Ryanair and Booking.com Settle Legal Dispute with New Partnership Deal
Budget airline Ryanair and online travel giant Booking.com have put their courtroom battle behind them, announcing a comprehensive partnership agreement that promises greater transparency and convenience for travellers. The deal resolves US litigation that saw Ryanair accuse Booking Holdings – the parent company of Booking.com, KAYAK, Priceline, and Agoda – of illegally accessing its website […]
THOUSANDS of hotels across Europe are fighting back against online travel platform Booking.com.
Ten thousand hotels have joined forces in what could be one of the biggest and most significant class action lawsuits against a comparison site. The action is backed by the Association of Hotels, Restaurants and Cafes in Europe (HOTREC), who claim their members are taking action to combat “inflated commission rates, suppressed direct bookings and […]
Should UK Travellers Call Hotels Directly? Australia’s Advice Takes on New Relevance Amid Booking.com Legal Battle
As Australian tourism authorities recommend travellers call hotels directly for better rates, their advice has gained unexpected relevance in the UK, where the hospitality industry is embroiled in a massive legal battle that could fundamentally change how online booking platforms operate. Australia’s Direct Booking Push Australian consumer advocates have been urging travellers for several years to […]
Dutch Class Action Targets Booking.com’s ‘Unfair’ Hotel Pricing Practices
Dutch consumer groups have launched a major collective legal action against Booking.com, claiming that millions of Dutch travellers have been overcharged for more than a decade due to the platform’s anti-competitive prices. The Dutch Consumers’ Association, working with the Consumers Competition Claims Foundation (CCC), argue that consumers are owed compensation as Booking.com has allegedly prevented […]
Booking.com Files Appeal Against €486m CNMC Fine
Just weeks after the European Court of Justice confirmed that wide parity clauses may breach EU competition law — and three months after Spain’s CNMC issued a €486 million fine — Booking.com has filed its formal appeal in the Spanish courts. The appeal marks the next stage in what is quickly becoming one of the […]
ECJ Ruling Confirms Platform Parity Clauses May Breach EU Competition Law
Following the €486 million fine imposed on Booking.com by Spain’s CNMC in July 2024, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has now delivered a complementary blow to the online travel giant’s practices. In September 2024, the ECJ issued a landmark ruling that could have profound implications for hotel distribution across the EU. The case, brought […]
Spain’s CNMC Fines Booking.com €486m for Anti-Competitive Practice
In a landmark ruling that has drawn international attention, Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) fined Booking.com €486 million in July 2024 for breaching competition laws. The CNMC concluded that Booking.com had abused its dominant market position by imposing a series of anti-competitive clauses and commercial practices that harmed Spanish hotels and distorted […]