economist.com

There is contrasting evidence. The internet giant has been increasing its presence in the area in recent years. First it launched Flight Search, a meta-search website that pits it against the two big flight-comparison brands, Skyscanner and Kayak. It introduced the service in America in 2011 and in Europe in 2013. As yet, it does not seem to be taking much of a chunk out of the competition. However, it does have some advantages, including signing up Ryanair, Europe’s second largest carrier by passenger numbers, which has refused to play ball with other comparison websites. Google is also beefing up its hotel listings by adding photographs and virtual tours, as well as showing price information and reviews. This will bring it up against TripAdvisor, the world’s biggest travel website in terms of page views.

Read the full article at economist.com