Google Flight Search methodically working on airline partnerships

Google Flight Search has been widely criticized for its slow pace of development, but Jeremy Wertheimer is non-plussed about the whole thing.

Wertheimer, ITA Software co-founder and currently Google’s vice president of travel, said “there’s a continual process of rolling out new features,” citing the launch of Google Flight Search in September 2011, and subsequent rollouts of the Canadian point of sale, and international flights originating from the U.S., as well as ongoing tests of new features.

Nice and easy does it

Google traditionally tends to introduce products in “200 countries,” Wertheimer said, adding that the company is methodically working on partnerships with foreign airlines, and ensuring that the quality of the product is up to standards.

That would be necessary for a truly global launch, with international points of sale.

“It’s a long game,” said Wertheimer, who made his comments at the PhoCusWright conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.

He added: “This is a big area and we want to move carefully.”