VILNIUS, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- Approximately 30 Lithuanian hotels have joined a growing class action lawsuit against the international online booking platform Booking.com, as more than 10,000 hotels across Europe seek compensation for financial losses allegedly caused by the platform's controversial "best price" clause, Lithuanian business news portal vz.lt reported on Wednesday.
Egle Lizaityte, executive director of the Association of Lithuanian Restaurants and Hotels, confirmed that the Lithuanian participants joined the legal initiative at the end of July. She noted that the deadline for hotels to become part of the lawsuit has been extended to Aug.29.
The class action is being coordinated under the auspices of the European Association of Hotels, Restaurants, and Cafes (HOTREC). According to HOTREC, Booking.com's longstanding price parity clause, which has been in effect for the past two decades, has restricted hotels from offering lower prices on their own websites. This has not only inflated commissions payable to the platform but also reduced competition in the online travel agency (OTA) market.
The legal claims are supported by a landmark ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued in September 2024. The CJEU found that such parity clauses violate EU competition law, lending significant legal weight to the case against Booking.com.
Lizaityte stated that the class action lawsuit will be filed in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where Booking.com is headquartered. ■
