Tripadvisor Accused in Antitrust Suit of ‘Landing Page’ Scheme

Tripadvisor was hit with antitrust claims in a Las Vegas federal court Wednesday over its alleged scheme to redirect web traffic in New York, San Francisco, and Napa Valley to “landing pages” through which it “systematically dominates” the regional tourism markets.

The lawsuit accuses Tripadvisor of using its affiliate Viator Inc. as a “strawman” to maximize the visibility of its landing pages through search engine “keyword auctions.” It was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada by San Francisco Comprehensive Tours LLC.

The practice, called “double-serving,” is considered a bad faith “black hat” tactic, according to ...