A family lost $24,000 after booking an airline ticket on Kiwi.com that was impossible to actually fly. Kiwi.com says the family is to blame for not checking transit restrictions, but does this incident rather show that Kiwi.com is just a scam?
After $24,000 Loss Was Family Careless Or is Kiwi.Com A Scam?
A New Zealand family needed to get from Auckland to Amsterdam fast due to a death in the family. In searching out options online, the family found a pricey but convenient connecting itinerary on China Southern from AKL to AMS via Guangzhou (CAN). Curiously, it was not available on any other online travel agency, but represented the quickest way to get to Amsterdam. So the the family purchased the tickets, allegedly spending $24,000.
But upon check-in, they were denied boarding because Mainland China is not currently allowing passenger transit due to its zero-COVID policy. The family was turned away and upon contacting Kiwi.com, were advised they should have checked all transit requirements. A China Southern airport staff member was allegedly incredulous this ticket was even sold.
The innovative thing about Kiwi.com is that it puts multiple one-way tickets together on a single itinerary, which can result in substantial cost savings or more options versus simply booking the journey on a single ticket. In this case, it booked the family on a one-way ticket from Auckland to Guangzhou and a one-way ticket from Guangzhou to Amsterdam. Nowhere was that…
