UK: Court strikes down OFT’s travel agency settlement, CMA to rethink case

Scotland-based metasearch company Skyscanner has won a challenge to an agreement reached between travel booking companies and the former Office of Fair Trading, and the new Competition and Markets Authority will now need to rethink the case, say reports.

Skyscanner appealed the OFT’s agreement with Expedia, Booking.com and Intercontinental Hotels Group over the way they offered hotel discounts to consumers. That deal meant consumers would now need to join a closed membership scheme to have access to some discounted hotel prices.

Skyscanner said that settlement was unfair and prevented consumers from gaining access to discounts.

The Competition Appeal Tribunal ruled in favor of Skyscanner and ordered the CMA to take on the case again. Reports say the CMA could launch a full investigation.

The case was first launched by smaller travel booking rival Skoosh when it sent a formal complaint to the OFT, accusing its rivals of unfairly making exclusive agreements with hotels to offer discounts.

Full content: Daily Mail

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