Microsoft has launched Bing Travel, on the back of its new search engine but will it just create a pong or generate a bang that will change the online travel landscape? Yeoh Siew Hoon pings on the subject.

Hot on the heels of the news of the launch of Bing, Microsoft's new search engine is the announcement of Bing Travel which Microsoft says, "will help consumers make smart travel decisions through a variety of innovative tools and features."

Billed as "the new Decision Engine offered by Microsoft and aims to help travellers easily find and book airfare and hotel accommodation for trips", Bing Travel combines the airfare and hotel tools Microsoft acquired with its purchase of Farecast with the editorial content from MSN Travel.

The two moves mark Microsoft's ongoing battle with Google in the search arena, after its failed attempt to buy Yahoo.

According to Microsoft, a Bing Travel survey found that 52% of travellers search three or more sites before booking airfare. The survey also found that 42% of travellers spend between one and four weeks weighing travel options.

Bing Travel's general manager Hugh Crean said, "Bing Travel has a simple goal: help people make smarter, more informed decisions regarding travel. Travellers face plenty of challenges – from airport security and luggage restrictions to finding their hotel in an unknown city or trying to speak a foreign language. Researching and booking travel should be simple and easy, and now Bing Travel is here to help."

Bing Travel tools include a price predictor, rate indicator, travel deals for flight and hotel, comparison flight and hotel search, fare alerts and original travel editorial content.

What does the launch of Bing Travel herald?

Morris Sim (right), founder of Circos.com, which provides the Brand Karma service, noted in his blog, http://circos.wordpress.com on June 9, "If the launch hype translates into repeat users, Bing will change the travel landscape yet again in the next 12 months. 

"The OTAs and meta-searches will have to deal with a new breed of mashups following the trail of Bing that not only looks for the best price but also, the best personal fit. 

"These types of "decision engine" or "recommendation" services have existed in the past, but Bing has legitimized the approach.  Many startups in this space probably just got a call from their investors with renewed interest.  Some people may see Bing as a natural evolution of meta-searches, but if its job isn't to present you with the most number of options, but the least number of best options, then I think it warrants its own category."

He adds, "As an early Bing user, I got the promise but was not blown over by the execution. Microsoft has the right idea and an opportunity to be relevant in search, so I hope they don't screw it up by over-promising and under-delivering. 

"Finally, I wouldn't be surprised if Bing compels Google and Yahoo to aggressively look for acquisitions and/or accelerate their mobile offerings in travel if Bing lives up to its hype."

Ram Badrinathan, general manager-Asia for PhoCusWright Inc, calls Bing "Microsoft's first major salvo to take on the Google juggernaut".

"The positioning is around Bing being a decision engine which should allow meaning and context to emerge from the Intent. That is not yet happening, for instance when I type "Las Vegas five star hotels", one, the display is akin to Google and two, it does not provide insights, context yet – it displays list of suppliers.

"They have cool features like roll over video player etc but strategic differentiator cannot be a function."

Saying it's just the beginning, he said, "If Microsoft applies focus, they have known to succeed. As far as Bing Travel goes, it is similar to a travel search engine and gives customer another choice. But one of the reasons Google never moved into offering travel is that they figured that the money they make from bidding one travel company against the other would be exponentially higher than offering travel services.

"I don't think Microsoft as a company will focus on Bing Travel or travel problem the way Kayak focuses on the travel problem. Its all about the intensity of focus on a particular problem, that is what differentiates the winners from the losers."

I have to confess I am pretty happy myself with Bing, selfishly speaking. I typed in "web in travel" and the first link that came up was our Web In Travel website. There was another mention in the fourth and seventh link. In Google, however, we appeared in the first two links – so not sure what to make of that.

I then tried "chilli crab recipe" and must say Google did a better job – the first link led me to a real chilli crab recipe in Singapore while Bing took me to a site about "southern food" and taught me about creamy crab dip. Sorry, I've got to have my chillies.

Not all the comments in the blogosphere were flattering as well. In Daily Tech, www.dailytech.com/Microsoft+Launches+Bing+Travel/article15354.htm , some comments include: "They should have called it Pew. That way people can say Pew Pew Pew" and "It makes me think of the bing bong brothers, that can never be a good thing."

Well, at least, they're talking about it. That can never be a bad bing, sorry, thing.

Yeoh Siew Hoon, one of Asia's most respected travel editors and commentators, writes a regular column on news, trends and issues in the hospitality industry for 4Hoteliers.com.

Siew Hoon, who has covered the tourism industry in Asia/Pacific for the past 20 years, runs SHY Ventures Pte Ltd. Her other writings can be found at www.thetransitcafe.com

Get your weekly cuppa of news, gossip, humour and opinion at the cafe for travel insiders.

4Hoteliers is the "Official Daily News" of WIT09

www.webintravel.com - October 20-23, 2009 Suntec Convention Centre, Singapore