InfoAnda - Online travel sites seek to ground Google-ITA deal

Pakistanis angry over detentions in Times Sq. case
Monday, May 24, 2010
ISLAMABAD – Relatives of three men detained by Pakistan for alleged links to the suspect in the attempted Times Square bombing say the men are innocent.
They

Taiwan denies boycotting Australian film festival
Thursday, August 6, 2009

AFP - Thursday, August 6TAIPEI (AFP) - - Taiwan's Beijing-friendly government on Wednesday denied boycotting an Australian film festival amid a row over the e

Merkel's support dips, regional ally resigns International
Thursday, September 3, 2009

By Sarah Marsh and Noah Barkin

BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel suffered a double blow on Thursday as a senior party ally in east German

Minister seeks closure of anti-Berlusconi websites
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
ROME (AFP) - – The Italian government moved Tuesday to close down Internet sites encouraging further violence against Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who

Asian markets mixed after Wall Street rally
Wednesday, March 18, 2009

By ELAINE KURTENBACH,AP Business Writer AP - Wednesday, March 18SHANGHAI - Asia's stock market rally seemed to be running out of steam Wednesday, despite an

Keyboardist, producer Beckett dies in Tennessee | Entertainment | | 13 June 2009
Bangladesh: Food prices up; poverty down | 22 June 2011
Koreans, split by war for 56 years, meet to say goodbye | 26 September 2009

India has 'proof' of Pakistan role in Mumbai attacks | 21 March 2009

Forum Views () Forum Replies ()

Read more with google mobile : Online travel sites seek to ground Google-ITA deal

Yahoo! My Yahoo! Mail More Yahoo! Services Account Options New User? Sign Up Sign In Help Yahoo! Search web search Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Weekend Edition Online travel sites seek to ground Google-ITA deal AFP - Thursday, March 10 Send IM Story Print Online travel sites seek to ground Google-ITA deal Slideshow: Full Photo Coverage: Internet Portals & Search Engines WASHINGTON (AFP) - – When Google and Yahoo! forged an advertising pact in 2008, Thomas Barnett headed the anti-trust division of the US Department of Justice, which stepped in and torpedoed the deal. Fast forward to today and Barnett, now in private practice, again has Google in his sights. Barnett is serving as counsel for Expedia.com, which has joined with several other online travel websites in an effort to ground Google's proposed $700 million acquisition of flight information company ITA Software. Expedia and other members of the FairSearch.org coalition are urging the Justice Department to block the Google-ITA deal -- just as it did in November 2008 with the Google-Yahoo! advertising agreement. They are claiming that Google's purchase of ITA would give the Internet search giant too much control over the lucrative online travel sector and lead to higher prices and fewer choices for consumers. "You're taking the dominant flight search engine company, which is ITA, and you're combining it with the dominant online search company, which is Google," Barnett told AFP. "You're going to end up with a combined entity that will be positioned to come in and dominate the online travel search space." Steve Kaufer, president and chief executive of TripAdvisor, an Expedia brand and ITA client, said competition is needed to keep airline ticket prices down. "Fares stay low generally because consumers are able to find a wide range of fares from a wide range of airlines on a wide range of sites," Kaufer said. A Google takeover of ITA could lead to "only one place to shop," he said, "and that might be good for Google but it's anti-consumer." Other FairSearch.org members include Hotwire, another Expedia brand, Kayak and its brand SideStep, Sabre Holdings and its brand Travelocity, Microsoft, Foundem of Britain, France's Level and Farelogix. ITA Software, a 500-person firm founded in 1996 by Massachusetts Institute of Technology computer scientists, specializes in organizing airline data, including flight times, availability and prices. ITA flight data software is used by many US airlines and a number of leading online travel sites, including Expedia's Hotwire and TripAdvisor, Kayak, Orbitz and Microsoft's Bing search engine. Google said the ITA acquisition would help it create new tools that will make it easier for consumers to search for travel, compare flight options and prices and drive more customers to online travel agencies. The Mountain View, California-based company has said it has no plans to sell airline tickets or set airfare prices. Robert Birge, chief marketing officer for Kayak, said ITA offers a "unique and irreplaceable asset, one that the industry has come to rely on." Google's ownership of ITA would allow it to limit access to the company's products, Birge said, "either by not renewing licensing agreements or by not passing along upgrades." He also voiced fears that because of Google's online search dominance, "if someone is searching for something like cheap flights, Google could intercept that with their own product." Barnett said the Justice Department could put restrictions on the Google-ITA deal to protect competition, but they would be difficult to monitor or enforce. "In this case, the best answer really is to block the transaction," he said, adding that a Justice Department decision is expected "virtually anytime." Birge said Kayak has attempted to open discussions with Google and ITA about renewing the company's ITA agreement, which expires at the end of 2013. "We said we'd like to get the contract extended on equitable terms, to get assurances that we're going to continue to get upgrades, to get assurances that our intellectual property will be protected," he said. Orbitz, however, which is not a FairSearch.org member, had its agreement with ITA renewed last month, through December 2015, in a move seen as dealing a potential blow to the opponents of the acquisition. In another development since the Google-ITA deal was announced in July, Microsoft announced last week that Kayak will power travel search in Bing. Commenting on the Kayak-Bing move, a Google spokesman told AFP: "This is just the latest evidence of how fast things are evolving in online flight search, and how much room there is for other players to compete. "We're eager to bring more competition and choices for consumers searching for flights online," the spokesman said. Send IM Story Print Related Articles Harvard professor wins Turing Award AFP - 22 minutes ago Microsoft sells 10 million Kinect devices Reuters - 30 minutes ago US-TECH Summary Reuters - 1 hour 23 minutes ago Obamas take Facebook stand against bullying AFP - Thursday, March 10 Nokia Siemens delays Motorola purchase AFP - Thursday, March 10 News Search Top Stories Veteran US shuttle ends historic spaceflight career Wall Street tycoon driven by greed: prosecutors Egypt government warns of 'counter-revolution' Insurer Prudential eyes Asian growth after doubling profits Libya: live report More Top Stories » Related Full Coverage Internet Portals & Search EnginesLatest development in the online world All Full Coverage » ADVERTISEMENT Most Popular Most Viewed Mass fish death in California harbor Lack of sleep can make you overly optimistic: study NASA scientists in row over 'alien microbes' Spider-Man comic sells for $1.1 mln Cathay Pacific orders 27 Airbus and Boeing planes More Most Viewed » More Most Recommended » Elsewhere on Yahoo! Financial news on Yahoo! Finance Stars and latest movies Best travel destinations More on Yahoo! News Home Singapore Asia Pacific World Business Entertainment Sports Technology Weekend Edition Subscribe to our news feeds Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS » More news feeds | What are news feeds? Also on Yahoo! Answers Groups Mail Messenger Mobile Travel Finance Movies Sports Games » All Yahoo! Services Site Highlights Singapore Full Coverage Most Popular Entertainment Photos Yahoo! News Network Copyright © 2011 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community | Intellectual Property Rights Policy | Help

Other News on Thursday, 10 March 2011
Veteran US shuttle ends historic spaceflight career
Wall Street tycoon driven by greed: prosecutors
Carlos Slim tops Forbes' rich list, BRIC billionaires emerge |
Insurer Prudential eyes Asian growth after doubling profits
Libya: live report
Blast shuts down Iraq Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline: sources |
Nokia Siemens delays Motorola purchase
Iran aims to get to brink of nuclear arms: U.S. aide |
Nokia shares up after Symbian sales commitment
Bahraini Shi'ites protest against settling Sunnis |
Killing hardens opposition resolve in Yemen |
Men with rocks attack remnants of Cairo protest |
Saudi Shi'ites hold new protest in oil province |
Japan's new FM wants to deepen alliance with US
Asians, Latinos boost California population
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
NPR chief resigns amid controversy
Disappearing tradition: Najaf abaya makers in decline
UNESCO plans museum for destroyed Afghan Buddhas
From the streets to the stage, Yemen finds its voice
Danube delta reed: new 'in' roofing for luxury homes
Amid revolution, Egyptian designer still makes it to Paris
German hints will return treasured sphinx to Turkey
CORRECTED
Call girls, wives check into Marc Jacob's 'Hotel Vuitton'
Pakistani stocks end up; rupee weakens; o/n rates flat
Microsoft sells 10 million Kinect devices |
Obamas take Facebook stand against bullying
Nokia Siemens delays Motorola purchase
Online travel sites seek to ground Google-ITA deal
Microblogs in China government's fight to win public approval
Nokia shares up after Symbian sales commitment
Lady Gaga may sue over breastmilk ice cream name |
NPR chief resigns amid controversy |
Mel Gibson reaches plea deal in domestic abuse case |
Spider-Man musical overhauled, delayed again-report |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Adele spends second week at #1 on Billboard albums chart with "21"
News Singapore
News Singapore
EU and NATO to meet on Libya after raging battles |
ElBaradei says he'll run for Egyptian president |
News Singapore
News Singapore
Dalai Lama plans to quit as Tibet political leader |
Yemen president vows new constitution within year |
Mexican gang members charged in U.S. consulate murders |
Hawaii's Kilauea volcano erupts with greater fury |
News Singapore
China and Russia drive growth in world's billionaires |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Charlie Sheen sparks new era of cyber celebrity meltdowns |
Sony promotes Hirai, possible successor to CEO |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
LG Display says in 3D panel supply talks with Sony |
News Singapore
U.S. nominates first Chinese American as ambassador to Beijing
Facebook puts six on Forbes billionaire list |
Screening for all air cargo bomb threats faces tough deadline
News Singapore
U.S. stocks, oil price retreat
Home WiFi gives 30 percent slower connection: study |
News Singapore
U.S. lawmakers ask Facebook to block third parties’ easy access
Illinois abolishes capital punishment, governor commutes 15 death sentences
Space shuttle Discovery makes its last landing
South Florida mayor arrested on corruption charges
News Singapore
Oldest wild bird in northern hemisphere raising chick
US asks China to stop enforced disappearances of human rights activists
US on track to double exports by 2014: Kirk
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Charlie Sheen sparks new era of cyber celebrity meltdowns |
News Singapore
News Singapore
Julianne Moore to play Sarah Palin in HBO film |
Lawyers in Charlie Sheen fracas lay out strategies |
Broadway's Spider-Man delayed, revamped again |
News Singapore
No script, no worries: Men in Black 3 shoots anyway |
News Singapore
Bath & Body Works sues over Twilight toiletries |
News Singapore
Documentary suggests sky not falling after all |
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
News Singapore
Surge in Arab protests expected on Friday in Gulf |
Gulf states prepare aid fund for Oman and Bahrain |
India's Hyderabad shut down as thousands demand new state |
Iran forces kill three people in clashes in west |
Rival factions snub Hamas unity offer |
Nervous Saudis ponder whether to join protests |
No proof of drug industry sway on WHO in pandemic: report |
Angola stifling democracy protests: Human Rights Watch |
AOL to cut 20 percent of global workforce: source |
Facebook puts six on Forbes billionaire list |
Angry Birds creators Rovio raises $42 million |
Online game company Zynga to double India staff this year |
Samsung targets Nokia Symbian developers |
50 Cent joins Gaddafi performance regret club |
Deathly Hallows highest foreign earner of Potter series |
Book Talk: Diamonds inspire Tolkien grandson's novel |
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights

USD EUR - 1 year graph	VPN on MacOSX	BlogMeter 1.01