AGENCY / OTA
Ticket bought via an agency or OTA:
how to request a tax refund?
Bought your plane ticket via Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking, Trip.com or another online agency? If you did not take your flight, you can sometimes request a refund of certain taxes and fees, even if your ticket is non-refundable.
The difficulty is that the correct contact is not always obvious: the agency, the airline, or both in sequence.
Guides by airline · Message templates · Step-by-step procedure · No guaranteed refund
If you bought your ticket via Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking, Trip.com or another OTA, start by checking who sold the ticket and who received the payment. In practice, the tax refund request often needs to be sent to the agency that issued or sold the ticket, but some airlines may also accept a direct request depending on the case.
In France, the Consumer Code states that the refund of the relevant taxes and fees must be made no later than 30 days after the request is received; the online request is free, and offline fees cannot exceed 20% of the amount refunded.
Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking, Trip.com: who to contact to recover the taxes?
When you buy a ticket via an OTA, the airline is not always your direct contact for a refund. The booking may have been issued, paid, or managed by the online agency.
A ticket bought via an online agency can generate several references: an agency booking reference, an airline reference, a ticket number, an internal case number and a separate confirmation from the airline.
Definition: what is an OTA?
An OTA, or Online Travel Agency, is an online travel agency that lets you book flights, hotels or trips through a digital platform. Examples:
- –Opodo
- –eDreams
- –Expedia
- –Booking
- –Trip.com
- –Gotogate, Kiwi, Lastminute, Mytrip, Travelgenio
Definition: what does a tax refund via an agency mean?
A tax refund via an agency means asking the intermediary that sold you the ticket to handle the refund of the recoverable taxes and fees linked to an unused flight. This does not mean the agency will automatically refund the full ticket price.
Key facts
| Item | Information |
|---|---|
| Situation | Ticket bought via an agency or OTA |
| Examples | Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking, Trip.com |
| Common issue | The airline redirects you to the agency, or the agency redirects you to the airline |
| Request concerned | Recoverable taxes and fees |
| Full ticket price | Not automatically refundable |
| Correct contact | Often the seller or issuer of the ticket |
| Possible fees | Vary by channel, but regulated in France for the taxes concerned |
| Refund guaranteed? | No |
Who to contact depending on your situation?
| Situation | Recommended contact |
|---|---|
| You paid on the airline's website | The airline |
| You paid on Opodo / eDreams / Expedia / Trip.com | The relevant agency first |
| You paid on Booking | Booking or the agency shown on the confirmation |
| The airline issued the ticket but the agency received the payment | Start with the agency, then the airline if necessary |
| The agency refuses and tells you to see the airline | Ask for written confirmation and contact the airline with the proof |
| The airline refuses and tells you to see the agency | Go back to the agency with the airline's reply |
Opodo case
Start with your account area or Opodo customer service. Check your booking reference, the airline reference if available, the ticket number and any intermediary fees (up to €30 / $30 depending on Opodo's terms, distinct from the French cap that applies to taxes).
eDreams case
Start with your eDreams account area. Check whether your booking is linked to a subscription or Prime benefit, or whether you purchased a cancellation option — these offers are separate from a standard tax refund request.
Expedia case
Start with your Expedia account area. The "Change or cancel your booking" or "Refund process and timelines" sections confirm that requests often go through the Expedia account area when the booking was made via the platform.
Booking case
Booking may sell or distribute tickets via partners. Check who appears as the seller of the flight and which entity received the payment before contacting support.
Trip.com case
Start with your booking and Trip.com support. Check the Trip.com reference, the airline reference, the ticket number and the refund conditions shown.
How to request a tax refund via an agency?
The exact procedure may vary, but the general logic remains the same.
Find your booking references
Agency/OTA reference, airline reference if available, ticket number, passenger name, flight number, flight date, email used and proof of payment.
Identify who received the payment
Check your receipt, bank statement or confirmation email: the airline, the OTA, a partner agency or a payment provider.
Check whether the flight was used or not
The tax request generally concerns an unused ticket (flight not taken, missed flight or a personal cancellation).
Contact the seller of the ticket first
If the ticket was bought via Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking or Trip.com, generally start with the agency.
Contact the airline if the agency redirects you
Attach your OTA booking, the agency's written reply, the airline reference and the ticket number.
Keep complete proof
Messages sent to the OTA and the airline, dates sent, acknowledgments of receipt, case numbers and any replies received.
Follow up if necessary
If you have not received a reply after a reasonable time, send a short follow-up message.
Message template for Opodo, eDreams, Expedia, Booking or Trip.com
Subject: Request for a refund of recoverable taxes – unused plane ticket
Hello,
I booked a plane ticket via your platform and did not use this flight.
I would like to request a refund of the recoverable taxes and fees linked to this unused ticket.
Passenger name:
Agency booking reference:
Airline reference if available:
Ticket number:
Airline:
Flight number:
Flight date:
Email address used for the booking:
Could you please let me know whether this request should be handled by your service or directly by the airline.
Best regards,
If the agency and the airline keep redirecting you to each other, always ask for a written reply before contacting the other party again.
Common mistakes to avoid
Contacting only the airline without checking the seller
If you bought via an OTA, the airline may redirect you to the agency.
Contacting only the agency without the airline reference
The agency may need the airline reference or ticket number to process the request.
Confusing OTA fees and taxes
An OTA's service fees are not necessarily refundable taxes.
Not keeping proof
Without written proof, it will be harder to follow up on your request.
Guides available for your airline
Premium guide pricing
Premium guides give you a procedure tailored to each airline, with a message template and mistakes to avoid.
Choose my airline's guide →Secure payment · Instant access · No guaranteed refund
What our guides do not guarantee
- –that the agency or the airline will accept your request
- –that no processing fees will apply
- –a specific response time
- –that the full ticket price will be refunded
The refund depends on the agency, the airline, the ticket, the country of departure, the taxes actually paid, the purchase channel and the applicable conditions.
Independent site, not affiliated with any airline
Flight Tax Refund is an independent site. The site is not affiliated with Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet, Air France, KLM or any other airline mentioned.
Our guides are practical informational resources. They do not constitute personalized legal advice and do not guarantee that you will obtain a refund.
In summary
- –If you bought via an OTA, the correct contact is often the seller of the ticket.
- –The request should be sent to the seller of the ticket: the airline or the agency, depending on the case.
- –In France, certain taxes and fees can be refunded if the ticket was not used for transport.
- –The online request is free in France, and offline fees are capped at 20% of the amount refunded.
- –An OTA's service fees are not necessarily refundable.
- –Keep all proof: messages, screenshots, references, replies.
- –No refund is guaranteed.
Frequently asked questions about tickets bought via an OTA
Ready to prepare your request?
Start by identifying your airline, then use the matching guide to prepare a clear request.
Useful sources
- – Service-Public.fr: refund of the airport tax and passenger fee
- – Service-Public.fr: letter template to claim the airport tax and passenger fee
- – Légifrance: French Consumer Code, article L224-66
- – INC Conso: recovering taxes and fees after a flight cancellation
- – Opodo Terms and Conditions
- – eDreams Help
- – Expedia Help