Opodo doubled the flight prices overnight!

[Deleted User]

Found a cracking flight price yesterday on opodo for next year so I booked it.... Paid with credit card etc.

Had an email this morning telling me that the price has gone up and its now double.

So I phoned the. Usual rubbish. Price has increased from the time you booked blah blah blah. Surely all these searches are online/live anyway? I think pretty much it was a pricing error to be honest...

Is this legal? Anyone could offer cheap flights, rope the customer in, get the credit card payment then say, oops the price has gone up....

Do I have any recourse other than to pay the new price or cancel?

Caz3121

many third parties without live pricing operate like this. The price advertised may not have been available for months
You make a "request" for them to book the flight at £x
When they attempt to book the flight, the live fare will become apparent and they will either be able to fulfil your request or they will advise of the real price and ask for more money
For live prices you can check direct on the airline website

If you look at the number of opodo complaints you will likely be happy you are not booking with them

peachyprice

[quote=[Deleted User];discussion/5917695]Surely all these searches are online/live anyway? [/QUOTE]

No they're not. They don't get a live price from the airline until after you've paid. The only way to get a true live price is book through the airline direct.

I don't know how people still use the likes of Opodo tbh.

[Deleted User]

Caz3121 wrote: »

many third parties without live pricing operate like this. The price advertised may not have been available for months
You make a "request" for them to book the flight at £x
When they attempt to book the flight, the live fare will become apparent and they will either be able to fulfil your request or they will advise of the real price and ask for more money
For live prices you can check direct on the airline website

If you look at the number of opodo complaints you will likely be happy you are not booking with them

Yes but I'd paid for it...

Heliflyguy

peachyprice wrote: »

They don't get a live price from the airline until after you've paid. The only way to get a true live price is book through the airline direct.

Its more about the class availability than "live pricing".

The headline price will be in a class no longer available to book so no class = no fare can be quoted, so they have to go up to the next available class/fare so therefore a higher price

The agency may be able to waitlist the class and hope it comes back confirmed at some point.

In fact to say live pricing is wrong, live availability is more appropriate.

Its just not true that you can only see live prices via an airline, agents can see the price in a fare display and as long as the required class can be booked then you can quote a "live" fare.

Caz3121

[quote=[Deleted User];74991276]Yes but I'd paid for it...[/QUOTE]
It is a hold on your card that will drop off as they won't be taking the funds (usually within 48-72 hours)
when you make a request they put a hold on your card for that amount. If they are able to book the ticket at that fare then they will take the funds, if they can't, they won't.

[Deleted User]

peachyprice wrote: »

No they're not. They don't get a live price from the airline until after you've paid. The only way to get a true live price is book through the airline direct.

I don't know how people still use the likes of Opodo tbh.

So where do opodo get the prices from?

It seems they can make up a random figure then, take the money, then go to the airlines to get the proper price?

[Deleted User]

Im going to set up a travel agency and offer flights for £100 to anywhere in the world.

Then when people pay the £100 I'm going to email them and tell them its £1000 really.

I'll have roped a load of people in like this and they won't want the hassle of cancelling and finding the flights elsewhere so some won't be too bothered and will pay the extra £900.

Those who want a refund I'll keep hold of the £100 for 2-3 weeks then give it back. Think of the interest I can earn with someone else money.

What do you think of that as a business plan?

(Hang on all these online travel sites have already thought of this)

spadoosh

[quote=[Deleted User];74991829]Im going to set up a travel agency and offer flights for £100 to anywhere in the world.

Then when people pay the £100 I'm going to email them and tell them its £1000 really.

I'll have roped a load of people in like this and they won't want the hassle of cancelling and finding the flights elsewhere so some won't be too bothered and will pay the extra £900.

Those who want a refund I'll keep hold of the £100 for 2-3 weeks then give it back. Think of the interest I can earn with someone else money.

What do you think of that as a business plan?

(Hang on all these online travel sites have already thought of this)[/QUOTE]


Online travel sites with a few hundred customers. So lets say you make 30k for 2-3 weeks. Its just not a lot of interest. Factor in inflation and youre probably losing money. That my friend is why you are not a business person.

They make their money on this on the mark up of flights, not from stoozing, unless they can get interest rates no one else can and can employ staff that are happy to work for free.

Voyager2002

[quote=[Deleted User];74991829]Im going to set up a travel agency and offer flights for £100 to anywhere in the world.

Then when people pay the £100 I'm going to email them and tell them its £1000 really.

I'll have roped a load of people in like this and they won't want the hassle of cancelling and finding the flights elsewhere so some won't be too bothered and will pay the extra £900.

Those who want a refund I'll keep hold of the £100 for 2-3 weeks then give it back. Think of the interest I can earn with someone else money.

What do you think of that as a business plan?

(Hang on all these online travel sites have already thought of this)[/QUOTE]


The main profit will come from the people who make bookings at your inflated fare rather than buying the lowest fare that was genuinely available. Of course, by locking up their money you may have made it impossible for some of them to make better-value bookings elsewhere.


The money held pending refund might help with cash-flow, reducing your need for short-term borrowing to pay the rent. You won't make enough interest to make any difference.

[Deleted User]

It defies belief now....

I spoke them yesterday and complained but reluctantly agreed to pay the revised price. At the time, I confirmed this was definitely the price and booking would go ahead.

This morning I've got ANOTHER email telling me the price has more than doubled again! Price is now almost 5x what I booked!

You couldnt make it up!