Kiss Flights Refund - Still waiting

slyracoon

Did anyone else have flights cancelled due to the collapse of Kiss flights? Anyone received their refund yet?

I had a flight booked back in september and following the collapse of Kiss flights I followed the travel agents (lowcostholidays.com) instructions and filled in the ATOL claim form and returned it to them at the end of sept/start of Nov.

Everytime I call or email they seem to have a different excuse, initially they said 4-6 weeks then they said it would be before christmas and just before christmas they said 2-3 weeks (which have now passed). It may not be lowcostholidays fault it could be the CAA delaying things.

Any thoughts what I can do to try and apply some pressure, who should I be contacting, ABTA? CAA? lowcostholidays.com?

Its now costing be considerable interest charges on my overdraft!

Randy

I`m still waiting for my Goldtail money.

Booked the holiday on 15th July, they went bust on the 16th.

I`d av thought that was a cut and dried case "Here sir, here`s your money back".. nope. Huntswood CAA don`t even answer the phone now. Left 3 messages this week and nothin !!

tompo

I'm in the same boat.

Been waiting for a refund over £1000.

Had same excuses as original poster. First off it was CAA's fault and now its their insurer.

Make no bones about it. It is Lowcostholidays fault. I understand that ATOL have entered in to an agreement with some companies, including Lowcostholidays, for the companies to process refunds.

Worth noting that people who booked Goldtrail/Kiss flights with other companies have been refunded by CAA (ATOL) so why not Lowcostholidays?

It is an absolute disgrace.

Lots of people in same boat.

I will be pursuing this through Small Claims Court and also conatcting ABTA and BBC's Watchdog. I suggest others do likewise.

ellievf

Hi,

I booked flights through an online agent 'Bookable Holidays' (bloomin wish I hadn't!). We are still waiting for a refund of just over a £1000. Worst thing is - most of that doesn't belong to me! But as I booked it, I feel responsible for getting it back.

Having been told last year that there wouldn't be a problem getting the refund, it just might take a couple of months - I called two weeks ago to find out what was happening and they said that it was now being dealt with as a 'Supplier Failure' insurance claim.

They did tell me I'd receive a letter within a couple of days explaining everything - letter received?.......of course not! Anyone else get the feeling they have a book called 'kiss fob off of the week'?!

I think I am going to demand more information about the insurance company they are using and try that route. At least I might feel that I am getting a more honest response.

Will certainly never book with an online agent again!

I wonder if anyone else that booked through an online agent like 'lowcost' or 'bookable' have had a refund.........

HXDave

Just to clarify for some people:

If someone booked with an online agent and they used Kiss flights / Goldtrail flights and then 'packaged' this with accommodation and / or transfers from another company, whilst the holiday 'may' be ATOL protected (and i use that term loosely), it is not the responsibility of the CAA to refund as, effectively, the holiday company has not gone bust. If lowcost holidays or bookable holidays (or anyone similar) had 'packaged' the holiday together using their ATOL, then they are the operator, and as they have not gone bust, the CAA are not interested.

Effectively, its just like Thomson Holidays offering you a holiday and, for some reason, they contract Airline X to operate the flight. If Airline X then goes out of business (like Kiss & Goldtrail flights did), then it is upto the operator responsible to either contract new flights or offer a full refund for being unable to supply the holiday.

Lowcostholidays & Bookable (and similar companies) should effectively refund your monies, which would normally be covered by their insurance cover. However i would bet that due to the massive impact both these companies have had in failing so close together and with so many people affected, the insurance companies either cannot cope or - worse case scenario - cannot afford.

Fingers crossed for you all.

HXDave

Alan_Bowen

Bookable has appeared a lot on this forum, they are not making any CAA claims, so for once it is clear that it is not the CAA to blame. They, Bookable, were acting as the operator and buying in seats from Kiss, it is Bookable's responsibility to repay you. They have been promising refunds from their insurers for months but it appears that no one has got a penny. I have increasing doubts that the insurers are ever going to pay and since this was an ATOL package holiday I think your best bet is to make a complaint, making it clear you are not making a claim against the CAA, to The Consumer Affairs Department, CAA, 45-59 Kingsway London WC2B 6TE and send a copy to Bookable so they know what you are doing

The_Generals_Wife

Hi Everyone, Had booked flights with Goldtrail and was due to travel late July. The claim form was sent in on my return around the 13 August. Just to let you know that I was paid out at the beginning of December (No I'm not gloating) although it was about £70 short because the invoice didn't show fuel supplement but Travel Republic charged me for this. Good luck with all your claims

HXDave

TGW,

how can Travel Republic charge you for a fuel surcharge if a) you didn't travel and b) it was not shown on the invoice?

I would query this with them.

HXDave

livvy42

I was due to fly with Kiss.com. August, then we got new flights £1300 for 3. Lowcost holidays have a very shoddy custmers service, Now i email everyday but always the same answer. iam thinking of emailing watch dog and get this sorted what a total farce. people i know have had refunds, one flew out 2 weeks after me. that money is my rent what do I do end up on the street. I am a lone parent with 3 kids.

Alan_Bowen

I suspect it wasn't a fuel surcharge but an additional fee Travel Republic had charged the Generals Wife for the pleasure of booking through them. The CAA will only pay out the cost shown on the invoice issued by Goldtrail as Travel Republic have no ATOL of their own

The_Generals_Wife

Thanks HXDave, wrote a letter to Travel Republic and included copy of Goldtrail invoice. Got a call to say that cheque will be with us within 3 weeks, no questions.