My Agoda Airfare Nightmare: A 99% Cancellation Fee for a 30-Minute Mistake

My Agoda Airfare Nightmare: A 99% Cancellation Fee for a 30-Minute Mistake

Let me tell you a cautionary tale about booking flights online, specifically with Agoda. It’s a story that ended with me getting back a measly 1% refund on an airline ticket, after a 99% cancellation fee was levied for a ticket I tried to cancel just 30 minutes after booking it. Yes, you read that right – 30 minutes! My mistake happened back in January, and it’s taken until July to get this infuriating resolution.

The Moment of Truth (and Error)
I was on the hunt for a great flight deal in January, diligently searching for the perfect fare. In my haste, I made a crucial error: I accidentally swapped the departure and arrival cities. The price looked surprisingly good, so I quickly hit “confirm” to snag what I thought was a fantastic deal. It was only after the payment went through that the horrifying realization dawned on me – I had booked the flight in reverse!

The Immediate (and Futile) Attempt to Rectify
Panic set in. I immediately looked for a cancellation option on the Agoda website, but there was none to be found. My only recourse was to contact customer service directly to request a refund. I explained my mistake, fully expecting some kind of cancellation fee, but I figured it wouldn’t be too bad, especially since I was requesting it literally minutes after booking. I told them I understood there might be an agency fee or a small penalty, given it was my error, and asked them to process the refund for as much as possible.

Fast forward six months to July. The response I finally received from Agoda was nothing short of infuriating. They informed me that an approximate $50 agency fee would be deducted by Agoda, and the airline itself would be keeping the remaining 95% as a cancellation penalty.
Are you kidding me?! I realized my mistake the instant I paid and requested cancellation immediately. And this is the response I get six months later?

The Blame Game and the Missing Receipts
Naturally, I demanded proof. “Okay,” I said, “if the airline is taking 95% in fees, show me the receipt or the communication from the airline stating this.” Their reply? They couldn’t provide it. They claimed they also use an intermediary agency, so they don’t receive such documentation. This immediately raised a red flag for me. How am I to know that the airline actually kept all that money, and Agoda isn’t simply pocketing a larger sum?

To make matters worse, this was a round-trip ticket with two separate booking numbers. I had requested cancellation for both immediately. Yet, they told me that the airline claimed one of the tickets had been used and therefore couldn’t be refunded. What kind of nonsense is that? I requested cancellation in January, and they’re telling me a ticket from that booking was used in February? This feels like a cruel joke.

Never Again, Agoda. Never Again.
This entire experience has been an absolute nightmare. The lack of transparency, the astronomical cancellation fee for an immediate request, and the baffling claim about a “used” ticket have left me utterly disgusted.
One thing is for sure: I will never, ever book with Agoda again. My advice to anyone considering them for airfare? Proceed with extreme caution. Or better yet, just avoid them altogether.
Do you have any similar travel booking horror stories to share? I’d love to hear them!