Opodo and Austrian Airlines destroyed the return journey of Ukrainian refugees
Last December, two elderly Ukrainian refugees whom I support had to return home to Odessa to collect medicine they could not obtain in the UK and repair the damage caused by the bombs to their property. They used Opodo to book a return flight to Chisinau with Austrian Airlines. When they arrived at Heathrow they were told that the promised self-check-in had not been successful and they had to go to the check-in counter. There they were told that although they had been issued boarding passes, there were no tickets in their name. Airport staff spent three hours on the phone trying to sort something out, but to no avail.
They were then stranded due to heavy snowfall and train strikes and had to spend two nights in a hotel in London. They eventually returned to their host's home by coach via Brighton two days later. There was no word from Opodo other than two automated emails telling them he was in the process of canceling their booking. I've been calling Opodo every day since early January. So far he has only refunded half of the £370 fare and says he is waiting for Austrian Airlines to return the rest. He blames the airline for the failed booking. Austrian Airlines says it's Opodo's fault for not issuing the tickets. The couple are pensioners and war refugees and they were left distressed and out of pocket.AD, Heathfield, East Sussex
Some cases keep me up at night. It's one of them. Your friends don't speak English and the fear and bewilderment they had to endure at the airport and alone in London for two days is unimaginable. Mistakes do happen, but the subsequent indifference of both companies, despite you detailing the harrowing circumstances, is beyond comprehension.
Opodo could continue to operate my column on my own given the regularity of the complaints I receive. In this case, however, it turns out that the initial fault lies entirely with Austrian Airlines, although the carrier did everything to deflect blame after my intervention. A "technical error" caused the airline to cancel the tickets without notification the day after they were booked, according to Opodo. An astonishing catalog of blunders then aggravated the ordeal. Opodo has been instructed by airline staff to seek a full refund on behalf of customers citing "exceptional circumstances". However, Opodo forgot to include these two crucial words. The result was that the airline's system, finding that the flight had departed on time, but without the two passengers, only refunded half the fare. Opodo therefore had to submit a second request and recklessly informed the couple that they might have to wait up to 30 days.
Only after contacting Opodo's press service that he returned the rest of the money and paid the £261 hotel and travel costs incurred. A spokesperson said: “We regret that errors in processing their refunds have made an already difficult travel experience worse. Mistakes like this that delay refunds are extremely rare, but we know they can cause a lot of frustration when they happen and we understand that, especially in this case, given the context and reasons for the trip. client.
Austrian Airline's indifference continued even after I pointed out the circumstances. He told me that since Opodo now had the rest of the money, I should liaise with him, then tersely apologized for the "inconvenience". He ignored my questions about how and why the tickets were canceled in the first place and my reminders that due to the cancellation the couple owe compensation of £350 each under EU flight regulations. It wasn't until my fourth attempt that he acknowledged a technical error had caused the fiasco and agreed to pay the extra sum. He again apologized for the "inconvenience". The story doesn't end there, of course. The situation in Ukraine has deteriorated since your friends' abortive return and, given their dreadful experience with Austrian Airlines, another attempt must fill them with dread.
A word of advice for them and other potential travellers: always book directly with the airline. Third-party booking platforms break the line of communication between the airline and the passenger and can lead to additional complications when things go wrong. If complaints are still unresolved, passengers can complain to the dispute resolution system to which the airline has subscribed. THE
Last December, two elderly Ukrainian refugees whom I support had to return home to Odessa to collect medicine they could not obtain in the UK and repair the damage caused by the bombs to their property. They used Opodo to book a return flight to Chisinau with Austrian Airlines. When they arrived at Heathrow they were told that the promised self-check-in had not been successful and they had to go to the check-in counter. There they were told that although they had been issued boarding passes, there were no tickets in their name. Airport staff spent three hours on the phone trying to sort something out, but to no avail.
They were then stranded due to heavy snowfall and train strikes and had to spend two nights in a hotel in London. They eventually returned to their host's home by coach via Brighton two days later. There was no word from Opodo other than two automated emails telling them he was in the process of canceling their booking. I've been calling Opodo every day since early January. So far he has only refunded half of the £370 fare and says he is waiting for Austrian Airlines to return the rest. He blames the airline for the failed booking. Austrian Airlines says it's Opodo's fault for not issuing the tickets. The couple are pensioners and war refugees and they were left distressed and out of pocket.AD, Heathfield, East Sussex
Some cases keep me up at night. It's one of them. Your friends don't speak English and the fear and bewilderment they had to endure at the airport and alone in London for two days is unimaginable. Mistakes do happen, but the subsequent indifference of both companies, despite you detailing the harrowing circumstances, is beyond comprehension.
Opodo could continue to operate my column on my own given the regularity of the complaints I receive. In this case, however, it turns out that the initial fault lies entirely with Austrian Airlines, although the carrier did everything to deflect blame after my intervention. A "technical error" caused the airline to cancel the tickets without notification the day after they were booked, according to Opodo. An astonishing catalog of blunders then aggravated the ordeal. Opodo has been instructed by airline staff to seek a full refund on behalf of customers citing "exceptional circumstances". However, Opodo forgot to include these two crucial words. The result was that the airline's system, finding that the flight had departed on time, but without the two passengers, only refunded half the fare. Opodo therefore had to submit a second request and recklessly informed the couple that they might have to wait up to 30 days.
Only after contacting Opodo's press service that he returned the rest of the money and paid the £261 hotel and travel costs incurred. A spokesperson said: “We regret that errors in processing their refunds have made an already difficult travel experience worse. Mistakes like this that delay refunds are extremely rare, but we know they can cause a lot of frustration when they happen and we understand that, especially in this case, given the context and reasons for the trip. client.
Austrian Airline's indifference continued even after I pointed out the circumstances. He told me that since Opodo now had the rest of the money, I should liaise with him, then tersely apologized for the "inconvenience". He ignored my questions about how and why the tickets were canceled in the first place and my reminders that due to the cancellation the couple owe compensation of £350 each under EU flight regulations. It wasn't until my fourth attempt that he acknowledged a technical error had caused the fiasco and agreed to pay the extra sum. He again apologized for the "inconvenience". The story doesn't end there, of course. The situation in Ukraine has deteriorated since your friends' abortive return and, given their dreadful experience with Austrian Airlines, another attempt must fill them with dread.
A word of advice for them and other potential travellers: always book directly with the airline. Third-party booking platforms break the line of communication between the airline and the passenger and can lead to additional complications when things go wrong. If complaints are still unresolved, passengers can complain to the dispute resolution system to which the airline has subscribed. THE
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