A very interesting
development reported by the New York Times about how the online travel space is undergoing massive change, with BIG
BIG players jumping aggressively into the fray. According to the piece Yahoo and maybe even Google will be getting into
travel. Everyone smells money in the burgeoning travel advertising arena, as well as through partnership offerings with
airlines and hotels. It makes some sense.
Consider Yahoo’s Trip Planner tool, which allows you to create, store and print virtual trip folders…which you can
also post for others to view (Dad, here’s my itinerary for coming home over Christmas…please remember to pick me up at
the airport). But they are taking things a step further, and offering travelers the opportunity to post articles and
reviews as well as photos using Flickr. Very smart. And sensible. We’ll have to see how it plays out, but I do get
worried that letting people post their own information and reviews will open things up for abuse…but maybe that’s the
“old media” part of me talking.