It has been fascinating to watch some of the leading online travel companies -- including Kayak, Bing Travel and Travelocity -- rise up against Google as it attempts to buy ITA Software. The battle took to the airwaves this week as Google's Adam Kovacevich and Expedia's Tom Barnett each laid out their case in this informative interview on CNN.

Asked whether Google is getting too big, Expedia general counsel Barnett laid out the fear that many tech companies have of the dominant search company.

"One thing to remember here is that most Internet searches today start on Google. Google has the ability to steer folks through various mechanisms to where they want to go," said Barnett. "That's why companies like Expedia, even though we may not use ITA, still are vulnerable to Google and manipulations that they may engage in."

Google's Kovacevich, however, said that the company is just now entering the space and fears that it will come to dominant the highly competitive online travel business are overblown.

"We are big believers that this is actually going to create more competition, and more competition usually brings down prices for consumers," said Kovacevich. "And I also think it is important to emphasize that we are not going to be in the business of setting airfares, that's up to the airlines. And we are going to be sending people directly to sites like Expedia and AmericanAirlines.com where they can buy those tickets."

Previously on TechFlash: "Google: We need to be able to compete for the best startups."