Olympic Holidays and API

[Arnaki]

The time is nearly upon me to pay the balance of the holiday - but on the bright side that does at least mean we are one step closer to departure.  I thought I'd complete the API details whilst I was about it, but there was nothing on the My Booking section to allow this.  Looking further at the website, it states:

"Advance Passenger Information (API)- Update
You are now only required to provide API if your booking includes a flight on Easyjet or Ryanair or if your booking includes a flight on Thomas Cook and you want to add Holiday Extras to you booking."

We're going with Small Planet now.

How do the powers that be get the information they need then?  Why do some airlines need it and not others?  Isn't API is an international requirement?  It's a mystery to me.  Can anyone illuminate me?

Arnaki

[Barny]

We had this with Thompson but seems like they just scan your passport at check in as most of us have the new E passports?
Maybe?

       Barny.

[Arnaki]

Thanks Barny

It is helpful to hear that you can travel without API, which is what I was concerned about.  Yes, I imagine that the new passports will do the trick.

I'm flying Thomas Cook to Kalamata this summer (as well as Plakias - lucky me!), and have discovered that doesn't require API either, so it looks as if API is being phased out at least to some countries, but some companies haven't caught up yet.

It still leaves me wondering why you need API if you book extras on Thomas Cook on an Olympic holiday, but not if you don't! Probably a quirk of Thomas Cook's very quirky website.

Arnaki