A growing practice of online travel portals offering cashback rewards after bookings is sparking conflict within the travel industry, culminating in legal action by MSC Cruises. The dispute centers on concerns that these rebates undermine established pricing structures and erode the authority of travel providers to set their own rates.
The practice, highlighted in a report by FAZ+, involves portals offering customers several hundred euros back after completing a booking. This has triggered alarm among travel agencies, who fear they cannot compete with such incentives, and among cruise lines like MSC, who view the cashback as a circumvention of their pricing control.
MSC Cruises is currently pursuing legal remedies to address the issue, though details of the case remain undisclosed. The company views the cashback offers as a challenge to its pricing strategy and a potential devaluation of its brand. According to information available from Kreuzfahrerei.de, MSC Cruises offers cashback bonuses on Kanarenkreuzfahrten (Canary Island cruises) departing from and returning to Tenerife.
Several online platforms are actively promoting these cashback deals. Travel-Dealz.de currently advertises a 5% cashback offer on all MSC Cruises bookings, in addition to potential discounts through corporate benefits programs. Kreuzfahrtlounge.de also promotes MSC deals with included flights and cashback incentives. The cashback is often contingent on using a specific booking platform and can be affected by changes to the travel package, as noted by Travel-Dealz.de.
The offers are not limited to MSC Cruises. Kreuzfahrten-reisebuero.de lists a variety of Santa Cruz de Tenerife cruises, including options with Mein Schiff Relax, with prices ranging from €679 to €2,099 per person, depending on cabin type and travel date. Some of these cruises also offer cashback incentives, though the specific amount varies.
The timing of these developments coincides with the planned expansion of the MSC Cruises fleet, with the MSC World Asia scheduled to enter service in 2026, as reported by Travel-Dealz.de. This expansion, coupled with the increasing popularity of cruises to destinations like the Canary Islands and Madeira, has intensified competition within the cruise industry.
While the legal challenge brought by MSC Cruises progresses, the practice of offering cashback on travel bookings continues, leaving the future of pricing dynamics in the travel sector uncertain. MSC Cruises has not yet commented on the specific legal arguments being presented or the anticipated outcome of the case.
