Google QPX Express API
Pay Tribute
Biography
A pay-per-query public API provided by Google (via its acquisition of ITA Software) that allowed third-party developers, travel platforms, and startups to programmatically query airfare pricing, routing, and flight search data.
Cause of Death
The primary driver was the expiration of a 5-year U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) antitrust mandate. When Google acquired ITA Software in 2011, DOJ approval required Google to license ITA's airfare search engine to third-party competitors for five years. After that requirement expired, Google faced low financial returns on maintaining the low-cost public API and shifted its strategy toward powering its own proprietary consumer product, Google Flights, while restricting external API access.
Life Statistics
"Every digital product carries the dreams of its creators. Though they may vanish, the meaning of their existence will never be forgotten."