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Any experience of booking flights with Opodo or Edreams?

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  • 21-08-2014 12:59am
    #1
    hibsman
    Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭


    Hi all,
    I'm just looking at booking some flights in South America for this Autumn. They are very expensive, especially when booked directly through the airlines. However, I note certain price comparison websites to be in some cases considerably cheaper. Opodo and Edreams (via travelsupermarket) in particular seem to offer very reasonable fares, often 30% less than the airlines direct. However they seem to have mixed/terrible customer service reviews online. I wonder if anyone has any experience of booking with them? As the savings involved would be considerable I am tempted to use them but perhaps, as usual, if something looks too good to be true it probably is!! I'd appreciate any experience or advice. Cheers.


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    #2
    jaymcg91
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭jaymcg91


    Don't use them. Good luck trying to get any customer service if you need to change dates, itineraries (if you had to come back early in case of an emergency etc.). The hassle that you can run into just isn't worth any potential € savings.


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    #3
    crisco10
    Registered Users Posts: 6,178 ✭✭✭crisco10


    Agree with above, had a bad experience with Opodo a few years back. After we booked, some of the flights in our itinerary changed (making the itinerary impossible) but nobody from Opodo told us. We only found out because one of the party took a notion to log on to the itinerary one day a few months before the trip.

    Ended up having to cancel completely with Opodo, battle for our money back and re-book with trailfinders. At that point any savings we had made by booking early were long gone.


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    #4
    hibsman
    Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭hibsman


    Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. So basically both companies do actually book the flights for the price indicated but are very poor when it comes to trying to amend bookings or get a refund? Confirms my suspicions really, probably not worth the savings. Many thanks.


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    #5
    jaymcg91
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭jaymcg91


    hibsman wrote: »
    Thanks for the replies, much appreciated. So basically both companies do actually book the flights for the price indicated but are very poor when it comes to trying to amend bookings or get a refund? Confirms my suspicions really, probably not worth the savings. Many thanks.

    I've read on TripAdvisor they've booked people on one way fares that have broken the fare rules, and the airlines have refused to honour the ticket (they have no obligation to when bought intentionally to break the rules). Nightmare companies.

    I know a few of those sites also charge for refunds and their customer service lines often don't talk English. Wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

    Good choice dude!


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    #6
    keithclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭keithclancy


    Once you get the e-ticket numbers for the airline its fine. On an economy fare you will get completely mugged changing flights anyway.

    I'd go with the cheapest as long as I get ticket numbers.

    As long as the routing is on one e-ticket there and back


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    #7
    keithclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭keithclancy


    jaymcg91 wrote: »
    I've read on TripAdvisor they've booked people on one way fares that have broken the fare rules, and the airlines have refused to honour the ticket (they have no obligation to when bought intentionally to break the rules). Nightmare companies.

    I know a few of those sites also charge for refunds and their customer service lines often don't talk English. Wouldn't touch with a bargepole.

    Good choice dude!

    I often do that, just waste the last leg and use a routing code for a long layover .

    Sure with KLM one leg could be a bus trip/train but with a 200 euro difference leaving out the bus trip ;)


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    #8
    jaymcg91
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭jaymcg91


    What about if you need any customer service? I mean if one is THAT desperate to save money then take the risk, but personally I wouldn't be putting my fate in the hands of luck!


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    #9
    Frigga_92
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,809 ✭✭✭Frigga_92


    I used eDreams when flying to Paris this year. I had no issues so I don't know what customer service is like.


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    #10
    jaymcg91
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,015 ✭✭✭jaymcg91


    26sdrawkcab wrote: »
    I used eDreams when flying to Paris this year. I had no issues so I don't know what customer service is like.

    Paris is 90 minutes away. South America is a multi-leg trip across the planet. The likelihood of having problems / needing help rescheduling because of delays etc is much more.


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    #11
    keithclancy
    Registered Users Posts: 9,222 ✭✭✭keithclancy


    jaymcg91 wrote: »
    What about if you need any customer service? I mean if one is THAT desperate to save money then take the risk, but personally I wouldn't be putting my fate in the hands of luck!

    I never alter a booking, since I usually get a Y fare booking a return to go one way is usually much cheaper if I need to change my date.

    People get totally screwed when they need to change a cheap fare or get a one way flight anyway.

    Sometimes its only possible to get certain fares or routings through an agent.


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    #12
    hibsman
    Registered Users Posts: 125 ✭✭hibsman


    Thanks again for the comments. A quick update. After advice here I booked most international and internal flights through trailfinders, got a good deal in recent sale there. Just one one-way flight left to book, Lima to Buenos Aires. 525 euro through airline direct, 365 euro for the same flight on skyscanner with edreams! With 2 of us travelling that makes for some saving if it is legit.


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    #13
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users Posts: 7,847 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    havent a clue about edreams, but opodo was "founded by a consortium of European airlines, including British Airways, Air France, Alitalia, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Austrian Airlines and Finnair. The travel technology provider Amadeus owned 99.4% of the company until 2011"
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opodo
    so from that alone I dont think theres any more legitimate company selling flights that you could find.

    I've got a few deals from opodo over the years, and specifically in cases where they were putting together a return flight operated by 2 different airlines - that neither airline would offer you directly - but even booking 2 singles separately yourself would incur a premium that would make the flight seriously dear too.


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