVELS is designed for agencies and OTAs that prefer this approach.
