BOOKING.COM IS ABOUT TO SUE FEDERAL ANTIMONOPOLY SERVICE

An application to contest the decision regarding Booking.com Company, made by the FAS, has recently been submitted to the Arbitration Court of the city of Moscow. The company does not agree with the opinion of the antitrust authority that the plaintiff is abusing its position in the market. The question concerns the prices that hoteliers of the service must indicate on other websites.

In December last year, Booking.com received an order on violation of antitrust laws. The document contained information on the fact of abuse of dominant market position.

According to the agency, Booking.com did not allow hotels to indicate lower prices on other websites and Internet services.

The revealed violation must be eliminated by February 15, but now the issue of its execution will be resolved by the court.

According to the Internet service, the decision of FAS is not correct. Booking.com recalled that they provided the customers with free content translation, advertising promotion, and customer support for their partners. In this connection, the company considers it fair to fix prices on hotel websites at the same level with Booking. Booking.com also believes that the company's proposed model guarantees a clear and consistent approach to price comparison for customers.

At the moment, the complaint of the Internet service has already been accepted for processing, the first court hearing will take place at the end of March.