Skift Take
The American Hotel & Lodging Association has no love lost for Expedia, other online travel agencies and their affiliates, and will likely welcome the squabbling and any additional exposure the affiliate issue gets from this lawsuit. Expedia has to move fast to protect its reputation among partners.
An Expedia affiliate partner, Reservation Counter, has filed a lawsuit against Expedia Inc. alleging that the company stole Reservation Counter's confidential search engine marketing data and provided it to a direct competitor, leading to the near-demise of Reservation Counter's business.
The lawsuit also alleges that Expedia covered up the breach rather than informing the plaintiff of the alleged transgression.
The lawsuit, filed Friday in a federal court in Utah by TravelPass Group on behalf of its Reservation Counter subsidiary, alleges that the data theft caused $61 million in damages to Reservation Counter. The company, part of Utah-based PartnerFusion, is asking the court to award it treble damages.
The Expedia Affiliate Network has partners ranging from airlines and travel agencies to non-travel corporations and other booking sites. Expedia agrees to provide them with hotel inventory and commissions in exchange for booking revenue. Partners incl
