In October I booked flights to Ontario from Dublin for March via Opodo and immediately received a confirmation email and booking reference. It would have been my late husband’s birthday, and my son and I were feeling so low my father-in-law decided to treat us to a holiday.
For the next few weeks I received emails from Opodo stating “have you booked a hotel yet for Ontario?” or “hotel deals for Ontario”, which were further proof my booking existed.
I told them in advance of my need for wheelchair assistance. I simply received a standard reply telling me that fares had risen! I immediately rang customer services and was assured that I would not have to pay the extra costs as my booking had already been confirmed.
Two months later, my father-in-law informed me that the money hadn’t been deducted from his account.
I again contacted Opodo. It took them 11 days to reply that, because the airline had not confirmed my seats, no booking existed. It told me to re-book but the prices had become astronomical.
I cannot believe Opodo never warned me there was a problem. CM, Manchester
Opodo’s clueless customer services fill my postbag, but your ordeal, given your sad circumstances, astounds me. Shortly after I alert its press office, you receive the first of several responses.
It will surprise customers to know that – in Opodo’s own words – when the automated process for issuing tickets fails, as it did in your case, this “does not prevent the confirmation email from being sent and payment for the booking being taken. This is part of the automated process”.
What should have happened is that a sentient human should have manually intervened to reinstate the failed booking, but experience suggests that Opodo is rather short of sentient human beings and all you received was an email alerting you to a fare increase.
The payment Opodo mentions was £43 for its role in handling the booking – the airline debits the actual fare. The airline never did take the money. Opodo refunded the £43 without telling you the booking had failed.
Opodo blames some of the fiasco on new members of staff and says that it will “give consideration” to refunding you the difference between the original fare and the alternative flights you have since booked. It has also given you a £100 e-voucher to tempt you to spend more money on the Opodo experience within the year. “We want all our millions of customers to have the best possible experience when booking with us and we are continuously improving our processes to help make this happen,” says a spokesman.
If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.
