Online Travel Update: Google Updates Upcoming | JD Supra

Our weekly Online Travel Update for the week ending Sunday, January 27, is beneath. This week’s Update offers updates on each DOT’s and FTC’s latest rulemaking efforts round “hidden” trade charges. Take pleasure in.

• Google Updates Upcoming. In an effort to adjust to mounting strain from the EU competitors authorities, Google has agreed to make modifications to the knowledge displayed by way of a number of of its platforms and shops. Particularly, Google Flights and Google Inns will quickly distinguish between companies supplied by Google versus third events, clarify that Google Inns doesn’t confirm or affirm visitor evaluations and adjust to the transparency tips relevant to different on-line reserving platforms.
• Objections Raised Over Proposed DOT Ancillary Payment Guidelines. Whereas trade commerce teams have largely voiced help for elevated transparency of ancillary charges, each ASTA and the Travel Technology Association have raised objections with the Division of Transportations’ proposed regulation on the identical topic. Particularly, each teams have raised objection with the draft regulation’s exclusion of world distribution programs. The Travel Know-how Affiliation has additionally voiced issues over the requirement that ancillary charge info should be displayed on the primary web page of search outcomes, which, in keeping with the Affiliation, would make buying extraordinarily complicated for shoppers, notably for these utilizing its metasearch web site members.
• 5 Thousand Feedback and Counting: FTC’s Discover of Proposed Rulemaking Garners Consideration. As feedback to the Federal Commerce Fee’s discover of proposed rulemaking on ancillary charges (together with lodge and resort charges) proceed to roll in, the FTC has elected to increase the remark interval by way of February 8. Anybody excited by reviewing the feedback can discover a searchable catalogue right here – https://www.regulations.gov/docket/FTC-2022-0069/comments.

Have an ideal week everybody. So nice seeing so many individuals this previous week in Seattle at HEDNA.

Google services to offer more accurate information in compliance with EU
January 27, 2023 through Verge
Lots of Google’s choices will quickly be up to date to offer clear and correct info in compliance with client safety legal guidelines within the EU. Introduced by the European Fee on Thursday, the Alphabet-owned firm has agreed to introduce modifications to Google Retailer, Google Play Retailer, Google Inns, and Google Flights following …

Las Vegas hotels accused of rental price conspiracy in class action
January 26, 2023 through Reuters
(Reuters) – A number of main firms that run outstanding lodges on the well-known business strip close to Las Vegas had been hit with a client antitrust lawsuit in federal court docket on Wednesday accusing them of conspiring to maintain lodge room charges artificially excessive. The lawsuit in Nevada federal court docket alleged Caesars Leisure Inc, …

Learn more concerning the class motion grievance

Budgets and options: Could “Save Now Buy Later” take off in travel?
January 25, 2023 through WIT
Purchase now, pay later – a type of credit score that permits a client to repay a purchase order over time in smaller installments – has taken off within the journey trade in recent times. From 2019 to 2021, the variety of BNPL loans originated in the US by 5 …

Fee transparency rule leaves out GDSs, and ASTA isn’t happy about it
January 24, 2023 through Travel Weekly
ASTA and the Travel Know-how Affiliation have filed feedback with the Division of Transportation about its regulatory proposal that will require airways and third-party sellers of airline tickets, together with journey advisors, to reveal additional charges upfront. Each teams agree with the necessity for elevated transparency for shoppers when it comes …

Authorized Alert

Unfair or Misleading Charges Commerce Regulation Rule Update

The Fee agrees that permitting further time for submitting feedback in response to the ANPR would assist facilitate the creation of a extra full report. The Fee has subsequently determined to increase the remark interval for 30 days, to February 8, 2023. A 30-day extension will present commenters ample time to handle the problems raised within the ANPR.

Learn more about Unfair or Misleading Charges Commerce Regulation Rule.