Expedia In Google's Crosshairs
By Dana Blankenhorn: One thing about Google (GOOG) getting serious about monetization: The comparisons between it and Microsoft (MSFT) circa 1995 are only going to grow. Consider travel, for instance. Google launched its airline travel tool, Google Flight Search, in September, five months after buying ITA Software. Already, Expedia (EXPE) and Orbitz (OWW) are starting to scream antitrust. This despite the fact that the ITA acquisition was pre-cleared by antitrust authorities, and searches using Google Flight Search still prominently highlight travel re-sellers like Kayak.com. All of which makes one wonder just how much shareholder value was unlocked when Expedia spun-out Trip Advisor (TRIP) as a public company last week, as we reported. The real problem is not ad placement, but the tool itself. It's really good. And results of fare searches lead you directly to airline web sites for purchasing. But so far it's not all-inclusive. It doesn't include Southwest (SWA), which doesn'tComplete Story »
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