Google's Proposal to Change Search Results is Mostly Supported by European Airlines

 

Alphabet's $GOOGL Google's proposal to change its search results to obey EU tech legislation has been approved by Airlines for Europe.

 

In recent months, Google has declared a series of tweaks to its search results format following conflicts among comparison sites, hotels, airlines, and small retailers. Google has adjusted its search results to follow the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which prevents Google from promoting its products and services on its platforms or faces fines of 10% of its annual global turnover.

 

In response to Google's move, Airlines for Europe said to the European Commission on Dec. 20 that the industry is willing to compromise due to the need for a solution that complies with the DMA.

 

The airline group supports Google's proposal to distinguish airlines from comparison sites by the color blue in search results. However, it worries about Google's proposal to provide consumers booking flights with a purely indicative date rather than a specific date. It also suggests that the prices shown in the search results should be the same in the graphic as the ones in the box.

 

Google said it may apply the old format of 10 blue links to search results if airlines and comparison sites cannot agree on its proposal.