Opodo cancelled our “confirmed” flight home from Japan | Consumer Affairs

My partner and I paid £767 for holiday flights to Japan through Opodo. When we went to check in for our return flight, we were informed that Opodo had cancelled our reservation weeks earlier, despite sending us an email two days earlier reminding us of our ‘confirmed’ booking, and the flight details were still showing on the app.

Opodo confirmed via their webchat that our booking had indeed been cancelled. The agent refused to book us an alternative flight home and we were left stranded at Osaka airport, having to buy new tickets for £1,100.

Opodo has now admitted the error and refunded us the original tickets, but refuses to cover the additional costs. Since the company is not registered with any compensation scheme, our only option is to take legal action against them..
JC, Nottingham

Their ordeal is a warning: consumer protection is lower when booking flights through third-party platforms, and you should read my previous articles on Opodo before booking there.

Third-party fares may seem like bargains, but crucially, they break the connection between you and the airline, leaving you in the dark if something goes wrong. And as you’ve discovered, Opodo doesn’t seem to spend much on customer service.

Your webchat is driving me mad. You should have found another flight home on the Opodo website, but the company refused to book you that flight at your own expense because the seats were “a different class”.

When you were stranded at the airport with your luggage, the company blithely told you that it would take 72 hours to get a refund if you had bought the tickets through their website. On top of that, you incurred over £100 in costs while you waited for a new flight the next day.

Only after I got on Opodo’s nerves did it “clearly apologise” and blame a “rare human error” for my return flight being cancelled. However, that didn’t stop it appearing as confirmed on the e-ticket and subsequent notifications. A month after the incident, I was told my case was being escalated to ensure “corrective action”. It turned out to be a £1,100 ticket refund, in addition to the original booking refund that had already been processed.

Opodo’s complaints procedure tells you everything you need to know. While other companies publish contact details and information on how to forward complaints, it’s only at the very end of the terms and conditions that dissatisfied customers are instructed to send a letter to an address in Madrid. It also states that any legal action will be heard in a court in Barcelona.

Send an email to [email protected]. Include an address and telephone number. Submission and publication are subject to our terms and conditions