Is eDreams a Scam?

If you’re thinking of booking a holiday through eDreams, you need to know whether it’s safe. Is eDreams a scam? 

Below, we explain whether eDreams is a scam and discuss some steps you can take to improve your safety when using this travel agency. 

What Is eDreams?

eDreams is an online travel agency and a subsidiary of eDreams ODIGEO. It sells flights, hotels, car rentals, and holiday packages through its website and mobile apps.

The company gets flight information from big booking systems and airlines, compares the options, and then sells them to customers. Besides flights, it also sells hotels, vacation packages, train tickets, and travel insurance.

It operates in 44 countries and launched a subscription program called Prime in 2017.

eDreams ODIGEO was listed on the Madrid Stock Exchange in 2014.

Is eDreams a Scam?

No, eDreams is not a scam. It’s a legitimate online travel agency and holds licenses to sell flights and travel packages. 

However, many third-party publications and review sites hesitate to recommend eDreams. 

For example, Jack’s Flight Club says: “Even when eDreams comes up cheapest, we’d hesitate due to the risk of being booked on the wrong flights or being hit with hidden fees like our members.” 

User reviews of eDreams are very mixed. eDreams scores well on some review sites but poorly on others as of this writing:

• 4.3 out of 5.0 stars (from 375,454 reviews) on Trustpilot. 
• 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (from 206,437 reviews) on Google Play.
• 4.5 out of 5.0 stars (from 46,929 reviews) on the App Store.
• 4.1 out of 5.0 stars (from 12,829 reviews) on SiteJabber.
• 3.09 out of 5.0 stars (from 1,250 reviews) on Better Business Bureau. 
• 1.0 out of 5.0 stars (from 485 reviews) on Yelp.
• 1.0 out of 5.0 stars (from 604 reviews) on Trustindex.io. 
• 2.2 out of 5.0 stars (from 3,821 reviews) on ProductReview.   

Customers who left positive feedback report that customer service was helpful and polite, that agents successfully canceled subscriptions or resolved requests, and that communication was clear and friendly. Some bookings worked smoothly with no issues.

Most low-star reviews (of which there are many) focus on the eDreams Prime membership and the transparency of the booking process. Multiple customers allege they were inadvertently enrolled in the Prime subscription service due to the design of the checkout process.

In its Prime terms and conditions, eDreams generally states that the Prime membership fee is non-refundable once charged.

Some customers report finding that the discounted Prime prices were similar to standard fares found directly on airline websites.

Some travelers also experienced issues with booking errors that the company failed to resolve.  

Several say that eDreams booked them into no-luggage or ultra-basic fares without clear notice. 

On online forums like Reddit, Rick Steves’ Europe community, and Tripadvisor, people frequently report negative experiences with eDream. 

Many people say eDreams shouldn’t be “trusted” for hassle-free bookings. They advise booking directly with the airline unless you’re ready to read all the fine print and accept extra risks. 

The most common issue raised is users reporting they were enrolled in eDreams Prime without realizing it.

eDreams is Better Business Bureau (BBB) accredited and holds an “A+” rating on the BBB website (see our review of whether the BBB is a scam) at the time of writing. 

The company received a total of 632 complaints on the BBB website over the last three years, with 196 of these complaints closed within the past 12 months. 

eDreams consumer complaints and investigations 

In 2022, the nonprofit consumer advocacy organization Consumer NZ warned people not to use eDreams because many customers reported being unable to obtain refunds or assistance. 

The CPC Network, led by the Swedish Consumer Agency and the European Commission, is in high-level talks with four major airline intermediaries (including eDreams) to address suspected consumer-law breaches around flight-cancellation information, refunds, and customer service.

eDreams security

eDreams describes its security measures in its privacy policy. 

These include encrypting and pseudonymizing data, using secure HTTPS connections, and maintaining industry-recognized certifications such as ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and PCI DSS. 

eDreams also ensures that third-party payment service providers remain compliant. 

Systems are designed to maintain confidentiality, integrity, availability, and resilience, with safeguards in place to prevent unauthorized access and verify identity when needed. 

The company has procedures in place for restoring data in the event of incidents and regularly conducts security audits to evaluate and enhance its security measures.

As of this writing, there have been no major publicly reported data breaches associated with eDreams.

eDreams privacy

eDreams explains in its privacy policy the types of data it collects, why, and with whom it shares this data.

It may collect the following personal information:

• Identification/contact details (e.g., name, email).
• Account information and settings.
• Payment details.
• Travel and booking details.
• Communication records (emails, chats, calls).
• Device and browsing data collected automatically.

The company processes your data mainly to provide travel booking and related services (i.e., booking services, user account management, communication, marketing, legal compliance, etc.)

eDreams may share your data with service providers (e.g., airlines, hotels, payment processors), companies within its corporate group, and authorities if required by law. Some of these recipients may be located outside the EU, but they utilize legal safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect the data.

The company retains your personal data only as long as necessary to provide services, fulfill legal obligations, resolve disputes, and prevent fraud. 

However, it provides detailed retention timelines. It states that generally, it retains data for up to 10 years after your last interaction with the company. Unfinished bookings may be stored for up to 1 year for security reasons. 

Some situations have different retention periods, such as 3 years for data protection inquiries and 10 years for tax or accounting requirements.

If you enter your email but don’t complete a booking through eDreams, the company will retain the email for up to 7 days to assist you in finishing the process. 

For marketing and personalized offers, your data is used until you unsubscribe or up to 2 years after your last interaction (or after your Prime account expires). 

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time, but service-related messages will continue to be sent.

When data processing is based on your consent, it is retained for up to 3 years or until you withdraw consent. Device and browsing analytics are kept for 2 years. 

Users have privacy rights, including the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the use of their data, and withdraw their consent at any time.

Should You Use eDreams?

Depends.

eDreams may suit travelers who want to compare prices across hundreds of airlines, access low‑cost carriers not found on some sites, and bundle flights with hotels or car rentals, particularly if they plan to use the Prime subscription for frequent travel.

Travelers who value responsive customer service, transparent pricing, and direct booking may prefer to book with airlines or reputable local agents to avoid hidden fees, surprise subscriptions, and complex refund processes.

How to Use eDreams Safely and Privately 

• Check the total price. eDreams often displays a base fare initially, with taxes, service fees, or luggage costs added later in the booking flow.
• Watch for the Prime subscription opt-in. The most common complaint about eDreams is being enrolled in Prime without realizing it. When booking through eDreams, look for checkboxes or banners labeled “Try Prime – discount applied.” If you see a price labeled “Prime price”, it means you’re being signed up.
• Use a virtual or one-time payment card. Doing so can help you avoid any surprise renewals.
• Create a burner email address. eDreams can use your email for booking updates (necessary), marketing (optional), and personalized offers (optional). To reduce email clutter and limit long-term data retention, consider using a secondary email address. 
• Verify baggage allowances. Some people have complained about eDreams booking “basic” fares that do not include cabin baggage. To avoid this, during booking, look for fare codes such as Basic, Light/Hand-Luggage Only, and/or confirm baggage on the airline’s website after booking. 
• Confirm your booking with the airline. Once you receive your confirmation number from eDreams, locate it on the airline’s website and verify that the names are spelled correctly, the dates and times are accurate, and baggage is included (if you have paid for it). 
• Set a reminder to cancel Prime. If you ended up in Prime by accident or want to try it, set a calendar reminder for one month before renewal, or cancel right away if you don’t plan to use it. Remember: Prime fees are usually non-refundable.
• Exercise your privacy rights. You have the right to access your data, correct it, delete it, restrict or object to its use, and withdraw consent at any time. You can exercise your rights through a form on eDreams’ website (available through its privacy policy).