Expedia settles false advertising class actions
Travel booking giant Expedia and its affiliates will take steps to ensure non-partnering hotels are no longer falsely advertised as “sold out” on its platforms under the terms of a class action settlement approved Friday. A U.S. district judge approved the deal nearly five years after two California hotels sued the online booking company in August 2016. Buckeye Tree Lodge and Sequoia Village Inn claim Expedia used deceptive online ads to target consumers who searched for hotels that could not be booked through Expedia. In February, both sides proposed a settlement in which Expedia will commit to a series of measures to ensure nonparticipating hotels are no longer listed on its platforms.