A row has erupted over the second-class treatment female Olympians receive compared to their male counterparts, including Australia's women basketballers.

Women athletes in London are up in arms after Japan's world-beating women's soccer team - a strong gold-medal chance - revealed it had flown premium economy to London while the lower-ranked men's team enjoyed business class.

The Opals are one of Australia's most successful Olympic teams. Credit:Gary Sissons

But Australia's women basketballers have confirmed they also had different travel arrangements to the men's squad for the journey to London. While the Boomers flew in business class, the Opals made the long-haul trip in premium economy - and that was an upgrade.

The Opals have never protested publicly about this longstanding treatment of national teams and players would not comment on the record today, but they do not like it and say such inequality has been a long-standing source of contention.