KIWI Flight Chaos - Refund Help

ohdearlouise

I'd love any help from anyone with experience of kiwi.com & how to get a refund.

Part of my family live in the States, my cousin is getting married in August. My Mum booked flights 3 weeks ago from London -> Michigan for myself & parents via kiwi.com after researching appropriate flights on Skyscanner. Flights chosen included 1 layover with flights of 8hr to NY JFK + 2hr15 from JFK to Michigan. All fine. She used her credit card.

Yesterday, kiwi.com have amended the booking to include a layover which is impossible to make & are essentially refusing to refund the booking so we can make alternative arrangements. We arrive in JFK at 3:55pm, they've then added another layover which leaves at 11:29am. Which we obviously can't make as we'll still be in the air...! Their email has bold, red lettering stating 'THIS CONNECTION IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE'.

Their alternative options to this condundrum from kiwi are:

- a selection of routes that take from 24hrs to 38hrs to travel the original 10hr route INCLUDING paying an additional cost of £1,400. Obviously none of these flights are suitable due to length AND the demand for additional payment. 

- offering a refund of 200euro in 'kiwi credit' ... the flights cost near £3,000!

- finally, they'll try to refund 'as much as possible' from the airlines within 6 weeks. 

The final suggestion sounds like a full refund simply isn't possible. The options are awful, we simply want a full refund so we can go ahead with booking with another company.

My Mum called kiwi yesterday (expensive international rate phone number) & got through to an Indian call centre. They were very unhelpful, stating they're 'just a travel agent' and we've 'been offered alternatives'. When stating none were suitable, he essentially said that's not his problem.

Surely, if you've purchased A to B, B to C, as an itinerary, when A to B, B to C is no longer available, a refund should be offered?! I could understand if we'd purchased A to B through Airline 1 and B to C through Airline 2, if Airline 1 cancelled/made changes, Airline 2 isn't going to care about our agreement/flight purchase and offer a refund. That would be expected. We've specifically purchased a route with one service provider to not have this issue.

Now we're being held to ransom of paying an additonal £1,500 to fly the same route over double the transit time or lose money because they can't guarantee a full refund. I just don't know what to do. My Mum is understandably beside herself, as am I. She paid with a credit card & has notified them of the situation, but doing some brief research online it looks like kiwi.com gets out of chargebacks quite frequently.

Devongardener

Unfortunately Kiwi are not ATOL registered and have some poor reviews.  They are just  travel agents and it seems known for taking bookings for  non existent flights which they then charge more to rebook.

Westin

Devongardener said:

Unfortunately Kiwi are not ATOL registered and have some poor reviews.  They are just  travel agents and it seems known for taking bookings for  non existent flights which they then charge more to rebook.

They are also not even a U.K. business. They operate from the Czech Republic.

Westin

ohdearlouise said:

I'd love any help from anyone with experience of kiwi.com & how to get a refund.

Part of my family live in the States, my cousin is getting married in August. My Mum booked flights 3 weeks ago from London -> Michigan for myself & parents via kiwi.com after researching appropriate flights on Skyscanner. Flights chosen included 1 layover with flights of 8hr to NY JFK + 2hr15 from JFK to Michigan. All fine. She used her credit card.

Yesterday, kiwi.com have amended the booking to include a layover which is impossible to make & are essentially refusing to refund the booking so we can make alternative arrangements. We arrive in JFK at 3:55pm, they've then added another layover which leaves at 11:29am. Which we obviously can't make as we'll still be in the air...! Their email has bold, red lettering stating 'THIS CONNECTION IS IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE'.

Their alternative options to this condundrum from kiwi are:

- a selection of routes that take from 24hrs to 38hrs to travel the original 10hr route INCLUDING paying an additional cost of £1,400. Obviously none of these flights are suitable due to length AND the demand for additional payment. 

- offering a refund of 200euro in 'kiwi credit' ... the flights cost near £3,000!

- finally, they'll try to refund 'as much as possible' from the airlines within 6 weeks. 

The final suggestion sounds like a full refund simply isn't possible. The options are awful, we simply want a full refund so we can go ahead with booking with another company.

My Mum called kiwi yesterday (expensive international rate phone number) & got through to an Indian call centre. They were very unhelpful, stating they're 'just a travel agent' and we've 'been offered alternatives'. When stating none were suitable, he essentially said that's not his problem.

Surely, if you've purchased A to B, B to C, as an itinerary, when A to B, B to C is no longer available, a refund should be offered?! I could understand if we'd purchased A to B through Airline 1 and B to C through Airline 2, if Airline 1 cancelled/made changes, Airline 2 isn't going to care about our agreement/flight purchase and offer a refund. That would be expected. We've specifically purchased a route with one service provider to not have this issue.

Now we're being held to ransom of paying an additonal £1,500 to fly the same route over double the transit time or lose money because they can't guarantee a full refund. I just don't know what to do. My Mum is understandably beside herself, as am I. She paid with a credit card & has notified them of the situation, but doing some brief research online it looks like kiwi.com gets out of chargebacks quite frequently.

This will be the key part. You are correct with your expectation but please double check to see what was actually booked. Many of Kiwi’s ‘cheap’ deals are a combination of separate flights with self-connections rather than the expected thru ticket.  These might be cheaper but (as you now discover) come with a whole lot of pain when things change in schedules.

If a self-connection arrangement then the ‘Kiwi Guarantee’ may have been offered at time of booking. This is a wishy-washy type of ‘guarantee’ that should mean that Kiwi will provide a second flight if you miss the connection.  I have a feeling however it is a reactive guarantee rather than one that should be acted on now you know the connection is impossible.

If however a connected ticket then it is possible that the airline system has yet to pickup and correct the mis connection. Sometimes it can take a few days for airline systems to catch up, identify a problem and rebook the second segment.

1. Check what you bought. Self-connection protected with the Kiwi guarantee, or a true one thru ticket trip.
2. Look at alternative options and be ready to suggest these to Kiwi/airline. An earlier departure from London, or a later connection between New York and Michigan.

Caz3121

As per post on another forum- keep the Norse flights, request refund on the cancelled JetBlue flight (may not be much to get back after kiwi fees) and book alternative flights from jfk to Dtw (look at delta direct) 
there is always risk with separate tickets (quick kiwi commonly offer) that one of flights could be cancelled or rescheduled which means the journey no longer works. JetBlue stops the jfk-dtw direct flights 13th June.

daveyjp

If its Norse and Jetblue they are no doubt 'self transfer' flights booked through a foreign based online bucket shop.

The flights advertised may never have existed, but money is taken and they then try and find the flights you think you have booked, if they fail they charge more and don't offer refunds without a fight, which through foreign jurisdiction is very difficult, it is classic bait and switch tactic.

Its terrible, but very easy now everything is online.  I'd sack off Kiwi and put time into fighting for a refund through s75.

Find a respected UK based agent and tell them you want through tickets, or if you have confidence use Google flights and book directly through airline websites.

Westin

daveyjp said:

If its Norse and Jetblue they are no doubt 'self transfer' flights booked through a foreign based online bucket shop.

The flights advertised may never have existed, but money is taken and they then try and find the flights you think you have booked, if they fail they charge more and don't offer refunds without a fight, which through foreign jurisdiction is very difficult, it is classic bait and switch tactic.

Its terrible, but very easy now everything is online.  I'd sack off Kiwi and put time into fighting for a refund through s75.

Find a respected UK based agent and tell them you want through tickets, or if you have confidence use Google flights and book directly through airline websites.

I'm not sure that would work if the OP's mum was told she was buying separate 'self-connect' tickets.  Both reservations are valid.

bagand96

Devongardener said:

Unfortunately Kiwi are not ATOL registered and have some poor reviews.  They are just  travel agents and it seems known for taking bookings for  non existent flights which they then charge more to rebook.

ATOL membership has no relevance given it's a financial scheme that protects against Tour Operator failure.  You may be thinking of ABTA - but also i don't think this would help here either.

ohdearlouise said:

Surely, if you've purchased A to B, B to C, as an itinerary, when A to B, B to C is no longer available, a refund should be offered?! I could understand if we'd purchased A to B through Airline 1 and B to C through Airline 2, if Airline 1 cancelled/made changes, Airline 2 isn't going to care about our agreement/flight purchase and offer a refund. That would be expected. We've specifically purchased a route with one service provider to not have this issue.

Unfortunately though that is exactly what you have done.  You've purchased completely separate flights from completely separate airlines.  You've just done so at the same time on the same website.  But that doesn't change things, the airlines have no responsibility to you in respect of each others schedules.  It's called a self connection.  As above Kiwi offer a very wishy washy guarantee which unfortunately you're finding out is useless.

Seems like you've had some advice from another source to help try and salvage things - hopefully you can do something with that.

ohdearlouise

We made contact with kiwi to request a refund just for the domestic flight, since they can't offer a like for like flight (JetBlue no longer offer direct flights from JFK to DTW from June) & accept the international flight - which would allow us to make alternative arrangements getting to DTW. However they refused stating they don't accept partial refunds.

So, when it suits kiwi, two flights form a 'package' though from the customer's point of view they're in no way connected. Surely, they can't have it both ways!

Voyager2002

ohdearlouise said:

We made contact with kiwi to request a refund just for the domestic flight, since they can't offer a like for like flight (JetBlue no longer offer direct flights from JFK to DTW from June) & accept the international flight - which would allow us to make alternative arrangements getting to DTW. However they refused stating they don't accept partial refunds.

So, when it suits kiwi, two flights form a 'package' though from the customer's point of view they're in no way connected. Surely, they can't have it both ways!

This is a rare situation in which the credit card might help. You have a contract with Kiwi to provide valid air tickets, and if Kiwi fail to provide these then the credit card provider offers some protection.

Most people have issues because of what the airlines do, and since Kiwi is an intermediary between the customer and the airlines the credit card is no help. In this case I am sure that JetBlue are offering a refund for the cancelled flights but Kiwi seems unwilling to pass it on as they are legally obliged to do, and so Section 75 protection from the credit card might be relevant.

kahar

I would be very interested if anyone has got a refund from Kiwi. Booked through them (unfortunately hadn`t read the reviews) for 4 people to Isle of Man from Zurich going through Dublin. Part of flight was changed making it impossible to connect to Zurich. A few options available but very expensive and some with an extra night in a hotel needed or leaving IOM earlier.  With a small child in our party this was just not an option so had to cancel and request a Refund. So far they have offered us 65chf from an original price of over 1400chf!!

I can`t afford to lose this money and have tried writing, ringing up Aer Lingus and my credit card. Becoming very frustrated and annoyed as as Airline changed flight so am entitled to this or part of the money back.