- EU General Court upholds ban on Booking acquisition of Etraveli
- Court confirms Commission’s 2023 veto of €1.63bn deal
- Booking holds over 60pc market share in European hotel booking
- Court validates reverse leveraging theory of harm
- Booking considering appeal to European Court of Justice
The EU General Court has confirmed the European Commission’s decision to block Booking’s planned purchase of Etraveli Group. Judges ruled the deal would have strengthened Booking’s dominant position in the European hotel booking market and reduced competition. Booking disagrees with the ruling and is considering an appeal. On 9 September 2026, the EU General Court officially upheld the European Commission’s 2023 veto of Booking Holdings’ proposed €1.63bn ($1.9bn) acquisition of Etraveli Group.
The General Court dismissed Booking’s action for annulment in its entirety, confirming the Commission’s original prohibition. Judges validated the Commission’s use of reverse leveraging. Since flights are often the initial step in trip planning, buying Etraveli, a leader in flight bookings, would allow Booking to channel those flight users directly into its own accommodation platform. The court ruled this would further cement Booking’s already dominant position in the European online hotel booking market where it holds over a 60pc market share, making it difficult for rival online travel agencies to compete.
The court dismissed Booking’s claims that regulators departed from non-horizontal merger guidelines, noting that EU rules do not prevent the Commission from examining novel digital ecosystem threats. The decision directly impacts the immediate expansion plans and market reach of the core entities involved. Booking Holdings noted they are incredibly disappointed and are reviewing a potential final appeal to the European Court of Justice. Any future appeal must be lodged within two months and ten days of the notification and will be strictly limited to points of law.
