Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary doesn’t think US trial in case against Booking.com will start as planned

Ryanair group CE Michael O’Leary doesn’t believe that the trial of a case it has taken against internet giant Booking.com will go ahead next month as planned in the United States. Ryanair sued Booking Holdings and subsidiaries including Booking.com in 2020 over alleged screen-scraping of its fares by the firms. “I don’t think they’ll go into court,” said O’Leary. “I don’t think they can afford to go into court.” Screen-scraping involves a third party accessing an airline’s website and often offering that airline’s fares to its own customers via its own website. Booking Holdings generated revenue of $21.4bn last year and posted net income of $4.2bn. The trial is due to start on July 15 in Delaware and is pencilled in to last a week. O’Leary also doesn’t think the case will be settled in advance of the trial. “I think they’ll keep postponing it for as long as is humanly possibly,” he told the Irish Independent. “With the evidence we have presented to the court of these guys scamming customers, overcharging consumers – I think it’s indefensible,” said the airline boss. “We think that’s why their senior management haven’t deposed,” he added.<br/>