Often times

[IStillMissBlockbuster]

I hear this in American English but never in English proper
I guess it makes sense as a word because we use sometimes so commonly but is it just an old word that fell out of favour here in the UK?

True it does make sense, but not needed.
Is there a context where simply "often" wouldn't do?

No. It sounds weird to me as well. I'd like to know more about it actually because sometimes makes more sense as a contraction of "some of the time". You just don't need often times.