Google flight search takes off

Posted on 14 Sep 2011 at 10:13

Google has finally revealed its plans for the know-how it acquired from travel software specialist ITA: Google Travel, a service which allows you to plan how to get from A to B.

Despite some concerns surrounding the deal - with other online travel services raising questions about a possible Google monopoly should the advertising giant be allowed to play in the same pool as other companies - the acquisition of ITA went ahead, and Google Travel is the result.

Currently, the search engine only allows users to search for flight information - but the generic name suggests that Google is likely to go after the travel market in a big way, adding additional methods of transportation, hotel, and possibly even insurance searching to its list of services.

The Google Travel service acts as an overlay on Google Maps: tell it where you are, where you're going, and when, and it will find suitable flights from a range of providers. If you'd prefer more control, you can add a duration or price limit to your search.

The results are fed back to you within the interface, while you can also export them in a calendar format - with Google Calendar integration, naturally - or in a clever scatter graph format.

While it's early days for the service, Google Travel is already looking like it could shape up to be a useful tool. You can try the service yourself over on the official site.

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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