And Now Google Travel ?

cornwall on Mon, 2006-04-17 23:09.

Business Issues

13 comments

Lots of reports out about Google entering the travel business - all based on a job ad placed by Google at the weekend
The Times take on it

Comments

Interesting

Xenith on Mon, 2006-04-17 23:36.

I will be watching this one with a lot of interest. Cendant travel eh? I wonder why G would partner with Cendant?

I heard rumours about this about 9 months ago - I gather they have been / probably still are polling big travel AdWords clients about joining a Froogle-like arrangement, basically a travel price comparison engine

Interesting. Why would they

DoingItWell on Tue, 2006-04-18 02:00.

Interesting. Why would they place Google Travel in Chicago?

Chicago

cornwall on Tue, 2006-04-18 02:38.

Quote:

Orbitz is based in Chicago, which is where Google Travel is to be based.

It's no surprising!

seojunkie on Tue, 2006-04-18 03:51.

As far as I'm concerned, it's no surprising. 9 out of 10, there MUST be many more that Google must be thinking about...

Do you think some day they will be launching "Daily Google" or "Google Magazine" ??? LOLz...

Cendant appear to be restructuring at the moment

cornwall on Tue, 2006-04-18 04:00.

Lots of changes in management

Is this Doomsday for smaller Travel Shopper sites?

RickStar on Tue, 2006-04-18 05:51.

I'm very very concerned about this. As a niche player similar to orbitz, how is google likely to alter the results after dipping their fingers in the online travel pot? Will they likely show their site as #1 for all travel terms?

The travel industry must be one of the biggest PPC customers for google as there's tonnes of competition and tonnes of search traffic for it. Is it ethical for them to now go competing with their best customers? I guess business is business?

Why worry ?

webprofessor on Tue, 2006-04-18 06:01.

Why worry ?

They failed to change the status quo with anything else they have launched.

Worry if

Kirby on Tue, 2006-04-18 07:58.

they place Google travel above the serps like they are now doing with google base above organic real estate serps.

Development stopped in Q4

ThomasB on Tue, 2006-04-18 08:26.

As far as I know they were working on sth like it and were planning on launching it in Q4 '05 or Q1 '06 but stopped development in Q4. I haven't heard about any changes in this area, but Troogle came up so often now that I wouldn't be surprised if it would come within the next 3 months.

I heard it was going to be a

TallTroll on Tue, 2006-04-18 08:28.

I heard it was going to be a Froogle-like price comparison jobbie, with results inserted above the natural results, a la Goole local / base etc. In fact, they may substitue local and travel results depending on the query...

Anyway, denials are being issued by Google apparently, so all you travel types can breathe easy again...