Hamburg court fines eDreams over misleading advertising and pricing

Germany

German judges confirm multiple violations on Opodo.de, citing deceptive discount claims and lack of price transparency

A court in Hamburg has imposed a fine on eDreams for breaching several court orders issued in January 2023, ruling that the company engaged in misleading advertising and pricing practices. The decision follows a series of findings by courts and regulators that criticised the presentation of prices on eDreams-controlled platforms.

Violations confirmed on Opodo.de

In its ruling, the Hamburg court identified multiple infringements on the eDreams-operated website Opodo.de. These included the promotion of discounts that consumers could not actually obtain and the failure to display the airline’s genuine seat reservation prices. According to the court, eDreams unlawfully advertised savings while concealing the real costs charged by airlines.

The court further noted that eDreams continues to breach existing orders, despite previous rulings, leading to mounting fines and highlighting what the judges described as a disregard for judicial decisions.

Broader regulatory pressure in Europe

The Hamburg ruling adds to a growing body of German court decisions finding that eDreams persists in misleading practices. By contrast, other online travel agencies such as Booking.com, Lastminute and Kiwi have already aligned with Ryanair’s price transparency standards.

The decision also comes against the backdrop of regulatory action in Italy, where authorities recently imposed a €9 million fine on eDreams for practices described as “clearly deceptive”, “unquestionably manipulative” and misleading.

Call for direct and transparent booking

Ryanair reiterated its recommendation that consumers seeking transparent airfares and ancillary services book directly via Ryanair.com or through approved online travel agency partners, where full and accurate pricing is displayed.

Dara Brady of Ryanair commented on the ruling:

“This latest eDreams fine from the Hamburg Courts again highlights eDreams’ continuing disregard for consumers and the Courts of Europe. eDreams’ continued breach is a blatant disregard of the court’s ruling, particularly where eDreams could easily comply with the law and desist from ‘misleading’, ‘clearly deceptive’ and ‘unquestionably manipulative’ overcharging of consumers by adopting the same Ryanair transparency standards as all their main OTA competitors do.”