Google Gets Into Online Travel Game With Flight Search - The Stir
Just when you thought Google had done it all -- search engines, email, maps, social networking -- they go and pull this little gem out of their ass: A new tool that lets us shop for airline flights called Google Flight Search. And like everything else Google does, it's going to be bigger and better than all the rest.
Here's how it works: Would-be travelers can log on to google.com/flights and filter their flight queries by price, airlines, and routes. The tool also has a nifty little chart that shows which travel dates are more expensive and which are cheaper.
Travel technology analyst Norm Rose said, "This is only the beginning of the transformation of general search into travel search that will save the consumer steps in the travel planning process."
Travelers,1; Expedia, Travelocity, and Kayak, 0.
See, every time Google gets their robo-paws on something that already exits in the Internet world (again, search engines, email, maps, social networking), it can only mean good things for us. Because not only is everything that Google does awesome and user-friendly (except for maybe Google+, this jury's still out on that), it breeds competition. And we, as travelers and shoppers, want competition. Because that means lower prices. And who doesn't like lower prices?
Also, the timing of Google Flight Search really couldn't be better -- just in time to start booking Thanksgiving travel, aka the busiest travel time of year. Just the other day I was poking around online for flights to my in-laws in Chicago (and, okay, Puerto Rico just in case I can convince a certain someone to go there instead), and the prices were outrageous -- $394 a pop for the dates I want to travel. I just checked on Google flights -- $319. Not a gigantic difference, but it's something. Also, the site is about nine million times faster and easier to use than Expedia.
So, it's a good day to be us, people. Google has bestowed upon us another Internet gift. Now the only question is: What should we get them?
Are you excited about Google Flight Search? Should we send Google a fruit basket or something?
Image via Redden-McAllister/Flickr
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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFKIAd-ZAEX7Br4ewcnpLAVL3SpDg&url=http://thestir.cafemom.com/technology/125941/google_gets_into_online_travel
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