Big news for the group lobbying against the proposed Google acquisition of ITA Software with news that Microsoft has finally joined the campaign.
FairSearch today announced a string of new organisations deciding to join the six-week old coalition including UK-based metasearch site Foundem, online travel agency Zuji in Singapore and fellow OTA in Paris, LevelFrance.com.
But it is the addition of Microsoft which will capture the most attention, primarily - as many suspected - because the ongoing battle now turns into a very public one between two powerhouses of technology, Google vs Microsoft.
Zuji is part of the Travelocity empire, an existing member of the coalition.
Microsoft says:
"As an ITA Software customer, Microsoft’s ability to continue providing innovative ways for consumers to find the best flights at the lowest prices online rests on a competitive market for travel technology.
"Microsoft is joining FairSearch.org to help raise awareness of how the proposed Google-ITA merger could hurt travelers by slowing innovation and contributing to higher travel costs."
In addition to the new members of the group, FairSearch is also celebrating after receiving a hearty endorsement from global distribution system provider Amadeus.
CEO and president David Jones says in a statement:
"Amadeus supports the core principles of FairSearch.org to promote transparency and choice for consumers whilst fostering innovation in online search. While we are still considering our involvement in any coalition effort, we share the concern that the proposed merger of Google and ITA Software could affect travelers around the world.
"The outcome of this debate is extremely important to both the future of the online travel industry and the internet as a whole, and we urge regulators to carefully scrutinize the deal to ensure consumers are protected from potential harm."
There has been plenty of speculation that Microsoft was working behind the scenes in some capacity, but today's announcement puts the company officially and squarely in the picture.
Google has perhaps been expecting such a move, and was quick to respond to the addition of Microsoft today:
"I'm not sure there are any surprises here. Microsoft is our largest competitor and lobbies regulators against every acquisition we make; Foundem hasn't liked where they rank in Google results and has been asking government authorities for years to regulate our results; and Zuji is a subsidiary of Sabre, which helped create FairSearch.
"It's disappointing but not surprising that established players are defending the status quo, while we plan to provide consumers with better flight search tools and more choices and drive more traffic to travel websites."
Foundem is currently embroiled in a separate row with Google in Europe. The site helped trigger a review by the European Union two weeks ago into the search giant's activities around organic search listings.
FairSearch says the addition of Foundem, Zuji and LevelFrance signals "international concern" around the impact of the acquisition of ITA by Google.
LevelFrance president Frederic Vanhoutte says it welcomes competition it the marketplace but "allowing one dominant company to concentrate all the power in online flight search in its hand will reduce transparency and stall innovation, and that will lead to higher airfares for consumers".