Google's travel program has been closely watched for the better part of a decade. It helped vault "open booking" into industry vernacular. Capturing data when travelers book what and how they want — within some price guidelines — may be an attractive idea for some program managers at other organizations. But all these years later, very few big companies have followed. There are challenges, data collection chief among them. Google global travel manager Darragh Ormsby last month acknowledged that incomplete data is a weakness . . .

David Jonas in 2006 co-founded business media firm ProMedia.travel after ten years as a journalist with Business Travel News. David rejoined BTN in 2010 as executive editor when its parent company acquired ProMedia, and in 2014 co-created The Company Dime. David has a bachelor's degree in communications from Cornell University.