The battle between air carriers and leading travel portals is intensifying.
Expedia
AMR broke free from Orbitz Worldwide
This is just a huge step backward for the industry. Nobody wins if travel-booking websites have fewer options for its visitors. It may lead to travelers paying more for their flights, but that's not entirely a major coup for the carriers that continue to offer their fares through pared-back sites. Consumers will grow to distrust the sites, leading them to go through several sites to make sure they have the best deal. Savvy surfers may do that already, but it ultimately creates confusion for mainstream visitors.
In short, portals will suffer from lower conversion rates, carriers will have greater uncertainty, and the Internet just got a tad more cumbersome for passengers.
This may help "name your price" juggernaut priceline.com
The Internet's allure is the free flow of information. Right now, the online travel industry isn't letting that happen.
Who do you think is right in this battle? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.