✉ In March 2024 I booked two return British Airways business class flights to Kuala Lumpur through Opodo, using a credit voucher I’d received for a flight I cancelled earlier in the year. I was due to fly in January but in November I received notification that BA had cancelled these flights. Opodo has repeatedly failed to refund or reissue a credit voucher for the flights, which cost £6,935, despite numerous phone calls and emails. I’m unsure whether there’s a technical issue (as it has claimed) or if it is just hoping I will give up? In any event, I’ve no idea as to how or whether I am going to recover almost £7,000. BA has said because I booked through Opodo, it cannot help. Can you?
Kate Mason
It seems this sequence of events was just too complicated for Opodo to handle. You had used your “cancel for any reason” guarantee to get a credit voucher for the flight you cancelled and any subsequent cancellations should also have been refunded with credit. But a customer service agent mistakenly confirmed you were entitled to a cash refund, which led to confusion and the failure to process any sort of payment. After I got involved, Opodo agreed to a full cash refund as a gesture of goodwill. A spokesperson said: “We sincerely apologise to Ms Mason for the delay in resolving her case and are pleased to confirm that a full refund and compensation for the inconveniences caused have since been issued.”
✉ My two sons and daughter-in-law were due to fly on Norse Atlantic Airways from Gatwick to Cape Town in South Africa on February 15 at 8pm. Having been sent three emails warning them of delays to the flight, the last explaining that departure was now at 10.45pm, they arrived at Gatwick airport at 8pm, which was two hours and 45 minutes before the rescheduled take-off (they couldn’t check in online because it wasn’t available for this flight). All the check-in desks were closed with only a handling agent on duty, who told them they should have checked in at the original check-in time, which would have meant arriving by 7pm at the latest. If the check-in time remained the same, why send an email out at all if it made no difference to what the customer was supposed to do? They had extra costs of more than £1,000 for new flights and a hotel room, and would like full compensation for these, as well as additional compensation for the inconvenience and distress this has caused.
Tara Hubbard
It doesn’t seem unreasonable to expect that if a flight time has been pushed back, so will the check-in time, but unfortunately that’s not how airlines operate. Unless you are specifically told not to go to the airport at your original check-in time, you have to stick to those timings. One reason for this is that the flight delay may actually be shorter than expected. So there’s no chance of any compensation, either for your extra expenses or the distress you suffered. Norse didn’t respond to a request for comment.
✉ My husband and I are planning to travel to Greece in mid-to-late September. We’d like to spend three nights in Athens and four elsewhere by the sea for some relaxing and exploring. Can you suggest islands or resorts that wouldn’t be too far from Athens and is there a company you’d recommend to arrange a trip like this?
Cathy Connor
• Read our travel guide for Greece
Start your Greek odyssey with three nights at the smart, neoclassical Acropolis Vision Hotel in Athens, which has wonderful views of (you guessed it) the Acropolis from its roof terrace and bar, and is within a 15-minute walk of most of the city’s key historical sites. Then head for Agistri, the smallest and least known of the Saronic islands and a favourite with weekending Athenians because it’s only 55 minutes by ferry. You can expect pine-scented rambles, good beaches, and plenty of tavernas and cafés to choose from in the seaside village of Skala. Take boat trips to nearby Aegina and the Peloponnese mainland, or go horse riding, kayaking or snorkelling if you’re feeling energetic. Stay at the comfortable Oasis Scala Beach Hotel, in a great spot by the boardwalk. Departing September 22, this two-centre trip costs from £1,386pp, including seven nights’ B&B, return flights from Gatwick with hold luggage, and all transfers, including the ferry (sunvil.co.uk).
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✉ We’re looking for a villa somewhere in Europe to celebrate my husband’s 60th birthday in the second week of July 2026. We want accommodation for five or six couples (preferably all en suite) and a private pool. It’s unlikely everyone will come for the full week so it needs to be easily accessible in terms of airports and we’d like to be able to walk to a couple of bars/restaurants. Our budget is about £10,000 for the accommodation. Any suggestions?
Penny Munro
• 9 things to look out for when booking a villa holiday
I think it’s highly likely everyone will come for the full week if you book Mas Emilie, a beautifully restored 18th-century farmhouse in Maillane, near St Rémy de Provence, in the south of France. Sleeping up to 12 in six bedrooms, it has a heated pool and the kitchen opens up to a shaded terrace with a stone dining table, ideal for leisurely alfresco meals. But if you do want to eat out, Maillane’s restaurants are a 25-minute stroll away. It costs £10,205 for a week in July 2026 (akvillas.com) and the nearest airport is Nîmes, while Avignon is the nearest TGV station.
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✉ We’ve booked a trip to Ireland in December to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. We fly into Cork on a Friday afternoon and out of Dublin on a Tuesday morning. I’m keen to incorporate some Irish countryside into our itinerary. Could you suggest where to stay in Cork and Dublin (we don’t want to pay more than about £200 a night) and a stop en route? We won’t be hiring a car so will need to travel by bus or train.
Celia Campbell
• Ireland’s cool new woodland retreat — near its liveliest city
Stay at the Montenotte, on a hill overlooking the River Lee and the harbour in Cork. It’s a 15-minute stroll from the city centre, has cracking views from its rooftop terrace, and its spa and dinky cinema with free screenings will be a boon if the weather proves uncooperative (which is highly likely in December). Two nights’ B&B over a December weekend start at £425 in a double room (themontenottehotel.com). Get the train rather than the bus to Dublin, breaking your journey at Thurles from where you could take a bus or cab to one of Ireland’s most famous landmarks, the Rock of Cashel, the ancient seat of the kings of Munster (heritageireland.ie). In Dublin, the sleek new Chancery hotel is in a prime position near Dublin Castle and the party district of Temple Bar. Two nights at the end of your stay start at £323, room only (thechanceryhotel.ie).
Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@thetimes.co.uk
