Economics of ITA Matrix
Feb 8, 2018, 5:35 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
Economics of ITA Matrix
I've been puzzling for a while how Google monetizes the ITA Matrix site...
Presumably it costs them a stack of money to access the GDS or whatever flight & fare information system lies behind, but there's not a pixel of advertising, not a cent in fees...
Loss leader into Google Flights perhaps ? Costs absorbed 100% by Google Flights so effectively free ?
Would be interested in others' views.
Presumably it costs them a stack of money to access the GDS or whatever flight & fare information system lies behind, but there's not a pixel of advertising, not a cent in fees...
Loss leader into Google Flights perhaps ? Costs absorbed 100% by Google Flights so effectively free ?
Would be interested in others' views.
Feb 14, 2018, 9:19 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, mid-tier with pretty much everyone else
Posts: 873
ITA (now Google) licenses their search capabilities to OTAs and the actual airlines themselves. From what I've been told, many airlines search engines are powered by ITA technology because ITA can search an airlines airfare faster than the airline itself.