Skift Take
After years of relative neglect as big online players focused on hotels, companies such as TripAdvisor, Expedia and Google are investing in and giving new attention to flight products. Kicking and screaming, airlines may end up having to pay more attention to their customers.
Seven years after it debuted comparison shopping, or metasearch, for flights, TripAdvisor revamped the product, adding user reviews of airlines and flights, travelers' photos of seats and lounges, amenity information and flight scores.
While TripAdvisor transformed the way consumers research hotels and often the way hotels interact with guests, now the largest travel site in the world is trying to do something similar for flights and airlines.
There are more than a dozen airlines -- none from the U.S. -- ranging from Air Canada to China Airlines and Air New Zealand that are encouraging flyers to post reviews of the airline on TripAdvisor while these and other carriers have joined the TripAdvisor management center so they can respond to passenger reviews on the site.
With the revamped TripAdvisor flight search becoming available starting late yesterday on desktop and mobile in 48 countries and 28 languages, TripAdvisor will also be running marketing programs for carriers trying to differentiate themse
