Comments on: Google Travel – Crash Landing? http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/ Just another WordPress.com weblog Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:53:59 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: KK http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-201 KK Sun, 24 Dec 2006 06:12:36 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-201 Google Travel will not only be an Aggregator but is likely that it will also provide aggregrated facilities like Google Videos, Google Earth and of course Google Search to give a new dimension to the existing Online Travel Business. The challenge now with OTAs and other search engines like Kayak is that how will they maintain there competitive advantage over Google? This can become a nightmare for many ! Google Travel will not only be an Aggregator but is likely that it will also provide aggregrated facilities like Google Videos, Google Earth and of course Google Search to give a new dimension to the existing Online Travel Business. The challenge now with OTAs and other search engines like Kayak is that how will they maintain there competitive advantage over Google? This can become a nightmare for many !

]]> By: Google Travel la risposta al cerca-tariffe di Yahoo? http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-200 Google Travel la risposta al cerca-tariffe di Yahoo? Tue, 18 Apr 2006 14:01:01 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-200 [...] ogle ha in serbo qualcosa di nuovo e se veramente ha intenzione (come notava l'anno scorso Comparison Engines) di affidare uno dei suoi servizi di ricerca ad un portale "vecchia maniera". [...] [...] ogle ha in serbo qualcosa di nuovo e se veramente ha intenzione (come notava l’anno scorso Comparison Engines) di affidare uno dei suoi servizi di ricerca ad un portale “vecchia maniera”. [...]

]]> By: Stuart MacDonald http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-199 Stuart MacDonald Sun, 19 Feb 2006 02:54:21 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-199 Darn right, Steve. Best case in that event? All you kids - plus suppliers and OTAs - are paying *even more* for one box placement. Smells like 99.9% of GP bidding territory, to me. Not pretty. Not to mention the possibility of a full-on Troogle. I'd *love* to see what GOOG could do in terms of straight-up travel search once they set their minds to it (eh, Jane?). Now that I'm out, of course. Hoo haa :-) -- Stuart Darn right, Steve. Best case in that event? All you kids – plus suppliers and OTAs – are paying *even more* for one box placement. Smells like 99.9% of GP bidding territory, to me. Not pretty.

Not to mention the possibility of a full-on Troogle. I’d *love* to see what GOOG could do in terms of straight-up travel search once they set their minds to it (eh, Jane?). Now that I’m out, of course. Hoo haa :-)

– Stuart

]]> By: Steve Hafner http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-198 Steve Hafner Thu, 10 Nov 2005 14:17:31 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-198 This is a very small, incremental step for Google. What they're trying to measure is what percent of consumers will engage with widget that asks for dates...and what impact that has on overall page CTR and monetization. For the moment, the referral links are free (e.g. to Expedia). But that will change. This Google test is not metasearch. It's simply a better version of BookingBuddy, Lowfares.com, Bookingwiz etc. True metasearch is bringing back realtime flight and fare information from multiple sites in one integrated display. When Google gets around to that, OTAs and other metasearch companies will have something more tangible to worry about! This is a very small, incremental step for Google. What they’re trying to measure is what percent of consumers will engage with widget that asks for dates…and what impact that has on overall page CTR and monetization. For the moment, the referral links are free (e.g. to Expedia). But that will change.

This Google test is not metasearch. It’s simply a better version of BookingBuddy, Lowfares.com, Bookingwiz etc.

True metasearch is bringing back realtime flight and fare information from multiple sites in one integrated display. When Google gets around to that, OTAs and other metasearch companies will have something more tangible to worry about!

]]> By: Brian Smith http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-197 Brian Smith Wed, 09 Nov 2005 18:01:09 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-197 OTAs are online travel agents. OTAs like Expedia and Travelocity act like real world travel agents booking your flight - and they actually take inventory (seats, rooms, etc.). Travel search engines/travel meta search engines/travel comparison engines send you directly to a supplier or to an OTA to book. Companies like JetBlue and InterContinental Hotels work with travel search engines because they get to develop a direct relationship with the traveler. OTAs are online travel agents. OTAs like Expedia and Travelocity act like real world travel agents booking your flight – and they actually take inventory (seats, rooms, etc.). Travel search engines/travel meta search engines/travel comparison engines send you directly to a supplier or to an OTA to book. Companies like JetBlue and InterContinental Hotels work with travel search engines because they get to develop a direct relationship with the traveler.

]]> By: Haz http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-196 Haz Wed, 09 Nov 2005 17:20:31 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-196 OTA? OTA?

]]> By: Chris Zaharias http://comparisonengines.com/2005/11/08/google-does-travel-well-kinda/#comment-195 Chris Zaharias Wed, 09 Nov 2005 16:43:25 +0000 http://www.comparisonengines.com/?p=205#comment-195 I don't know about other travellers, but for me airport choice is at least as important as price if not more so. I guess I should try the comparison travel sites, but *they* should be raising more capital to market themselves more broadly. Remember, the reason we all know about Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz and Travelocity is they were huge advertisers, often spending $5-$10M/month on advertising & most of that online. I don’t know about other travellers, but for me airport choice is at least as important as price if not more so. I guess I should try the comparison travel sites, but *they* should be raising more capital to market themselves more broadly. Remember, the reason we all know about Expedia, Hotwire, Orbitz and Travelocity is they were huge advertisers, often spending $5-$10M/month on advertising & most of that online.

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