The US government has given online giant Google formal approval to proceed with its purchase of travel technology innovator ITA.
The permission granted by the Department of Justice comes with a number of conditions, however, including that Google must continue to develop ITA's software for existing clients.
ITA owns and operates the QPX software, which online travel sites use to conduct searches for air fares, schedules and availability.
Joseph Wayland, deputy assistant attorney general of the DoJ’s Antitrust Division, said: “The DoJ’s proposed remedy promotes robust competition for airfare websites by ensuring those websites will continue to have access to ITA’s pricing and shopping software.
“The proposed settlement assures that airfare comparison and booking websites will be able to compete effectively, providing benefits to consumers.”
Google's entry into the travel sector has been greeted with suspicion by some in the industry, but Ron di Leo, Association of Corporate Travel Executives' (ACTE) executive director, says business travel firms should not be concerned.
Speaking to ABTN at the ACTE Global Education Conference in New York, Di Leo said: “I think we have nothing to worry about.”
In di Leo's opinion, Google is not looking to start selling travel. Instead, it will enter into the metasearch domain, offering price comparisons.
Douglas Quinby, senior director of research at Phocuswright, said there are currently more questions than answers around Google's plans.
Speaking at a session during the conference on the key issues affecting the business travel industry, he said: “It's difficult to say what the impact on business travel will be.
“I can't think of any immediate implications that someone in corporate travel should be worried about.”
Some travel buyers and managers, however, fear that Google will become another source for booking travel outside policy.
To this, ACTE's di Leo said executives need to meet the challenge head on and prove the value of their corporate travel programme: “We are encouraging people to run towards these issues.”