Booking.com and Expedia commit to aligning practices with EU consumer law

 

The European Commission announced on 17 December that Booking.com and the Expedia Group have committed to improving the presentation of their accommodation offers, aligning it with EU consumer law.

The changes followed close dialogue with the European Commission and EU consumer authorities and concern information on promotional offers and discounts as well as influencing techniques.

Booking.com and the Expedia Group are now displaying more accurately:

• which offers are promoted;
• how payments received by accommodation providers have influenced rankings;
• how many people would like to book the same hotel for the same dates and how many rooms are left on the website;
• the total price the consumer will pay for the accommodation including mandatory fees and charges;
• price comparisons to ensure only genuine discounts are advertised as such;
• whether the host is a professional or a private person.

When engaging with the companies, the Commission stressed the need to ensure precise and easy.

access to cancellation practices as part of the response to travel disruption related to the COVID-19 pandemic. National consumer authorities will now take further steps to hold the whole industry accountable to the same standards. Enforcers will liaise with European trade associations, online travel agents and hotel accommodation providers expecting them to adhere to the same principles and commitments as Airbnb, Booking.com and the Expedia Group.