Google aims for key role in flight ticket search
Google is diving into the next growth market: the online airline ticket business. The Internet giant is spending $700 million to acquire a software specialist in flight information.
The company ITA Software analyzes air travel information and makes the data available to travel websites such as Expedia. According to the Wall Street Journal, Expedia and its competitors Kayak, Travelport and Amadeus have jointly tried to snatch ITA away from Google in recent months. However, the company, which is controlled by a small number of shareholders, turned them down. According to the newspaper report, the previous owners initially demanded one billion dollars. However, Google pushed the price down.
The search engine Bing from Google rival Microsoft is also one of ITA's customers.
The search engine Bing from Google rival Microsoft is also one of ITA's customers.
