Does Google Hijack Travelers in Gmail?

If you are a Gmail user and you book a United Airlines flight, an Avis car rental, or an Expedia vacation package, Google adds a module to your confirmation emails with a link to your itinerary in Google Travel.

In some ways, it's a cool feature for travelers: You click on a link in the module labeled "View in Travel," and you navigate from Gmail to Google Travel, where you can easily view all of your JetBlue flight information, as well as perhaps a Marriott hotel or Hertz car rental reservation, and past and other future itineraries. Google Travel is the section of Google.com where it offers flights, hotels, vacation rentals and things to do.

Many consumers undoubtably like the convenience of this Gmail to Google.com itinerary feature.

There's no great public outcry among travel companies against it, but there are several transparency and related issues regarding this product from Google, which owns Gmail.

The module is tacked onto the supplier confirmation email in Gmail. Even though it appears higher than the supplier sender and timestamp information in the email, it is arguabl