Google is making changes to its search results to comply with European Union regulations, specifically the Digital Markets Act (DMA). This legislation aims to prevent Google from favoring its own services over those of competitors, which could lead to significant fines.
Recently, the airline lobby group Airlines for Europe expressed support for these proposed changes. Their members include major airlines like Air France KLM and Lufthansa. The group appreciates the new horizontal layout that allows equal visibility for both airlines and price-comparison sites in search results. They also suggested that the displayed prices should match those shown in the search results and raised concerns about Google’s plan to use only indicative dates for flight bookings instead of specific dates, which they believe could hinder the user experience.

Google’s adjustments come after various stakeholders, including airlines, hotels, and price-comparison websites, voiced their concerns about previous search result formats. To address these issues, Google has introduced a series of updates aimed at creating a fairer playing field for all businesses involved.
The updated search formats will feature equally sized boxes for different services and will use a distinct blue color to differentiate them from other elements. However, Google has indicated that if an agreement cannot be reached with these stakeholders, it may revert to its previous format of ten blue links in search results.
The changes are part of Google’s ongoing efforts to meet the requirements set forth by the DMA while balancing the interests of different market players. The company is committed to ensuring that its practices align with regulatory expectations while still providing valuable information to users searching for travel options.