This week many of the key figures around the Google acquisition of ITA Software ride into Phoenix, Arizona - some all guns blazing, others slightly muted.
Four and a half months after Google effectively turned the industry on its head by announcing it wanted to buy air search tech company ITA Software for $700 million, many will be curious to see how those both for and against the deal behave publicly, and who they are seen grabbing coffee with during the PhoCusWright conference.
This isn't just a media obsession, of course. With plenty at stake (the Department of Justice is currently scrutinising the deal), there are many across the industry that are desperate to know how their peers feel about the deal.
It is worth remembering that until just three weeks ago, those against the deal had not coalesced into an official group.
The launch of FairSearch anti-deal lobbying group on October 26, spearheaded Expedia, Kayak, Farelogix and Sabre-Travelocity, changed all that and now it has a significant platform this week to spread the word.
There are also rumours of a FairSearch cocktail party, as this cheeky tweet highlights.
So, in some respects, the conference this week will resemble the darker halls of Washington as the FairSearch campaign group swings into town.
Alongside the inevitable quiet lobbying taking place, every constituent member - Dara Khosrowshahi (CEO, Expedia), Steve Hafner (CEO, Kayak), Hugh Jones (CEO, Travelocity), Jim Davidson (CEO, Farelogix) has a keynote platform.
Interestingly this is the first time for years that a Google representative will not be appearing as a speaker or panellist. ITA Software boss Jeremy Wertheimer pulled out of a keynote a few weeks ago, an ITA official says, citing sensitivity around the DoJ review.
So without Google or ITA on hand to publicly defend themselves on stage, although this will have undoubtedly been the advise of their respective lawyers, will the pair have anyone else to stick up for them?
FairSearch will be hoping not, of course, although it is worth remembering that its own membership number is not bursting at the seams. Perhaps this week will give Hafner, Jones, Khosrowshahi and Farelogix's Jim Davidson opportunity to work their magic on others concerned about the deal.
Nevertheless, with wonderful timing, Travelocity founder and now chairman of Kayak, Terry Jones, wrote a powerful opinion piece for Silicon Valley portal MercuryNews.com this weekend.
There is now clearly a carefully coordinated public line being used, give or take a few word changes:
"By favoring its own product, Google would be able to consolidate online travel searches and raise ad prices for the travel industry. Increased advertising costs will be passed on to consumers in the same way jet fuel price increases lead to higher fares."
For those outside North America still scratching their heads as to how all this affects them, it is worth recalling that in Europe there is genuine concern, especially within the GDSs and European Commission, as to what Google will do with ITA's technology (presuming the DoJ gives the deal the thumbs-up).
In fact, at a recent (unfortunately) private event, a straw poll of around 25 top execs across metasearch engines and online travel agencies in Europe, indicated Google's entry into the travel sector as one of their top concerns.
In short: it matters everywhere.
This week, Google will be the largest elephant the conference room has ever seen. But, equally, there will be some carefully managed and high-end realpolitik also coming to the desert...