Hmm. Interesting move with all the antitrust sentiment floating around. Google has certainly focused their "everything above the fold is us" approach heavily on travel. Don't believe me? Do a few travel related queries and see how much above the fold IS NOT google. They have been VERY aggressive in this area.
Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
101–110 of 216 posts
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#102Earlier quoted context omitted.
Could a Gmail add-on not do something similar? Of course you'd need to give it access to your emails. You could also use outlook, which I'm sure does similar things, maybe not as well though.
Gmail add-ons pretty much don't exist anymore. The Gmail API has been locked down to people able to pay for a ~$100k security audit. The Facebook API is rather crippled too. API's used to let you share all your data, and act on your behalf, but now typically they do Auth and access already-public data.
I'm happy it's locked down. I don't want crappy apps accessing my emails
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#103My question is, with Google's pretty much non-existent customer service (unless you're on G-suite), how difficult is the process going to be to get to a human if you want to make a claim that they weren't the lowest price?
Super anecdotal obviously, but very very difficult. Bought some flights on Scandinavian Air through Google Flights that included multiple checked bags for my wife and I about a year ago. Upon arrival at the airport in Gothenburg, they were very insistent we hadn't paid for bags and had to pay the exorbitant fees for checking bags on the spot. We essentially could not figure out how to contact anyone at Google Flights…
> Bought some flights on Scandinavian Air through Google Flights that included multiple checked bags for my wife and I about a year ago. Upon arrival at the airport in Gothenburg, they were very insistent we hadn't paid for bags and had to pay the exorbitant fees for checking bags on the spot.
Something like this had happened to me often enough that I no longer purchase anything through an intermediary when traveling. Flights, directly through the airline. Hotels, directly through the hotel. Theme park, directly through the park. Is it convenient to make reservations and/or pay in person on-site? On-site it is.
The occasional discounts just aren't worth the clusterfsck it becomes when there's any kind of misunderstanding or miscommunication.
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#104Sounds like Google is trying to dominate one more market. I'm sure they 1) wouldn't mind being the middle man of one more thing 2) continue to transmit travel plans and would be plans to whoever wants to pay. Google is an advertising and information company.
I hope it's not a plain fraud. For a part of my work in OEM industry, I do duties of a professional purchaser, so I know how to get deals. I had many times such refund and guarantee promises thrown out of the window with explanation "so use us if you want." All kinds of booking agencies being the worst offenders. One time when I still lived in Canada, I went to a small claims court, and and civil tribunal with "ahem.…
Google is not some small company to commit fraud for a few pennies
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#105Is this the next industry taking a hit from an asset-light strategy?
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#106Well, this is boring. I would prefer an insurance that locks in the price for some time. dohop.com was offering this for some time.
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#107> To see your trips and travel research, turn on these settings: Private results, Web & app activity This is the main reason why I will never be able to use www.google.com/travel. I used to use the Trips app with no search history, but Google is shutting down Trips in favor of forcing people to loosen privacy settings. It is very disappointing because Trips worked very well.
How do you want Google to show you your trips and your travel research (e.g search queries) if you disable search history? If you don't want to see your search history (since you seem adamant on disabling it), then just use the other features on google.com/travel (destination/hotel/flight search).
I think the answer is in your question:
Why would search history be related to travel history? Can't they be decoupled?
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#108Earlier quoted context omitted.
Super anecdotal obviously, but very very difficult. Bought some flights on Scandinavian Air through Google Flights that included multiple checked bags for my wife and I about a year ago. Upon arrival at the airport in Gothenburg, they were very insistent we hadn't paid for bags and had to pay the exorbitant fees for checking bags on the spot. We essentially could not figure out how to contact anyone at Google Flights…
> Bought some flights on Scandinavian Air through Google Flights that included multiple checked bags for my wife and I about a year ago. Upon arrival at the airport in Gothenburg, they were very insistent we hadn't paid for bags and had to pay the exorbitant fees for checking bags on the spot. Something like this had happened to me often enough that I no longer purchase anything through an intermediary when traveling…
The price between a intermediary and an airline can be 1300 USD vs. 800 USD.
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#109That's ridiculous, if they had an AI that could accurately predict prices, they would quickly become one of the largest, most powerful corporations in the world. Uh, wait ...
The profit from accurately predicting future prices would dwarf advertising / computing revenue. The problem with any prediction is as soon as it's acted on or made public it starts to affect the system requiring an updated prediction. If enough people buy into the prediction it's a self fulfilling prophecy. So much of pricing is influenced by human nature though. Good luck predicting that consistently over time.
Also, the airlines could change their algorithm - randomly. If for no other reason than to muck with Google.
Re: Google to Offer a Best Price Guarantee on Certain Flights
#110Earlier quoted context omitted.
counter to that, I was looking at flights yesterday and Google Flights and compared it directly to the airlines prices on their site. I saved nearly a grand.
How could that be? I'd imagine Google Flights isn't giving you a discount to use them.
The airline knows that you are coming from google flights. They know that you know the prices of the competitors...