Comments on: Google-ITA Software deal: official and very unofficial reaction

By: Google erwägt angeblich Kauf von Itasoftware - Vielfliegertreff: Das Forum für Vielflieger

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 06:05:31 +0000

[...] findet. Da kommt auch noch was nach. Wer sich ernsthaft für den Vorgang interessiert kann das hier nachlesen [...]

By: The Week in Travel Tech - Fantastic startups, iPad advice and THAT deal in full | Tnooz

Sat, 03 Jul 2010 16:52:33 +0000

[...] Google-ITA Software deal: official and very unofficial reaction [...]

By: Dennis Schaal

Dennis Schaal — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 03:49:19 +0000

Joe: I totally agree. I think Google will use ITA to get further into hotel search. Air and hotels, as you know, are different animals, but I suspect ITA is up for the challenge. And, I’d actually be very surprised if ITA hadn’t dabbled with hotels internally already.

By: Joe Buhler

Joe Buhler — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 18:09:45 +0000

I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on Google/ITA staying focused for too long on flights only. They know as well as anyone else in the industry of the huge potential hotels and other services present. Doubt they will allow being upstaged there now that they’ve seriously entered the fray. Makes for interesting times……

By: Kevin May

Kevin May — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:57:19 +0000

@Robert

Yes, ita is only flights. Our source with the nerves simply points out the *potential* google has.

By: RobertKCole

RobertKCole — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:49:01 +0000

To provide some perspective, ITA does not play in the hotel space currently and that is where the lions share of OTA profit is sourced.

I’m not saying that the incredibly smart people at Google and ITA could not put their heads together to create a killer hotel product as well, but I could not see something like that popping up within the next year.

The more interesting angle could be the ITA Needle team working creatively with the Google Maps/Local team.

While the impact of Google/ITA on the air air vertical is definitely a game changer, providing a better experience to identify and book destination activities, tours and events would create a seismic shift in an area that is woefully under-served by current travel industry technologies.

ITA was already playing with Needle on the flight results page of their Matrix 2 display. I have to think the question “Do you want fries with that?” had already come to mind…

By: Tweets that mention Google-ITA Software deal: official and very unofficial reaction | Tnooz -- Topsy.com

Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:10:24 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Ian Molanphy. Ian Molanphy said: RT @kevinlukemay: Google-ITA Software deal: official and very unofficial reaction http://bit.ly/bpCtvz [Tnooz] [...]