Advance Passenger Information (API)

Advance Passenger Information (API)

How to provide your API details
The information you need to provide
When you need to provide API

Why you need to provide API

What happens to your API information

You need to provide Advance Passenger Information (API) before you go on holiday. It’s also called APIS, Secure Flight or e-Borders. In a nutshell, this is information from your passport that’s required by the governments of certain countries. Thomson Airways also needs this information for Aviation Security purposes.

If you don’t supply API, you won't be able to travel.

How to provide your API details

Visit our secure API website to enter your details. You’ll need to log in using your 7-digit booking reference, the surname of the lead passenger and your departure date, which you’ll find on your confirmation or invoice.

Alternatively, pop-in to one of our travel shops. If you booked though our website but you ask one of our travel shops to enter your API information for you, you’ll need to pay a £5.00 admin fee.

Changing details you’ve already provided:

You can still log in and make changes if you’ve already provided your API. For security, you’ll need to re-enter the passport number you originally gave us.

The information you need to provide

You’ll need to give us the following details for everyone travelling on your booking:

For all destinations:

• Full name, as shown in your passport or travel document
• Gender
• Date of birth
• Travel document type e.g. passport (P)
  If you’re travelling on a group passport, details for each passenger listed on the passport should be entered under the same travel document type and passport number.
• Travel document number
• Travel document country of issue
• Travel document expiry date
• Nationality

Additional information for all US destinations:

• Country of residence
• First night address you're staying at in the USA
• Redress number, if applicable

Additional information for Cuba and Mexico:

• Country of residence
• Redress number, if applicable

Don’t know your address in the USA?

• Fly drive holidays – Please provide the name and location of the car hire company and where you plan to stop first.
• Cruises – If you’re joining a cruise ship, provide the cruise ship name and the port your cruise leaves from.
• Accommodation allocated on arrival – Please provide the name of our resort office.
• Backpackers – Please give an indication of where you’ll spend your first night.
• Transferring to another flight – Please give details of the departing flight number and destination.

Other travel requirements:

You’ll need to provide API alongside any other requirements that apply for your destination, like visas, or ESTA if you’re going to the USA. If you’re completing ESTA, your API information will need to match the details you give.

When you need to provide API

You need to give us your API information between 6 months and 24 hours before you’re due to go. You’ll be able to log in to our API website from 24 hours after you’ve booked.

Booking late?

If you’re booking less than 4 days before you travel, you’ll need to provide your API at the check-in desk. Please make sure you allow more time for any extra checks.

Why you need to supply API

API information is required by the border control and security authorities of various different countries. They use the details to do routine checks on the identity of passengers before they arrive in the country. It is a condition of your booking that you must provide your API information.

What happens to your API information

Once you’ve given us your API information, it’s stored securely on our system until it needs to be sent to the government authorities. The information is then transmitted through a secure network up to 72 hours before your flight is due to go, or sometimes after it’s departed. After the information has been sent, it will be stored to meet API requirements and then destroyed.

Keeping your information secure

We comply with UK and EU data protection laws, so you can rest assured that your details are secure. Your API information will only be sent to authorised government agencies for border control and security purposes.

US government privacy notice:

If you’re travelling to the USA, we’re required by the US government to show you this privacy notice:

The transportation Security Administration (TSA) requires you to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender for the purpose of watch list screening, under the authority of 49 U.S.C. section 114, the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and 49 C.F.R parts 1540 and 1560. You may also provide your Redress Number, if available. Failure to provide your full name, date of birth, and gender may result in denial of transport or denial of authority to enter the boarding area. TSA may share information you provide with law enforcement or intelligence agencies or others under its published system of records notice. For more on TSA privacy policies, or to review the system of records notice and the privacy impact assessment, please see the TSA Web site at www.tsa.gov