Following the purchase of ITA Software earlier in 2011 for just under $700 million, Google has launched a new flight search facility that lets users find the most suitable, low cost flight to their destination. Presently, it’s only available in the United States, but will no doubt be offered outside the US as soon as possible, although in an interview with The Guardian, Google said it couldn‘t give any dates.
The acquisition of ITA Software saw stiff opposition from rival companies, including Microsoft and Kayak. The flights information can be sorted into prices, times, destination and even the airline you want to travel with. Google will earn an affiliate fee each time a user clicks through to book a flight using the search engine. According to Henry Harteveldt who spoke to the Boston Globe, the flight search service is not yet ready for general use from the public, as it needs some work to make it more accurate and iron out inconsistencies.
Rivals of Google said that the purchase of software technology from ITA Software combined with the domination by Google of the search market, would lead to an unfair advantage over other travel companies. Google have promised to make finding the best prices on offer by airlines much simpler and quicker for users. Kayak are ready and stepping up to the challenge.
This new development could make some SEO jobs more difficult for people who work in search engine optimisation for travel companies.
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