Articles tagged “competition”

Trivago's expectation that it could benefit from the EU chomping down on Google Travel during 2022 is very much an open question. Beyond the fines levied and outside of travel, Google has managed to maneuver its way around regulatory crackdowns to a large degree.

There is a long lobbyist-filled journey ahead for this House committee-backed bill to cut Google Travel down to size. But it's an important step that was almost unthinkable a few years ago.

Global Blue helps international travelers handle refund claims for value-added tax (VAT) on purchases in the European Union. It now faces allegations that it doesn't play fair. We hope the regulators' review takes less time than it does to stand in line for a VAT refund at an airport.

We read the 100-page rulings on the proposed merger of Sabre and Farelogix so you don't have to. Airlines want to take over a lot of the tech work from Sabre and its rivals and pay travel agencies directly for bookings. American Airlines says the new model has already saved it millions. But the rulings found few tech vendors up to the task.

Sabre's arguments that UK regulators would merely fall in line if a U.S. court backed Sabre's merger with Farelogix were naive. The UK ruling was essentially correct about the proposed deal stifling innovation, and somewhere airlines are quietly celebrating the ruling.

It’s uncertain what the future holds for the travel industry. But there are some actions that companies can put into place now to prepare for the months and years ahead in a post-COVID-19 world.

Google is bending somewhat to intense regulatory pressure in Europe. But its answers in travel to date aren't very meaningful.

Google has argued for years that its boxed-up and featured hotel, flight, and restaurant results are highlighted because they provide users with the "best answers." But in Europe, regulators may have pushed Google to acquiesce, offering its competitors some air time in its featured results by testing direct links.

Online travel companies have faced intense regulatory scrutiny almost since the first days of internet bookings. But "you've got mail" these days is less likely to be a cheery email notification than a demand for court appearances and audits.

While European Union competition authorities might be happy with the results of their crackdowns, it doesn't look like much has changed. The market still makes it difficult for both smaller online travel agencies and the hotels themselves to compete.