Excerpt from USATODAY

Amid the never-ending parade of negative publicity surrounding big tech companies, it can be difficult these days to remember that not everything involving the Internet is terrible. But bright spots do remain. A task as simple as booking a hotel, for example, was incredibly difficult and time-consuming in the pre-digital world. Silicon Valley may have its faults, but consumers clearly benefit from the ability to compare travel options online.

Unfortunately, what is good for consumers is not always welcome among established incumbents. Together, the hotel industry’s “Big 6” — Hilton, Marriott, Choice, IHG, Wyndham, and Hyatt —  have gobbled up a majority of U.S. hotel rooms. Two pending antitrust lawsuits paint a compelling story of an agreement among these industry giants to stifle competition, raise prices, and prevent comparison shopping by consumers.

Late last month, a federal court in Illinois bolstered these claims by allowing one of the lawsuits to move forward, and this week, oral arguments are set in a second suit, brought by online travel agency TravelPass Group. Both portray a hidden conspiracy that may have had a harmful — and ongoing — impact on travelers.

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