Yahoo Increases Its Search Powers
With technology that was acquired from its recent purchase of Israeli-based FareChase, Yahoo has launched a travel search engine. Yahoo hopes that its new ability to gather information from over 150 travel sources will give it a leg up over the existing travel sites and also Google.
According to a set of frequently asked questions on the Web site, the combined Yahoo-FareChase test pulls real-time search results from more than 150 travel Web sites. The site provides a comparison of fares and prices but sends users to provider’s Web site, such as an airline’s site or online travel agency, to book travel.
If effectively integrated, FareChase has the potential to give Yahoo a leap on its major search competitors, such as Google Inc. and Microsoft Corp.’s MSN, by providing more useful results to users, Harteveldt said. Neither Google nor MSN have their own travel search engines.
Instead, Yahoo is competing more closely against smaller travel search providers such as SideStep Inc. and a handful of startups as well as online travel agencies such as Expedia Inc. and Travelocity.com LP.
Yahoo also partners with Travelocity.com for the booking and much of the content on the Yahoo Travel site, and analysts say that the decision to acquire FareChase and integrate it into Yahoo could strain that relationship.
Another significant challenge for Yahoo will be overcoming the animosity between FareChase and some travel providers who disapproved of FareChase’s aggregation of information from their Web sites, Harteveldt said. American Airlines in 2003 sued FareChase over its method of collecting fare information, winning an injunction in the case and later reaching a settlement
Analyst believe that the technological know how isn’t the biggest challenge that Yahoo will have with this venture, it’s the gaining the support of travel providers. FareChase doesn’t have the best of relationships with travel providers. Yahoo spent $1 billion to acquire the Web search technology from FareChase, let’s hope that they have what it takes to make it work.
Checkout the site: Yahoo’s FareChase Beta