Budget Center, a mash-up of budget-oriented travel domains. launched an interim website, BudgetAirlines.com, featuring Kayak metasearch. And, oh yes, the website has Google AdSense, too.
Robert Chalmers, president and CEO of Budget Center, says BudgetAirlines will carve out a niche by offering budget carriers only, and that way it doesn't have to "go head-to-head with the giants of the industry," namely Travelocity, Expedia and Orbitz.
"After all, the spirit of thrift is not simply a fad or trend," Chalmers says. "I would say that it is here to stay."
So, while Budget Center constructs the "look and feel" of the next incarnation of BudgetAirlines.com behind closed doors, it launched the interim website with Kayak powering the air search. Of course, it features hub-and-spoke and low cost carriers, too.
Once the website gets launched in its own image, Budget Center will be out soliciting its own ads, and won't be reliant on Google ads, Chalmers says.
One reason for launching BudgetAirlines on an interim basis is that it may drive traffic to BudgetHotels.com, which uses HotelsCombined to source inventory, and is good for SEO purposes, too.
Chalmers earlier talked of offering Southwest Airlines on BudgetAirlines, but now concedes "we will have most discount airlines. Southwest is tougher."
He does point to a Southwest ad from Google that's on the site.
But, more than a few other websites have these ads, too.