# Aviasales API in Python: flight prices via Travelpayouts

> The Travelpayouts Data API returns cached prices from Aviasales searches, not a live search. One GET request with a token in the header is enough for prices by date and route. The main risks: data can be stale or missing for rare routes, so show prices as “from” and re-check them through the link.

Date: 2026-10-30 · Source: https://oneswitch.ru/en/blog/aviasales-travelpayouts-api-na-python/

If you are building a site, bot or Mini App with flights, the simplest price source is the **Travelpayouts Data API** (Aviasales). Below is a Python example, typical requests and the limits we ran into while working on HotTrip.

## What the Data API is and how it differs from live search

The Data API returns **cached prices** collected from Aviasales user searches. It is fast and free, but it is not the same as a real-time search:

- a price can be **stale**: according to third-party wrappers, data comes from searches of roughly the last two days;
- for rare routes and dates there may be **no data**;
- the final price on the purchase page may differ.

Travelpayouts has a separate API for live search with different access conditions; see the documentation. For a showcase “from X” and destination lists the Data API is usually enough.

## What you need

- A **Travelpayouts** account and a **token** (issued in your dashboard).
- Your affiliate **marker** for links, if you want a commission.
- Python and the `requests` library.

Pass the token in the `x-access-token` header and keep it in an environment variable, not in code.

## Prices by route and dates

The main method is `GET https://api.travelpayouts.com/aviasales/v3/prices_for_dates`.

```python
import os
import requests

API = "https://api.travelpayouts.com/aviasales/v3/prices_for_dates"
TOKEN = os.environ["TRAVELPAYOUTS_TOKEN"]


def cheapest(origin: str, destination: str, month: str, limit: int = 10) -> list[dict]:
    """Cheapest offers. origin/destination: IATA codes, month: '2026-12'."""
    r = requests.get(
        API,
        headers={"x-access-token": TOKEN},
        params={
            "origin": origin,
            "destination": destination,
            "departure_at": month,
            "sorting": "price",
            "unique": "false",
            "currency": "rub",
            "limit": limit,
        },
        timeout=10,
    )
    r.raise_for_status()
    return r.json().get("data", [])


for offer in cheapest("MOW", "IST", "2026-12"):
    print(offer["departure_at"][:10], offer["price"], offer.get("airline"), offer.get("transfers"))
```

The response is a list of offers. Each usually has a price, an airline, a departure date, the number of transfers and a `link` field with a relative address of the Aviasales search page. Check exact fields and current parameters in the Travelpayouts documentation: they can change.

## Popular destinations from a city

For a “Where to fly” block, `GET /v1/city-directions?origin=MOW&currency=rub` is convenient. It returns the destinations from a city in one request, which is faster than looping over routes yourself.

## City and airport codes

Use IATA codes. **MOW** means Moscow as a whole (all airports), **SVO** is one airport. For input suggestions there is the autocomplete `https://autocomplete.travelpayouts.com/places2?term=...&locale=en`, which returns cities and airports.

## Links and the affiliate marker

The `link` field contains a path: build the full address as `https://www.aviasales.ru` + `link` and add your affiliate marker. Then clicks are counted in your dashboard. For short links in Telegram the API has a method to create shortened affiliate links.

## Pitfalls from practice

1. **Cache on your side.** Store responses in a database and refresh them on a schedule instead of on every user request: it is faster and saves limits.
2. **Empty responses.** For some routes there is no data. Show a clear message and neighbouring dates or destinations.
3. **Freshness.** Store the time a price was received and show it as “from”. Warn that the final price on the purchase page may differ.
4. **Timeouts and errors.** Set a timeout and retry on failure. Do not make a user wait for an external API.
5. **Currency and language.** The `currency` parameter controls the currency of prices; for different countries store prices per currency.

## Where this is used

On top of the Data API we built a portal, a Telegram bot with flight search and price subscriptions, a Mini App and an automated channel that publishes fresh offers every two hours. Details are in the [HotTrip](/raboty/hottrip/) project and in [Integrations and APIs](/uslugi/integracii-i-api/) and [Scraping and data](/uslugi/parsing-i-dannye/).

## FAQ

### Is a paid plan required for the Data API?

A Travelpayouts token is issued in the partner dashboard. Access conditions for different APIs change, so check the current limits in the Travelpayouts documentation.

### Are Data API prices a live search?

No. They are cached data from user searches, so a price can differ from what you see at purchase.

### How do I earn a commission on sales?

Add your affiliate marker to Aviasales links. Then purchases through your links are counted in the Travelpayouts dashboard.

### Can I call the API directly from a browser?

Not recommended: the token would be visible to everyone. Call the API from a server and give the client only the data it needs.