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Evaluation of best price clauses in hotel booking

Author

Listed:
  • Hunold, Matthias
  • Kesler, Reinhold
  • Laitenberger, Ulrich
  • Schlütter, Frank

Abstract

We analyze the best price clauses (BPCs) of online travel agents (OTAs) using meta-search price data of more than 45,000 hotels in different countries. Although OTAs apparently have not changed their standard commission rates following the partial ban of BPCs in Europe, we find that BPCs do influence the pricing and availability of hotel rooms across online sales channels. In particular, the abolition of Booking.com's narrow BPC is associated with the hotels' direct channel being the price leader more often. Moreover, hotels make rooms more often available at Booking.com when it does not use the narrow BPC.

Suggested Citation

  • Hunold, Matthias & Kesler, Reinhold & Laitenberger, Ulrich & Schlütter, Frank, 2017. "Evaluation of best price clauses in hotel booking," ZEW Discussion Papers 16-066, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, revised 2017.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:zewdip:16066
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    File URL: https://www.econstor.eu/bitstream/10419/173094/1/1011068435.pdf
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Andrea Mantovani & Claudio Piga & Carlo Reggiani, 2017. "The dynamics of online hotel prices and the EU Booking.com case," Working Papers 17-04, NET Institute.
    2. Renato Gomes & Andrea Mantovani, 2020. "Regulating Platform Fees under Price Parity," Working Papers 20-09, NET Institute.
    3. Cazaubiel, Arthur & Cure, Morgane & Johansen, Bjørn Olav & Vergé, Thibaud, 2018. "Substitution Between Online Distribution Channels: Evidence from the Oslo Hotel Market," Working Papers in Economics 8/18, University of Bergen, Department of Economics.
    4. Wals, Francisca & Schinkel, Maarten Pieter, 2018. "Platform monopolization by narrow-PPC-BPG combination: Booking et al," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 61(C), pages 572-589.
    5. Andrea Mantovani & Claudio Piga & Carlo Reggiani, 2019. "Much ado about nothing? Online platform price parity clauses and the EU Booking.com case," Economics Discussion Paper Series 1909, Economics, The University of Manchester.
    6. Shen, Bo & Wright, Julian, 2019. "Why (don’t) firms free ride on an intermediary’s advice?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 27-54.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    best price clauses; hotel booking; MFN; OTA; vertical restraints;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • L42 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Vertical Restraints; Resale Price Maintenance; Quantity Discounts
    • L81 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Retail and Wholesale Trade; e-Commerce

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