I booked a roundtrip flight from Bangkok (BKK) to Hong Kong (HKG) through Agoda (Booking ID: 1418745613). Unfortunately, I had to cancel my trip and requested a refund for unused airport taxes, which is a standard practice in the airline industry—even when flights are non-refundable.I contacted Hong Kong Airlines, who clearly informed me that my ticket was issued by Agoda’s partner agency (Bangkok+GM Tour and Travel Co. Ltd) and that I needed to contact Agoda for the tax refund.When I reached out to Agoda, they responded by saying:“Tax refund of any flight booking is always less than 20 USD, thus, no refund will be processed accordingly.”Additionally, they impose a service fee of $20 to $50 per passenger even for tax refunds—which in my case, meant the refund amount (approx. $15–$20) was entirely taken by Agoda.This policy is deeply unfair and intentionally discourages customers from claiming refunds they’re entitled to. The refund doesn’t go back to the customer—it’s quietly absorbed as a “service charge” that was never made clear during booking.I’m disappointed with: • The lack of transparency in Agoda’s refund policy. • The fact that the tax refund process is blocked by fees. • How Agoda passes responsibility back and forth with airlines and agents.This experience has made me lose trust in Agoda for booking flights. I will be using other platforms going forward that have clearer, fairer refund policies—even if the price is slightly higher.If you’re considering using Agoda for flights: Be cautious.
