Tag archive: Expedia

GPS maker TomTom has announced its new TomTom Go Live 1535m GPS system, which the company claims is the first portable navigation device to ship with a suite of popular travel applications. Out of the box, the device wil ship with integrated apps for Twitter, Yelp, Expedia, and TripAdvisor, making it easier for travelers to get information they need—like restaurant locations and reviews, hotel information, weather forecasts, and fuel… Read More

Leading online travel agency Expedia has announced (PDF) it plans to spin off its TripAdvisor business in a tax-free, all-stock deal that will enable the ad-based TripAdvisor to grow more quickly, while enabling Expedia to focus on improving its products and better compete with rivals like Priceline.com. Under the deal, TripAdvisor's domestic and international operations (as well as 18 other travel media and advertising brands) would… Read More

If you thought the Google-Microsoft rift only extended to stolen search terms, you'd be wrong. Google spokesperson Adam Kovacevich, who deals specifically with anti-trust issues for the company, tells Politico.com that the search giant is taking an unprecedented amount of heat from lawmakers in Washington D.C. — and it's all Microsoft's fault. According to Kovacevich, Microsoft has helped establish an “anti-Google… Read More

Last summer, Google made moves to acquire ITA Software, which makes the software that dozens of airlines and ticket sites use to make online reservations. Naturally, competitors took issue with the deal, and responded by creating FairSearch, to lobby the public and Department of Justice into stopping Google's travel search scheme. Yesterday, Bloomberg reported that Google may have an antitrust lawsuit courtesy of the US Justice Department… Read More

After announcing its plans this summer to acquire flight booking software company ITA, Google has incurred the wrath of travel websites, including Expedia, Hotwire, Kayak, and Travelocity. The collaboration has been complicated for Google from the get-go, with opposition not only from its would-be online travel competitors, but also from the US Justice Department. But what Google wants, Google usually gets. Most major travel websites use ITA,… Read More

The state of Florida is suing online travel reservation companies over hotel taxes, the latest in a string of lawsuits nationwide claiming the sites owe local authorities millions of dollars. Attorney General Bill McCollum sued Expedia and Orbitz on Tuesday, claiming they failed to pay Florida the full amount of taxes collected on hotel room rentals through their sites. “The customer is paying the tax already,” said McCollum, who is… Read More