Opodo Disparity

Branagorn

I've heard about this site, but never really visted until today.


I was using Skyscanner on Saturday, looking to book flights from Gatwick-Edinburgh, then Newcastle-Bristol, for my girlfriend and I's holiday in late August (shes a teacher, hurray for price hikes).


Anyway, I saw that skyscanner had a multi-trip function, and choose to use this, it seemed logical, find both flights in a single search.


I found the appropriate flights, and the drop down function skyscanner offered here was to book through Opodo. My (and im ashamed to say here no) assumption was that Opodo was the flight operator, and I continued through to book as normal, I had never heard of Opodo before, I simply thought if i wanted those flights at those times, thats how it had to be.


I then had to add the 1 hold baggage we required, £20 for the first trip £18 for the second, fair enough.


I enter in our details (I'll come to this fun side-issue later), and then pay the quoted money using my credit card, a few pence shy of £160.


What I find later is, my credit card statment, minus £70.28 to Easyjet, minus £84.42, and minus £4.72 to Opodo. Both my flights are through Easyjet, I dont even need Opodo, why I am paying them £4.72. I could swallow a service as a mistake, my real gripe follows.


I then check out the Easyjet website. I can book both flights at the same time through them, they will charge me 60.98 to Edinburgh, 34.98 to Bristol, and get this £30.00 in total for the hold baggage. Each value is less than that which Opodo has charged me, before we even add in thier 'service' fee.
I could understand a service fee, if perhaps they were just doing the leg work for me. But no, they are using highly-uncompetitive prices. I dont understand how this can happen.


Please let me mention, I appreciate that flights costs will fluctuate. So I generated another quote from Skyscanner-Opodo at the same time as my direct Easyjet search. Which threw out Easyjet= £127, Opodo = £172. So I am confident this disparity has occured at my time of booking.




Overall I'm just gutted that this is the first time the holiday booking responsibility was left up to me, and I didnt execute it in a cost-effective manner.




I have sent emails to both EasyJet and Opodo outlining the above, asking if its possible for a refund or compensation (I dont want to loose the flights, although If i did get a refund, I could simply re-book it now for less) Do I have a leg to stand on, or is it as I suspect, a -£30 lesson learnt?


My fun side issue. Some how a communication breakdown has occured, Opodo has sent through confirmation emails, my our details correctly stated. However Easy Jet has send through details labeling my girlfriend as 'Mr'. Some service eh? get what you pay for......oh wait


Alex

jpsartre

Opodo can charge what they want for the flights they sell, it's up to the customer to compare prices before booking if they want the best deal. Along with their sister site eDreams, they probably get the most complaints of all 3rd party sites so I highly doubt you will a refund or compensation. You'll probably be lucky to get any kind of reply at all. I don't know why you emailed easyJet about it, it has nothing to do with them.

Next time use sites like Skyscanner to find out which airlines fly a particular route and then book your tickets direct from the operating carrier.

Caz3121

Branagorn wrote: »

I
I have sent emails to both EasyJet and Opodo outlining the above, asking if its possible for a refund or compensation (I dont want to loose the flights, although If i did get a refund, I could simply re-book it now for less) Do I have a leg to stand on, or is it as I suspect, a -£30 lesson learnt?

Easyjet flights are non-refundable and you agreed to purchase from Opodo at the price they showed.
It looks like skyscanner does not cope well with multicity for Easyjet and are only showing third party agents whilst checking one-way or return will include the Easyjet fares from them direct
Skyscanner is fine for checking schedules etc but when you see the flights available (that are clearly marked as Easyjet) it is recommended that you then go to the airline website to book direct
I doubt you will get much joy on any compensation. From Easyjets view you chose to book with a third party and pay the price they showed rather than booking with them direct and from Opodo's view, you paid the price you agreed to pay for the flights
Fortunately it is not a huge amount as many others have been stung for much higher amounts by not researching third parties

Branagorn

jpsartre wrote: »

Opodo can charge what they want for the flights they sell, it's up to the customer to compare prices before booking if they want the best deal. Along with their sister site eDreams, they probably get the most complaints of all 3rd party sites so I highly doubt you will a refund or compensation. You'll probably be lucky to get any kind of reply at all. I don't know why you emailed easyJet about it, it has nothing to do with them.

Next time use sites like Skyscanner to find out which airlines fly a particular route and then book your tickets direct from the operating carrier.

I emailed EasyJet out of desperation that they may kindly agree, to allow Opodo to cancel the tickets. I didnt word it in anyway that was condeming of them, I understand that thier position in all of this was innocent.


And again, thanks for your advice on the next time. I had assumed as much by myself. This post is more out of desperation to see if somebody knows something I dont. Untill such time, I am still assuming this is just a lesson learnt.

phatbear

So you paid a third party a premium to book tickets on your behalf, which they charge for, and it clearly states which airline you will be using during the booking process, so you could have checked yourself to see if the costing were right and yet you have an issue with opodo?

How odd

Voyager2002

So far as the price disparity is concerned, you don't have a leg to stand on.

However, you have evidence that Opodo changed the gender of your partner! Their negligence does mean that you could take this up with your card issuer, who MIGHT be able to do a chargeback for the full amount you paid.

Branagorn

Well then I suppose my real issue should be with Skyscanner. I went with, what i believed to be the cheapest option that they displayed. So more-fool me for my reliance on them. Turns out, they didnt highlight to me that this would indeed be with EasyJet. And I cant really take up any issue with a free service.


I'll know for next time that there is another level to shopping around that i missed out on, on this occasion. I'm normally quite savvy in this regard, just hurts to have missed one.

littlereddevil

I used to like skyscanner, but I find these days their flight prices are nowhere near up to date

jpsartre

Branagorn wrote: »

Well then I suppose my real issue should be with Skyscanner.

No, you have no legitimate issue with anyone.

EasyJet aren't going to allow Opodo to cancel your tickets (why would Opodo want to do that anyway?). Chalk it up to experience and as I said, book direct from the airline next time.

phatbear

Branagorn wrote: »

Turns out, they didnt highlight to me that this would indeed be with EasyJet.

I would suggest you may well need a new monitor or a trip to specsavers then as ive just recreated your trip, i went through skyscanner and its quite clearly with easyjet, and when you click the options for who you wish to use to book with, in this case opodo, and if you click on that link as you are booking, again it clearly states easyjet.

I would screencap and post it but im at work and cant screen cap on our systems.