Buchungsportal: Booking verliert vor Gericht im Streit um eTraveli-Übernahme

Booking, the dominant hotel portal in the European Economic Area, will be barred from acquiring rival eTraveli, a leading European flight booking platform, following a ruling from the EU court in Luxembourg. The court confirmed a decision made by the EU Commission in 2023, which deemed the merger would significantly hinder competition.

The EU Commission feared higher hotel costs and potential consumer costs as reasons for blocking the merger. According to the Brussels competition watchdogs, eTraveli was one of the most important flight portals in Europe and a Booking acquisition could lead customers to book hotels through Booking after purchasing their flights.

Booking argued that the merger would increase efficiency, but the EU Commission concluded that the negative impacts would outweigh any benefits. Booking expressed discontent with the ruling, claiming it was legally incorrect. The company stated it plans to appeal the decision to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).