Seen and Heard: Google working with Ryanair on price comparison website

Internet giant Google is working with Ryanair on plans for a price comparison site that will completely transform how consumers search for, select and buy airline tickets, the Sunday Independent reported.

“There are some very exciting developments with Google, where we have been working with them on sharing the pricing,” Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary said.

“We’ll be sharing the Ryanair pricing through all of the Google outlets . . . They want to launch with us and we’re working with them on that kind of product . . . It’ll blow comparison sites like Skyscanner out of the water.”

O’Leary said he expected the project to go live by the end of March.

Unlike traditional sites, he added, Google would not charge airlines for being included in searches and would instead look to sell advertising around the search.

“Because Google, being Google, want to show all of the prices from all of the airlines on display. They don’t want to charge us, they make all of their money out of advertising, they don’t want to have a limited or biased search. They want to be able to say they’ve screened all of these airlines on all of the routes . . .”

Upgrade call
International credit rating agency Moody's should upgrade Ireland from junk status, according to a US investor who holds €10 billion worth of Irish Government debt.

Michael Hasenstab of Franklin Templeton told the Sunday Business Post that there was "no question" that Moody's should upgrade Ireland and "on a fundamental basis" and that it would be the last leg in the opening up of full market access for Ireland since the bailout exit.

Moody's is due to give its opinion on Irish debt this Friday, according to the Sunday Business Post, and it follows a successful offering of 10-year bonds by Ireland.

The Sunday Independent reported that " the world's richest man, Microsoft billionaire Bill Gates, has steamed in to buy Irish bonds as the "threat of default was extinguished".

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation – a philanthropic organisation set up to disburse the Gates's wealth – owns nearly $20 million worth of Irish bonds, the paper said without naming a source.

“Those bonds have been a spectacular investment, returning close to 10 per cent over the last year,” it said.

TV3 'concerned'
TV3 is opposing the plan by UTV to launch a television channel in the Irish market, the Sunday Times reports voicing " grave concerns" to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland , it said.

TV3 “is seeking clarity from the authority on what it claims is a loophole in the legislation that may allow UTV to be licensed here while escaping the obligations placed on TV3 and RTÉ”, it said.

UTV may be able to avail of rights associated with being an Irish licensed channel in, for example, the prominence given on cable and satellite channels without being subject to quotas for Irish-produced programming, which apply to TV3.