I was scheduled to fly from Athens to London Gatwick last year, but when I arrived at the airport there was no sign of the flight. It turned out the airline had gone into liquidation a month earlier, yet the booking agent, Opodo, did not inform me until 48 hours before my flight in a message I missed as I was travelling. I had to purchase a new ticket on the day which cost €500. Opodo has since ignored all my requests for a refund and compensation which I believe I’m due under EU regulations. HK, Beckenham, Greater London
Sadly it’s no surprise that Opodo failed to pass on the information for its communication skills are notoriously deficient (as regular readers of this column will know). It won’t talk to me either. Although you booked through Opodo, it is merely an agent for the airline and since the latter has gone out of business you’re unlikely to see any money from that quarter. You are not protected by EU regulations governing flight cancellations if the airline no longer exists. Had you booked a package ie, flights plus accommodation and/or car hire, you would have been protected by the government-run Atol scheme. Nor is Opodo a member of Abta which offers its own protections. Your only hope is to try to claim off your credit card issuer under the Consumer Credit Act.
We welcome letters but cannot answer individually. Email us at consumer.champions@theguardian.com or write to Consumer Champions, Money, the Guardian, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Please include a daytime phone number
