Opodo
European online travel brand offering flight, accommodation and package-holiday bookings.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Opodo is a European online travel brand and online travel agency that enables customers to search and book air travel, accommodation and package holidays. It operates as part of eDreams ODIGEO, the Barcelona-headquartered travel group whose portfolio also includes other online travel brands. Opodo is principally associated with European consumer travel distribution rather than with operating aircraft, hotels or other travel infrastructure. The brand was created in 2001 by a consortium of European airlines. The participating carriers included British Airways, Air France, Alitalia, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Austrian Airlines and Finnair. The initiative emerged partly in response to the prospect of the United States-based online travel company Orbitz expanding into Europe. By establishing a jointly backed digital platform, the airlines sought to participate directly in the growing online travel-booking market. Opodo's initial management structure included Giovanni Bisignani, a former Alitalia chief executive, and Nicolas De Santis, formerly chief marketing officer of the London-based digital-currency company beenz.com. The first Opodo website launched in Germany in November 2001, followed by launches in the United Kingdom in January 2002 and France in April 2002. David P. Scowsill became chief executive in 2002, succeeding interim chief executive Simon Tucker. In 2004, Amadeus IT Group acquired Opodo for €62 million. The acquisition moved the business from an airline consortium model into the ownership of a major travel-technology company. Opodo continued to expand its geographic and product footprint, including the launch of an Italian website in 2006. That year it also introduced one-way combinable fares, allowing travelers to construct an itinerary using tickets from different airlines within one booking process, subject to the applicable fare and booking conditions. Opodo became part of eDreams ODIGEO in 2011 after the combination of Opodo, eDreams and GoVoyages under private-equity ownership. This transaction placed the brand within a larger European online travel platform with shared technology, marketing and distribution capabilities. In 2012, Opodo released a mobile travel application designed to combine flight, hotel, last-minute and holiday-package search and booking in one interface. The brand has increasingly used subscription and data-led services alongside conventional transaction-based booking. Opodo Prime, introduced in 2017, offers members reduced prices on eligible flights, accommodation and package holidays in exchange for an annual fee. Hotel benefits were added in 2020. In the United Kingdom, Opodo also introduced a flight-price index dashboard in 2020, using aggregated fare information to compare current prices with prices from the preceding year. Opodo remains an active consumer-facing brand within eDreams ODIGEO. Its current proposition combines online flight distribution with accommodation, package travel and subscription benefits, supported by the parent group's technology and customer-service systems. Publicly available reference material does not establish a separate current corporate headquarters, independent listing or standalone stock ticker for Opodo.
History
Opodo was established in 2001 by a group of European airlines seeking a direct position in online travel distribution. The founding consortium included British Airways, Air France, Alitalia, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Aer Lingus, Austrian Airlines and Finnair. The project was influenced by the anticipated expansion of Orbitz, a United States online travel company, into European markets. The participating airlines responded by creating their own cross-border booking platform. The business's early management included Giovanni Bisignani and Nicolas De Santis. Opodo launched first in Germany in November 2001, then expanded to the United Kingdom in January 2002 and France in April 2002. David P. Scowsill became chief executive in 2002 after Simon Tucker's interim tenure. These launches established Opodo as a multi-market European online travel intermediary rather than a single-country booking site. A major ownership change occurred in 2004, when Amadeus IT Group acquired Opodo for €62 million. The transaction connected Opodo with a major provider of travel technology and distribution infrastructure. In 2006, Opodo expanded its Italian presence and introduced one-way combinable fares, an offering intended to give travelers more flexibility by combining tickets from separate airlines within a single booking flow. In 2011, Opodo became part of eDreams ODIGEO after Opodo, eDreams and GoVoyages were combined under private-equity ownership. The transaction created a larger European online travel group with shared technology, customer acquisition and operational capabilities. Opodo subsequently broadened its digital proposition. Its 2012 mobile application allowed users to search and book flights, hotels, last-minute deals and holiday packages in one environment. The brand later moved beyond conventional booking commissions and transaction services through Opodo Prime, a paid annual subscription launched in 2017. Prime offered members discounts on eligible flights, hotels and package holidays. Hotel accommodation was added to the programme in June 2020. Also in 2020, Opodo introduced a United Kingdom flight-price index dashboard that compared current airfares with those of the previous year, using aggregated information from hundreds of airlines. In the 2020s, Opodo's customer-service operations were increasingly supported by automation and artificial-intelligence technology developed or deployed by eDreams ODIGEO. Reference material describes enhanced automated support and the use of generative or agentic systems as part of efforts to improve responsiveness. Opodo continues to operate as a consumer travel brand within eDreams ODIGEO, offering flights, accommodation and package holidays across European markets. Its standalone listing status, current executive leadership and separate corporate headquarters are not established by the supplied sources.
- 2022
Customer-support automation expands
[1]Opodo uses parent-group investment in artificial intelligence and autonomous service technology to support customer interactions.
- 2020
Prime adds hotel benefits
[1]The subscription programme expands from its earlier travel benefits to include hotel accommodation.
- 2020
Flight-price index dashboard launches
[1]Opodo introduces a United Kingdom dashboard comparing current fares with the previous year's prices.
- 2017
Opodo Prime launches
[1]The brand introduces an annual subscription offering member discounts on eligible travel bookings.
- 2012
Integrated mobile application
[1]Opodo launches a mobile application covering flights, hotels, last-minute deals and holiday packages.
- 2011
Integration into eDreams ODIGEO
[1]Opodo becomes part of the group formed by combining Opodo, eDreams and GoVoyages.
- 2006
Italian expansion and combinable fares
[1]Opodo launches an Italian website and introduces one-way combinable fares.
- 2004
Acquisition by Amadeus
[1]Amadeus IT Group acquires Opodo for €62 million.
- 2002
United Kingdom and France launches
[1]The brand expands to the United Kingdom in January and France in April.
- 2001
Opodo is founded
[1]A consortium of European airlines establishes Opodo as an online travel platform in response to increasing competition from United States-based online travel companies.
Products and positioning
A European digital travel-booking brand combining flight distribution with accommodation, package holidays and subscription-based member savings.
Online travel booking · 2001
Flight booking
Flight booking is Opodo's core service. The platform allows customers to search airfares across multiple airlines and purchase eligible itineraries through a digital interface. Its 2006 one-way combinable-fare feature enabled customers to combine tickets from different carriers, giving the brand a more flexible distribution proposition than a simple single-airline booking channel. Availability, fare rules and ticket conditions depend on the airlines and markets involved.
Online travel booking
Accommodation booking
Opodo offers hotel and accommodation search and booking alongside air travel. Accommodation became particularly important to the brand's subscription proposition when hotel benefits were added to Opodo Prime in 2020. The service is positioned as part of a broader travel-shopping experience rather than as a separately owned lodging business.
Package travel
Holiday packages
Opodo's package-holiday service combines travel components through the online platform. Package offerings are part of the brand's broader effort to move beyond standalone flight transactions and provide customers with a more complete trip-booking journey. The supplied sources do not specify the full range of package destinations or supplier arrangements.
Travel subscription · 2017
Opodo Prime
Opodo Prime is an annual paid subscription programme launched in 2017. Members receive discounted prices on eligible flights, hotels and holiday packages. The programme forms part of eDreams ODIGEO's wider subscription strategy, giving Opodo a recurring-revenue component in addition to conventional booking-related income. Eligibility, pricing and savings can vary by market and booking.
Travel data tool · 2020
Flight price index dashboard
Introduced in the United Kingdom in 2020, the flight price index dashboard compared current airfares with prices from the prior year. It used aggregated fare information from hundreds of airlines to show year-on-year pricing trends and help consumers assess the broader direction of ticket prices. It was an informational comparison tool rather than a separate booking product.
Brand decisions
2022
Greater use of automated customer serviceStrategyBackground
The parent group was investing in artificial intelligence and autonomous customer-service technology.
Action taken
Opodo adopted enhanced automated support systems, including technologies described in reference material as generative or agentic AI.
Aftermath
The change was intended to improve response times and support handling capacity.
2020
Expansion of Prime into hotelsOtherBackground
The subscription proposition was being extended across more parts of the travel journey.
Action taken
Hotel accommodation benefits were added to Opodo Prime.
Aftermath
Prime members could use the programme for a wider set of travel purchases.
2017
Launch of Opodo PrimeStrategyBackground
Online travel businesses were developing subscription models to encourage repeat bookings and create more predictable customer relationships.
Action taken
Opodo introduced an annual membership programme offering discounts on eligible flights, hotels and package holidays.
Aftermath
The brand added a recurring subscription element to its traditional transaction-based travel model.
2011
Combination with eDreams and GoVoyagesM&ABackground
The online travel market was consolidating around larger platforms with broader geographic reach and shared technology.
Action taken
Opodo was combined with eDreams and GoVoyages to form eDreams ODIGEO.
Aftermath
Opodo continued as a consumer-facing brand within the larger group.
2006
One-way combinable faresProduct launchBackground
Customers increasingly sought flexible itineraries and alternatives to traditional single-airline round trips.
Action taken
Opodo introduced a feature allowing tickets from different airlines to be combined for a one-way booking.
Aftermath
The feature broadened the range of itinerary combinations available through the platform.
2004
Sale to Amadeus IT GroupM&ABackground
After its launch as an airline-backed venture, Opodo entered a new ownership phase within the travel-technology sector.
Action taken
Amadeus IT Group acquired Opodo.
Aftermath
Opodo became part of Amadeus's travel-technology and distribution environment.
Acquisition price. €62 million (2004 acquisition)
2001
Airline-backed entry into online travelStrategyBackground
European airlines were responding to the growth of internet-based travel distribution and the prospect of Orbitz expanding into Europe.
Action taken
A consortium of airlines created Opodo as a shared online travel platform.
Aftermath
The decision established Opodo as a multi-market European online travel intermediary and led to website launches in Germany, the United Kingdom and France.
Recent events
- 2026
Opodo completes a share subscription agreement[1]
Other
Reference material describes a share subscription agreement as a capital transaction supporting the business and its investment strategy.
- 2022
Opodo implements enhanced customer-support technology[1]
Other
The brand used eDreams ODIGEO investment in artificial intelligence and automated service systems to handle customer-support requests.
- 2020
Prime expands to hotel accommodation[1]
Product generation
Hotel discounts and booking benefits were added to the Prime travel-subscription proposition.
- 2020
Opodo introduces a United Kingdom flight-price index dashboard[1]
Product launch
The dashboard compared current airfares with prices from the previous year using aggregated fare data.
- 2017
Opodo launches Prime subscription[1]
Product launch · Pricing
Opodo introduced an annual travel subscription offering discounted prices on eligible bookings.
- 2012
Opodo launches an integrated mobile travel application[1]
Product launch
The application brought flight, hotel, last-minute and package-holiday search and booking into one mobile platform.
- 2011
Opodo joins eDreams ODIGEO[1]
M&A
Opodo became part of the group formed through the combination of Opodo, eDreams and GoVoyages.
- 2006
Opodo introduces combinable one-way fares[1]
Product launch
The brand introduced a booking option that could combine tickets from different airlines for a one-way journey.
- 2004
Amadeus acquires Opodo[1]
M&A
Amadeus IT Group acquired the online travel business for €62 million, according to the cited historical reference.
- 2002
Opodo expands to the United Kingdom and France[1]
Other
Following its German launch, Opodo introduced websites for customers in the United Kingdom and France.
Showing the 10 most recent.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/opodo · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled