Booking a flight soon? You may have fewer options to do so after Google GOOG, +0.32% announced Wednesday it would shut down an airfare data tool used by online travel agents.
The move has sparked fears Google will dominate third-party travel companies in the airfare search world as it doubles down on its own consumer-facing services offered through Google Flights to compete with companies like Expedia EXPE, -0.06% and Priceline PCLN, -0.53%
The company is cutting off access to its QPX Express API service as of April 10, 2018, it announced online and in an email to customers who use the data. The free service created a feed of flight routes and availability used by some third-party travel sites. It is being shut down because of lack of interest in the product, a Google spokesperson said. But others say the change creates an opportunity for a monopoly in the travel industry.
“Less data is always bad for consumers, and Google, which is highly profitable, can certainly afford to share this information if it wanted to”, Christopher Elliott, travel consumer advocate, said. “I can’t help but see ulterior motives in this move. Passengers will have to work harder to get the information they need to make an informed decision about their flights.”
The technology is a public-facing version of the QPX Enterprise API, a division born from Google’s 2010 acquisition of ITA Software, a technology developed by MIT for scanning flight costs. Antitrust officials allowed the purchase of the $700 million software on the condition Google allowed a public-facing API for five years. The QPX Enterprise API remains.
“We have not made any changes to our QPX Enterprise offering, which is the primary airfare shopping and price engine for many travel companies”, a Google spokesperson said. “QPX Express API is a separate product, which we will no longer be supporting due to low adoption.”
The search giant did not say how many companies will be affected by the phasing out of QPX Express, but noted the change will not affect QPX Enterprise service used by a number of larger companies including Air Canada, United Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Orbitz, and StudentUniverse.
Those that no longer have access to QPX Express could now pivot to alternative APIs, like those built by Skyscanner, Fareportal, and Skypicker or build their own tools that similarly track airfare trends and drive ticket sales.
Others say these shifts in the industry will foster change that could edge out Google itself. As Google retracts access to the public API, travel agents will need to find new access to fare information or create their own, said Johnny Thorsen, vice president of Travel Strategy & Partnerships at artificial intelligence travel assistant Mezi.
He also anticipated the creation of more search engines designed to help consumers navigate the increasingly complex world of travel searches, and even blockchain-based solutions to allow anyone to access information. In fact, 2018 “is shaping up nicely to be a year of dramatic innovation and disruption in the travel distribution landscape”, he said.