Key facts
- Expedia is accused of inflating hotel prices by up to 30 percent.
- The lawsuit alleges Expedia violates federal antitrust laws.
- Expedia allegedly prohibits hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites.
- Hotels offering lower prices on rival sites are allegedly demoted in Expedia's search results.
Expedia Group Inc. is facing an antitrust class action lawsuit alleging that the online travel giant has forced millions of consumers to overpay for hotel stays by as much as 30 percent. The suit, filed on October 2, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, claims Expedia violated Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act. Plaintiffs allege that Expedia uses its market dominance, facilitating nearly 80 percent of U.S. online travel agency hotel bookings by value, to keep room rates artificially high. The complaint asserts that Expedia prohibits hotels from offering lower rates on their own websites and demotes hotels that offer lower prices on rival sites.