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eSIM for Airlines and Online Travel Agencies: Ancillary Revenue at Booking
Airlines and online travel agencies can sell white-label eSIM data as an ancillary at checkout, in the manage-booking area and in pre-departure emails. Through Fully Signal's REST API, the eSIM for the destination is issued when the traveller pays, delivered with the confirmation, and topped up during the trip — all under the airline's or OTA's brand.
In this article
Airlines and OTAs already sell seats, bags, insurance, transfers and lounges. Connectivity is the obvious next ancillary: every passenger flying abroad needs data, and you know exactly where and when they're going.
Why eSIM fits the booking flow
- You know the destination and dates — you can recommend the exact plan
- Intent is high — travellers are actively planning the trip
- It's instant and digital — no fulfilment, no inventory
- It extends the relationship — top-ups and travel tips during the trip
Where to place it
| Touchpoint | Offer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Checkout ancillaries | "Stay connected in Spain — 10 GB / 30 days" | Pre-select the plan by destination and trip length |
| Confirmation page and email | One-click add-on | Good for travellers who skipped it at checkout |
| Manage booking | Add or upgrade | Catch plans that changed |
| Pre-departure email (48–72 h) | "Install your eSIM before you fly" | Highest conversion moment for late buyers |
| Mobile app | Install link and top-ups | Show remaining data from the API |
How the integration works
Using the Fully Signal REST API:
- Map routes to packages: destination airport → country or regional package.
- Show the offer with your price at checkout.
- On payment, your backend calls
POST /api/v1/orderswith the package and your booking reference, plus an Idempotency-Key. - Include the install link (
install_page_url) in the confirmation email and app. - Listen for webhooks —
order.completed,esim.activated,esim.expired— to trigger messages.
Step-by-step: integrate an eSIM API into your website or app.
Pricing and merchandising
- Default to the mid-size plan for the trip length
- Show the saving versus roaming in plain words
- Bundle into fare families — include data in premium fares as a perk
- Use regional plans for multi-city itineraries (regional vs country plans)
Operations at scale
- Prepaid balance with auto top-up so ancillary sales never pause
- Scoped live keys and IP allowlists for your booking servers
- Team roles for revenue, finance and support teams
- Refunds for eSIMs never installed when a booking is cancelled (refund rules)
- Higher wholesale tiers as volume grows
FAQ
Can airlines sell eSIMs under their own brand?
Yes. With Fully Signal, the QR code carries the airline's colours and logo and the install page never shows the supplier. The airline sets the price.
How fast is an eSIM issued through the API?
In most cases the order completes in seconds. If a provider takes longer, the order is completed in the background and the order.completed webhook tells you when it's ready.
What happens if a flight is cancelled?
If the eSIM was never installed and no data was used, it can be refunded through the API or the panel.
Do we need to handle eSIM support?
First-line questions, yes — mostly installation. Clear pre-departure instructions and the white-label install page answer most of them. See the support playbook.
