Booking opposes EU antitrust veto support

Booking Holdings has taken its fight against an imminent EU antitrust veto of its proposed purchase of Swedish peer ETraveli Group

The European Commission will announce its decision this week, underlining its concerns that the deal could expand Booking's ecosystem of travel services which include flights, accommodation, car rentals and attractions.

Key takeaways

• Booking claims "the draft decision applies the wrong legal framework and is unlawful," saying the charge sheet it received in June did not include a prove that the deal was likely to limit its rivals' access to the OTA segment;
• It also questioned an EU veto of the deal when the regulator itself estimated the acquisition would only boost Booking's share in the OTA hotel market by 1-3%;
• The company also slammed the Commission for rejecting its proposal to show multiple hotel options to customers who book flights on its site in a bid to address its concerns.

Get the full story at Reuters