Good Sunday afternoon from Seattle and for those of you celebrating in the United States, a belated Happy Fourth of July . . . A shortened holiday version of our weekly Online Travel Update for the week ending Friday, July 4, 2024, is below. Not surprisingly, this past week was a relatively quiet week in the online travel world. Enjoy.
- DMA Under Attack. Anyone hoping to see meaningful change to the largest online platforms as a result of the EU’s Digital Markets Act may soon be disappointed. Ongoing trade negotiations between the U.S. and the EU have reportedly included discussions to allow U.S. companies to influence implementation of the DMA’s requirements. Not surprisingly, small online platforms competing against the DMA’s so-called, gatekeepers, are not happy by the rumored discussions. It is unclear how discussions might affect Booking.com – the European travel platform with a U.S. parent.
- Additional Details on Planned Class Action Against Booking.com. Consumer groups, the Stichting Consumer Competition Claims Foundation and Consumentenbond, are leading the effort and have formally commenced the action by requesting that Booking.com seek a negotiated solution. The groups claim that Booking.com’s parity provisions (which have been previously determined to be anti-competitive in the EU courts) prevent hoteliers from offering lower rates through Booking.com’s competitors (and ultimately driving hotel prices higher). Further details about the claim and the consumer groups’ pitch to get EU residents to join the potential class action are available here.
Have a great week everyone.
Kayak and Expedia Race to Build AI Travel Agents that Turn Social Posts into Itineraries
July 1, 2025 via Venturebeat
Planning a trip may soon be more agentic as companies like Kayak and Expedia reimagine the travel agent as an AI agent.
Europe Travel Companies Slam Deal to Soften Big Tech Rules
June 30, 2025 via Skift
There has already been a backlash against the DMA in Europe. It's really hard to see how giving the gatekeepers more of a voice in how they are regulated would be feasible without gutting the DMA's intent. GetYourGuide CEO Johannes Reck blasted the prospect that the U.S. and the European ...
Sony and Booking.com Targeted With Collective Actions in the Netherlands
June 29, 2025 via Law.com
Sony, maker of the PlayStation family of game consoles, has been hit with a collective action in the Netherlands, while online travel platform Booking.com has received a demand letter from another local claims vehicle—the first, legally required procedural step to launch a collective action in the Netherlands.
