The meta-search space was starting to get really really crowded since travel-media heavyweights like TripAdvisor and Travelzoo started to crash the search party. However, it looks like field has been narrowed a bit as Yahoo! decided to scrap Farechase five years after they purchased it in 2004.
As reported by Travel Weekly (which is updated daily):
[The decision] coincides with two other developments. Carol Bartz replaced Jerry Yang as Yahoo CEO in January, and in late February Yahoo signed a new agreement that has Travelocity continuing its role as the primary booking engine for Yahoo Travel. In the past, Travelocity sparred with Yahoo over the prominent role that Yahoo gave FareChase on Yahoo Travel.
OK - this is basically the same old Hollywood story of Man - Wife - Mistress.
- Yahoo was pretty much married to Travelocity, but then met the alluring FareChase
- Five years of drama where Yahoo tried to juggle both
- Finally, Yahoo re-ups with a new Travelocity Agreement and realizes its never going to leave The Gnome so it's time to end it with FareChase.
The field is starting to rationalize itself a bit with Kayak / Sidestep as the heavy, Microsoft / Live Search / FareCast as the contender, Mobissimo as the falling star, and Trip Advisor and Travelzoo as the new guys.
FMV's predictions: 1) Mobissimo is the next to go thru a takeout, 2) Hybrids coming to a website near you as media plays try to go into the travel realm, and travel sites try their hand at media plays, and 3) OTA's have a problem, but Expedia may have the answer...
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