Google’s Online Travel Adventure Upsets Its Biggest Advertisers
Internet search giant insists it won’t become an online travel agent. But the industry is wary.
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At the largest online travel conference last week, industry executive Steve Hafner was asked an unusual question: What's the first word that comes to mind when you think about Google?
"Annoying," said Hafner, chief executive officer of Priceline Group Inc.'s Kayak business.
Hafner captured the mood well. Despite more than $15 billion in annual revenue and hefty profits, online travel agents like Priceline and Expedia Inc. are increasingly wary of Google encroaching on their turf. That's lifting tension with a sector that's one of Google's biggest advertisers.