Booking loses EU court battle over eTraveli acquisition

An EU court in Luxembourg has upheld a 2023 decision by the European Commission to block Booking Holdings from acquiring eTraveli. The judges ruled that the merger would significantly hinder competition within the market.

The European Commission previously expressed concerns that the acquisition could lead to higher costs for hotels and consumers. As the dominant hotel portal in the European Economic Area, Booking's acquisition of eTraveli, a major European flight portal, could create an unfair advantage by driving more users to the Booking platform through integrated flight and hotel bookings.

While Booking argued that the merger would increase efficiency, the court agreed with the Commission that these benefits would not offset the negative competitive impacts. Booking has expressed disagreement with the ruling, stating it is legally incorrect, and is currently considering an appeal to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).