Google to Shut off Airfare Data for Some Travel Search Engines
As Google Flights has become more and more prominent, the tech giant will continue to concentrate its power on travel data after announcing that it will be shutting off its QPX Express API in April 2018. QPX is an airfare search data feed that allows travel sites to access information on airfare and was created when Google acquired ITA Software. Google used ITA to create Google Flights, a more user-friendly version of the ITA Matrix.
Now this might seem like a mouthful, but it's important for two reasons. First, it means that Google is more interested in competing with the big travel sites like Orbitz and Expedia. And second, many smaller third-party travel search engines will have to find a new way to access airfare data. Ultimately, as users expressed on Twitter, this could be a death blow to smaller travel startups who rely on the API.
When Google purchased ITA in 2010, the US Justice Department closely examined the deal for antitrust issues. Ultimately the government approved the deal, but with the caveat that Google would have to allow developers to access the data for at least five years.
Some of TPG's favorite websites like The Flight Deal use ITA to verify deals — meaning there may be some difficulty in doing this in the future.
A Google spokesperson said the reason for the shutdown was "the low interest among our travel partners," although according to TechCrunch the company had some pretty massive customers like Kayak, Orbitz, American Airlines and United. The Verge reported that a Kayak spokesperson declined to comment because "this doesn't affect Priceline.com or KAYAK."
A replacement service for QPX could be provided by Fareportal, Skyscanner or QPX Enterpise (a version for larger businesses), says TechCrunch. That, or companies may have to build their own databases.
Google will also be shutting down ITA's mobile app OnTheFly in December, although it's unclear if ITA Matrix will be switched off as well.
We've reached out to Google for clarification about the status of ITA Matrix but haven't heard back at the time of publishing this article.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
$395Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month
- Top rated mobile app