A Seattle Courtroom Is About to Ask Whether Expedia Quietly Props Up Hotel Prices

A new class action, Andrews v. Expedia Group, was filed on October 2 in federal court in Seattle, and it targets how much US travelers pay for hotel rooms. The 53-page complaint covers customers who booked US hotels listed on Expedia, either directly or through competing agencies, starting October 2, 2022. It alleges that Expedia dominates the market, enters price-fixing agreements and inflates prices across booking channels.

The suit’s headline figure is that Expedia handles 78% of US hotel booking dollars through online travel agencies. The complaint also says hotels in the Expedia VIP Access program must charge customers 10% to 25% more elsewhere. Social media posts have claimed prices are inflated by 15% to 30%, a figure View from the Wing says is not accurate, and the same article finds no such requirement in the cited partner page.

Skeptics argue the case understates competition. Hotels undercut online agencies through member rates, AAA discounts and points or status perks, and hotel websites and bank travel portals compete for the same bookings. Hotel commissions have fallen from about 25% in 2010, and Expedia’s 2025 net margin was 8.8%. The reviewer is skeptical of the case but notes a Seattle judge let a similar Expedia antitrust case proceed in 2024.

For travelers, nothing changes today. The takeaway from the dispute is a practical one: the same room is often cheaper through hotel loyalty rates, direct booking or a points redemption than through an agency listing, so comparing channels before paying is sensible. Expedia’s response was not included in the coverage reviewed, and the case still has to survive any motion to dismiss before a court weighs the claims.

Sources: View from the Wing, Honolulu Star-Advertiser