Google's Flight Search Product is Now on Most Smartphones

When Google announced more than a year ago that it was acquiring ITA Software (an database of airline flights and  prices), the news sent shivers up the spines, and sweat onto the brows, of just about every existing airfare search engine. And a fierce battle broke out (which Google ultimately won) over Google's right to make the purchase. Although they didn't actually say so, most competitive services were terrified that mighty Google could proceed to grab off a healthy percentage -- indeed, maybe even a majority -- of the searches that people make for their airline flights.
 
A Google announcement this past weekend shows just how well grounded those fears were. Google has announced that commencing immediately, its Flight Search features would be available not simply on computers (as in the past) but on mobile devices running Google's Android operating system and Apple's iOS. And they'll be available not just visually, but by voice. Users can now search on-the-go by speaking into their phones! Readers of this Blog can test the claim by searching for "flights from X to Y" on their devices.
 
But that's not all. In an e-mail to me from Sean Carlson, the youthful director of Google's travel services, whom my daughter and I interviewed on a recent broadcast of The Travel Show, it was also pointed out that the Google Search box is already full of other cool tricks. Currently, on your Android phone, you can:
Get currency conversions (just type "10 dollars in Euros" into Google Search);Translate words and phrases (try "translate where is the bathroom to Spanish")Track flights (just type the airline and flight number, like "usair231"); andCheck time zones (like "time in Denver")Quite obviously, Google is making a big commitment to travel and flight information. Stay tuned.