View source for Opodo

{{short description|UK-based online travel agency}}
{{Infobox dot-com company
| name = Opodo
| logo = Opodo.svg
| caption = 
| logo_size = 
| type = 
| industry = Travel
| foundation = {{start date and age|2001}}
| founder = 
| location = [[Madrid]], [[Spain]]
| area_served = [[Europe]]
| key_people = 
| products = [[Charter airline|Charter]] and scheduled passenger airlines, [[package holiday]]s, hotels and [[resort]]s
| services = [[Travel agency]]
| parent = [[eDreams ODIGEO]]
| website = {{URL|www.opodo.com}}
}}
'''Opodo''' is a Spanish-owned online [[travel agency]] which offers deals in regular and charter flights, low-cost airlines, hotels, car rental, dynamic packages, holiday packages and travel insurance. It is a pan-European enterprise, founded by a consortium of [[Europe]]an [[airline]]s, including [[British Airways]], [[Air France]], [[Alitalia]], [[Iberia Airlines|Iberia]], [[KLM]], [[Lufthansa]], [[Aer Lingus]], [[Austrian Airlines]] and [[Finnair]]. The [[travel technology]] provider [[Amadeus IT Group|Amadeus]] owned 99.4% of the company until 2011, when it was taken over by [[eDreams ODIGEO]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.edreamsodigeo.com/about-us/history/|title=History|website=edreamsodigeo.com|access-date=2023-02-08}}</ref>

Opodo operates out of fourteen European countries with headquarters in Madrid. It operates Opodo-branded sites in [[Germany]], the [[United Kingdom]], [[France]], [[Spain]], [[Portugal]], [[Italy]], [[Austria]], [[Belgium]], [[Poland]] and [[Switzerland]], as well as Travellink-branded sites in [[Sweden]], [[Norway]], [[Denmark]], and [[Finland]]. It also operates several other French travel websites.

== History ==
Opodo was designed and developed by [[Publicis Sapient|Sapient]] in London in 2000.{{cn|date=August 2024}} It launched its first site in Germany in November 2001, its UK site in January 2002, its French site in April 2002 and its Italian site in January 2006.{{cn|date=August 2024}} [[Giovanni Bisignani]], former CEO of [[Alitalia]] and present{{when?|date=August 2024}} CEO of [[IATA]] (International Air Transport Association) was Opodo's first CEO.{{cn|date=August 2024}} [[Nicolas De Santis]] former CMO of web currency [[beenz.com]] and president of strategy consultancy and incubator CorporateVision.io was Opodo's first director of marketing, sales and strategy.{{cn|date=August 2024}} In 2002, [[David P. Scowsill]] was appointed as Opodo's CEO, replacing interim CEO Simon Tucker.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/articles/18757/opodo-appoints-full-time-ceo|title=Opodo appoints full-time CEO|date=2002-09-19|website=Travel Weekly (UK)|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lesechos.fr/2002/10/david-scowsill-700478|title=David Scowsill|date=2002-10-02|website=Les Echos|language=fr|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref>

Prior to the founding of Opodo, [[Orbitz]] was negotiating with European air carriers, trying to get a deal with them, but the airlines were hesitant to work with a company majority-owned by US carriers.<ref name="skift">{{cite web|url=https://skift.com/history-of-online-travel/|title=The Definitive oral history of online travel|last=Schaal|first=Dennis|year=2016|website=Skift.com|access-date=15 June 2016}}</ref>

In 2004, Opodo was bought by [[Amadeus IT Group|Amadeus]] for 62 million euros.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.manager-magazin.de/digitales/it/a-304377.html|title=Amadeus: 62 Millionen Euro für Opodo|date=2004-06-16|website=manager magazin|publisher=[[Manager Magazin]]|language=de|trans-title=62 million euros for Opodo|access-date=2019-10-22}}</ref>

Since 2011, Opodo has been part of the largest online travel company in Europe, [[eDreams ODIGEO]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edreamsodigeo.com/|title=eDreams ODIGEO - Leading online travel agency|website=eDreams ODIGEO|access-date=9 August 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.phocuswire.com/Opodo-eDreams-GoVoyages-powerhouse-Odigeo-plots-next-move-eyes-startups-and-full-service | title=Opodo-eDreams-GoVoyages powerhouse Odigeo plots next move, eyes startups and full service | first=Kevin | last=May | work=Phocuswire | date=November 17, 2011}}</ref>

== Products and services ==

=== Opodo Prime ===
Opodo Prime has been named the leading online travel agent subscription service in the UK.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Millar|first=Laura|date=2021-08-09|title=Three fun travel ideas you might not have heard of but will want to try out|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/08/09/three-fun-travel-ideas-you-might-not-have-heard-of-but-will-want-to-try-out-15049812/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Metro|language=en}}</ref>  Launched in 2017, it was dubbed the ‘Netflix of travel’ due to its subscription-based pricing model.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Millar|first=Laura|date=2021-08-09|title=Three fun travel ideas you might not have heard of but will want to try out|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/08/09/three-fun-travel-ideas-you-might-not-have-heard-of-but-will-want-to-try-out-15049812/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Metro|language=en}}</ref>

The Opodo Prime subscription offers additional discounts on all flights as well as up to 50% off on over two million accommodation options.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Millar|first=Laura|date=2021-08-09|title=Three fun travel ideas you might not have heard of but will want to try out|url=https://metro.co.uk/2021/08/09/three-fun-travel-ideas-you-might-not-have-heard-of-but-will-want-to-try-out-15049812/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Metro|language=en}}</ref> 

Membership to Opodo Prime costs £69.99 a year, and subscribers are reported to save an average of £215 for a week's holiday including flights and accommodation.<ref>{{Cite press release|last=ODIGEO|first=eDreams|title=eDreams ODIGEO's Prime programme, the world's first travel subscription service, tops 1 million global members following successful US launch|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/edreams-odigeos-prime-programme-the-worlds-first-travel-subscription-service-tops-1-million-global-members-following-successful-us-launch-301300882.html|access-date=2021-08-10|website=www.prnewswire.com|language=en}}</ref> Opodo Prime discounts can be used for up to 9 people on the same booking, across both flights and hotels.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Burgess|first=Rob|title=Would you pay £59.99 per year for Opodo Prime?|url=https://www.headforpoints.com/2021/05/10/opodo-prime-review/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Head for Points|language=en-GB}}</ref>

=== Opodo Prime hotels ===
Opodo launched Prime hotels as part of its Prime subscription service in June 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=eDreams Odigeo's Prime travel subscription now includes hotels|url=https://globetrender.com/2020/07/15/edreams-odigeo-expands-prime-subscription-benefits/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Globetrender|language=en-GB}}</ref> For the same yearly subscription fee, 2.1 million accommodation options with up to 50% off were added to Opodo Prime.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hotels added to eDreams ODIGEO's Prime subscription programme|url=https://travolution.com/articles/115796/hotels-added-to-edreams-odigeos-prime-subscription-programme|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Travolution|date=17 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Flight price index dashboard ===
In June 2020, Opodo unveiled its flight price index dashboard for the UK market.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-06-17|title=EDreams Now Has a Half Million Paying Travel Subscribers|url=https://skift.com/2020/06/17/edreams-now-has-a-half-million-paying-travel-subscribers/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Skift|language=en-US}}</ref> 

The service compares current flight prices with prices of the previous year, to suggest the optimum time to book flights.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus: EDreams ODIGEO launches flight price index to highlight best deals|url=https://travolution.com/articles/115618/coronavirus-edreams-odigeo-launches-flight-price-index-to-highlight-best-deals|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Travolution|date=2 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> The dashboard uses over 14 billion data touch points from 660 airlines to generate year-on-year price comparisons.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Coronavirus: EDreams ODIGEO launches flight price index to highlight best deals|url=https://travolution.com/articles/115618/coronavirus-edreams-odigeo-launches-flight-price-index-to-highlight-best-deals|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Travolution|date=2 June 2020 |language=en}}</ref> 

The price tracker dashboard uses AI-technology and gives customers more transparency over airline prices, thus helping them make informed decisions before purchasing a flight.<ref>{{Cite web|title=eDreams Odigeo launches airline price tracker|url=https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/edreams-odigeo-launches-airline-price-tracker/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Breaking Travel News}}</ref> 

Opodo plan to include a price prediction functionality in the future.<ref>{{Cite web|title=eDreams Odigeo launches airline price tracker|url=https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/edreams-odigeo-launches-airline-price-tracker/|access-date=2021-08-10|website=Breaking Travel News}}</ref>

==IPO==
Opodo's parent company eDreams went public in 2014.   

Independent board member James Hare (James Otis Hare II) oversaw the public launch on April 4, 2014.<ref name="edreamsodigeo1">{{cite web|url=http://www.edreamsodigeo.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2014/03/HR_EDREAMS_26Marzo2015_JHare.pdf |title=HECHO RELEVANTE |website=Edreamsodigeo.com |access-date=2016-09-16}}</ref>

eDreams offered its stock at 10.25 Euros per share.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tech.eu/news/edreams-odigeo-ipo-aftermath/ |title=After IPO, eDreams Odigeo shares plummet 75% in 5 months |publisher=Tech.eu |date=2014-09-11 |access-date=2016-09-07}}</ref> 

That stock price had fallen to 1.02 Euros by October 24 of 2014, wiping out over one billion Euros of market capitalization.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/EDR:SM|title=SIBE Stock Quote|website=Bloomberg.com |date=2016-06-09 |access-date=2016-09-07}}</ref> 

Some commentators called the launch “Europe’s worst performing IPO of 2014”.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.phocuswire.com/Down-60-eDreams-Odigeo-shares-try-to-escape-post-IPO-nightmare | title=Down 60%, eDreams Odigeo shares try to escape post-IPO nightmare | first=Sean | last=O'Neil | work=Phocuswire | date=August 29, 2014}}</ref>

eDreams moved quickly, asking their shareholders for authorization to “Discharge to Mr. James Otis Hare for the exercise of his mandate as director of the Company until his resignation as of 25 March, 2015.”<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.edreamsodigeo.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2014/08/eDreams_ODIGEO-Voting_formAGM_2015.pdf|title=eDreams ODIGEO : VOTING FORM|website=Edreamsodiegeo.com|access-date=2017-08-09}}</ref>

In June 2015, CEO Dana Dunne introduced a new strategy focusing on mobile, revenue diversification and customer experience improvements, which led to a strong turnaround in business performance.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.phocuswire.com/eDreams-Odigeo-strategy-begins-to-pay-off | title=eDreams Odigeo strategy begins to pay off | first=Linda | last=Fox | work=Phocuswire | date=November 24, 2015}}</ref>

== Criticism ==
===Poor customer service===
The UK consumer association "[[Which?]]" recommends members not to use Opodo.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-10-11|title=Why you shouldn't book with Opodo|url=https://www.which.co.uk/news/2020/10/why-you-shouldnt-book-with-opodo/|access-date=2022-01-30|website=Which? News|language=en-GB}}</ref> The majority of customer complaints focus on a serious lack of responsiveness from the Opodo customer care team, for instance not receiving a reply to an email in over a month, for them being "unreachable by phone," as well as many instances in which tickets booked and confirmed through Opodo are never actually reserved with the airline.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2014/sep/12/opodo-complaints-unanswered-flights-cancel-refunds| title=Complaints are different, but Opodo's response is the same – ignore it |first=Anna | last=Tims| work=[[The Guardian]] | date=12 September 2014}}</ref> In 2020 ''[[The Observer]]'' gave Opodo an award for the year's "worst customer service" after it began charging customers £16.49 to receive confirmation emails, "speedy" refunds and "free customer service".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/dec/27/in-the-year-of-covid-the-awards-for-worst-customer-service-go-to|title=In the year of Covid, the awards for worst customer service go to...|date=27 December 2020|access-date=30 December 2020|work=[[The Observer]]|first=Anna|last=Tims}}</ref>

===Involvement in Israeli settlements===

{{See also|List of companies operating in West Bank settlements}}

On 12 February 2020, the [[United Nations]] published a [[List of companies operating in West Bank settlements|database]] of all business enterprises involved in certain specified activities related to the [[Israeli settlement|Israeli settlements]] in the [[Palestinian territories|Occupied Palestinian Territories]], including [[East Jerusalem]], and in the occupied [[Golan Heights]].<ref name=unlist_ohchr>{{cite news |date=12 February 2020 | title=UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25542 |work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=unlist_reliefweb>{{cite news |date=14 February 2020 | title=Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71) | url=https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/database-all-business-enterprises-involved-certain-activities |work=[[ReliefWeb]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> Opodo and its parent company, [[EDreams ODIGEO]], have been listed on the database in light of their involvement in activities related to "the provision of services and utilities supporting the maintenance and existence of settlements".<ref name=unlist_ohchr>{{cite news |date=12 February 2020 | title=UN rights office issues report on business activities related to settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | url=https://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=25542 |work=[[Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=unlist_reliefweb>{{cite news |date=14 February 2020 | title=Database of all business enterprises involved in certain activities relating to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank (A/HRC/43/71) | url=https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/database-all-business-enterprises-involved-certain-activities |work=[[ReliefWeb]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref> The [[International Community|international community]] considers Israeli settlements built on [[Israeli-occupied territories|land occupied by Israel]] to be [[International law and Israeli settlements|in violation of international law]].<ref name=unsc2334>{{cite news |date=23 December 2016 | title=S/RES/2334(2016) | url=https://undocs.org/S/RES/2334(2016) |work=[[United Nations Security Council]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=icj_settlements>{{cite news |date=9 July 2004 | title=Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory | url=https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/131/131-20040709-ADV-01-00-EN.pdf |work=[[International Court of Justice]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=icc_settlements>{{cite news |date=5 December 2001 | title=Conference of High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention | url=https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/resources/documents/statement/57jrgw.htm |work=[[International Committee of the Red Cross]] | access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Travel ticket search engines}}

[[Category:Online travel agencies]]
[[Category:British travel websites]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 2001]]
[[Category:Companies based in Madrid]]