U.S. Representative Vicente Gonzalez (D) sent a letter to the CEOs of Expedia, Booking.com, Airbnb, Priceline, and Tripadvisor demanding answers over what he described as widespread consumer abuse and deceptive practices involving Online Travel Agents (OTAs).
Rep. Gonzalez, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, said constituents have reported serious issues with hotel reservations, hidden fees, refunds, and inaccurate booking information on online travel platforms.
"My constituents have described arriving at hotels after long journeys, often across time zones, only to be told their reservation is not in the system," wrote Gonzalez. "Your platforms routinely fail to transmit guest details to hotels in a timely fashion, creating overbooking and travel delay scenarios that leave guests without rooms they paid for and their travels over budget."
The congressman also accused OTAs of obscuring fees and limiting consumer protections through prepaid, non-refundable booking policies. In the letter, Gonzalez referenced a 2025 settlement in which Booking Holdings, the parent company of Booking.com, paid $9.5 million to the State of Texas over allegations involving hidden consumer fees.
Gonzalez said South Texas families facing rising costs deserve greater transparency and stronger consumer protections, particularly ahead of increased summer travel demand and the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
The congressman requested detailed proposals from the companies addressing automatic refunds and rebooking procedures, real-time customer support, compliance with the Federal Trade Commission fee disclosure rules, accurate room inventory verification, improved booking transmission systems, and responsible artificial intelligence standards.
He also warned that failure to respond could result in legislative action or congressional hearings focused on fee transparency, refund policies, inventory standards, and deceptive business practices.
"If CEOs fail to promptly respond," Gonzales wrote, he is "prepared to introduce legislation and pursue other means" to address consumer concerns."
Gonzalez's letter signals growing scrutiny from lawmakers over online travel booking practices, as concerns about hidden fees, refund disputes, and reservation failures continue to affect travelers nationwide.
