Has Microsoft lost out with Google Travel?

June 30th, 2007

Sometimes i like the way google can help with the little questions i have in life, just by searching a bit smarter it will give me weights and measures so i can see how heavy i am in lbs and kgs ( not pretty whichever way you cut it) or help me solve mathematical equations just like my teachers used to do at school.  Sweet.

But then sometimes i think too much of a good thing can be bad.  I want choice.  No-one likes a know-it-all or as i’ve now christened it googy-two-shoes.  This is the case when i discovered what appears to be Google Travel.  Jeez.  Back off.  Is there anything they won’t do? 

If you enter a similar search query string as you would for the weights and measures and equations etc such as “London to New York” as you can see in the pic,  you get a flight dates search box in the main results being fed by the likes of Travelocity and Expedia. 

Now here’s the rub.  Clicking on the main link defaults to Expedia everytime. BAM! Tag team takedown by Laz, Serge and Baz!

Are Google trying to stick the knife in to Bill now Expedia is run by Baz Diller?  I think so.

At the moment i can only see this happening with Google.com and it won’t replicate on .co.uk

So how long before we see this go full circle? Google Airways?  Google Hotels?  Why not?  Its a lifestyle brand already why not branch out a’la Virgin, they’re not short of a bob or too.  

I can just see the plane now ” you’re in aisle 54 Mr. Hayward, Beanbag number 3″

Bookmark to:

Entry Filed under: PPC, Microsoft, google