MSE News: Kiss Flights goes bust: your travel rights

Former_MSE_Guy

This is the discussion thread for the following MSE News Story:

"Around 80,000 holidaymakers who are either overseas or booked to travel soon face huge uncertainty ..."

Read the full story:
Kiss Flights goes bust: your travel rights

Ivenofinmoney

Hi - Last Friday :mad: I bought 5 seats on a kiss flight scheduled to leave on 23rd October from TravelRepulic.Co.UK and paid on my Credit Card - can I request a refund from TravelReplublic based on the 7 day distance selling rules ?

As an aside Tesco Credit Card company have been really un-helpful...

wouldnt increase my Credit limit by £1000 (and wouldnt give me a reason) so I could book new flights whilst the refund is sorted out, and my statement date was the day I bought the tickets and they wont issue a statment with these transactions on so I need to wait at least another 5 weeks before I can even make my claim :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

New flights have cost an extra £500 Not a happy bunny.

Didders

My girlfriend and I had booked a package holiday for a week away in Gran Canaria with a company called R-Travel. We were due to fly on Thursday this week...our flights were with Kiss Flights. Do R-Travel have an obligation to find us alternative flights to allow us to still travel on this date? If they can only offer us flights at a later date and we cannot go are we entitled to a full refund (we have paid for B&B accomodation and transfers aswell). I am best man at a wedding and therefore need to be back by a certain date. Thank you for your time.

richardw

Ivenofinmoney wrote: »

Hi - Last Friday :mad: I bought 5 seats on a kiss flight scheduled to leave on 23rd October from TravelRepulic.Co.UK and paid on my Credit Card - can I request a refund from TravelReplublic based on the 7 day distance selling rules ?

Transport is excluded from the rules.

jamesbrownontheroad

Not mentioned in the MSE article is this statement, released by Viking Airlines, who were chartered to provide flights for Kiss. They also seats on their own services, and are keen to distance their own situation from that of Kiss but who are facing a major hole in their finances as a result. Sadly this means some of their UK-based staff are facing redundancy.

Source: http://flyviking.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubDsp.dspNews

Kiss Flights update

While one of Viking’s tour operating customers, Flight Options, (Kiss Flights) has unfortunately gone into administration, Viking is financially healthy and is set to continue its normal UK operations. The company has already put into motion plans to downsize its fleet, immediately reducing the number of aircraft by three. Regrettably, this will result in some job losses, mainly in the UK. It should be noted that the majority of Viking’s operations are based in Central and Eastern Europe and in the Middle East.

For the financial year 2009, Viking Airlines reported a net profit of €3.8 million. The company also reported an equity ratio of 40%. Viking Airlines has no interest-bearing debt.

The company was formed in 2003 and is owned by European Aviation & Technical Services and Black Pearl Investments Ltd.

Customers can book seats on Viking Airlines through our website Flyviking.com
and we would like to re-emphasise our continued dedication and commitment to our customers.

If you have booked with Kiss Flights please see the CAA website at https://www.caa.co.uk for the latest information on your flights.

apt

Didders wrote: »

My girlfriend and I had booked a package holiday for a week away in Gran Canaria with a company called R-Travel. We were due to fly on Thursday this week...our flights were with Kiss Flights. Do R-Travel have an obligation to find us alternative flights to allow us to still travel on this date? If they can only offer us flights at a later date and we cannot go are we entitled to a full refund (we have paid for B&B accomodation and transfers aswell). I am best man at a wedding and therefore need to be back by a certain date. Thank you for your time.

Your position will depend on whether your booking is a package holiday or 'dynamic packaging' of separate elements. If it is a package they will have to provide alternative travel at their expense either on the same day or on a date you agree to or give you a full refund.

Didders

We booked a 7 night stay at the hotel and we were told our flights were at a certain time, from LGW. At no point were we told who we were flying with or who the flights were booked with or indeed given a choice. It certainly therefore to my mind was not a 'dynamic package'. It was a traditional package holiday booked entirely by the agent over the telephone. We will try to speak to them tomorrow, thank you for your help.

bagand96

We booked a 7 night stay at the hotel and we were told our flights were at a certain time, from LGW. At no point were we told who we were flying with or who the flights were booked with or indeed given a choice. It certainly therefore to my mind was not a 'dynamic package'. It was a traditional package holiday booked entirely by the agent over the telephone. We will try to speak to them tomorrow, thank you for your help.

A quick look on the R-Travel site, the third paragraph starts with "R-Travel Ltd is a travel agent and not a tour operator." I have a feeling you have booked a dynamic package as mentioned by apt. Probably flights with Kiss Flights, accomodation with an accomodation provider, and transfers with a transfer provider. What does your paperwork/invoice say?

Didders

Even though R Travel quoted me one price for the holiday over the phone when my credit card bill came through they did put through seperate transactions...for the flights accomodation etc. So if this is a dynamic package what rights do we have now please? I'll be honest and admit I do not really know the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent.

bagand96

Didders wrote: »

Even though R Travel quoted me one price for the holiday over the phone when my credit card bill came through they did put through seperate transactions...for the flights accomodation etc. So if this is a dynamic package what rights do we have now please? I'll be honest and admit I do not really know the difference between a tour operator and a travel agent.

Ok, RTravel basically just acted as your agent, booking flights, hotels and transfers seaparetly for you. This means your flights were with Kiss Flights, your hotel with an Accommodation company and your transfers with someone else. Three separate companies.

A traditional package, is where everything is booked with one company, the flights, hotels and transfers are all arranged by, for example Thomson. These can also be booked through a travel agents, (i.e. a Thomson Holiday can be booked at a Thomson shop, or a Thomas Cook shop, or an independant agent).

Where you stand is that you now have hotel and transfer bookings but no flight to get you there. You have a choice of finding new flights. You could do this yourself, or through RTravel. But you will need to pay for them again. If you cannot find new flights or they are too expensive you will have to see if you can cancel the hotel and transfer bookings you have. There may be charges to do this though.

You really need to speak to RTravel tomorrow to find out the finer points of where you stand and what happens if you do want to just cancel the lot.

Finally, you will get your flight money back, but you will have to claim through ATOL, so it won't be instant.

cantcope

My friend and i have booked through bookableholidays through teletext to go to Egypt flying with Kiss.....
There's no way i can afford new flights. I can't get through to them but have submitted a form through their website.

I'm gutted.