Google shuts off airline booking tool in search

Google is pulling a software tool that let small companies access search information on airfares, a potential blow to online travel newcomers. Google’s tool was opened in 2011 after its US$700m acquisition of ITA Software, an online airfare broker. In approving the deal, a federal judge required that Google keep an ITA flight search and pricing software, called QPX, accessible to third parties for at least 5 years. In 2014, Google created a cheaper version of the QPX software, called QPX Express, meant to target smaller companies and startups. Google shut that service down due to “low interest”. Google said it is keeping intact a version of the original software tool for corporate customers. Google used ITA’s tool to create Google Flights, which aggregates airline prices directly inside its search engine. <br/>