Is Kiwi.com Legit? (Beware Before Booking)

Last Updated: February 17, 2024

Kiwi.com (formerly Skypicker) typically offers cheaper prices than direct booking with the airline, but is it actually legit?

In this article, you’ll find out EXACTLY if it is a legitimate, safe, and reliable platform or A SCAM and what you should be aware of before booking through Kiwi.

Let’s get started.

Is Kiwi.com Legit?

Kiwi.com is without any doubt a legit online travel agency. However, booking a flight through it increases the risks of issues as compared to booking directly with the airline since Kiwi works as a middleman between the traveler and the airline.

Although problems can occur even with direct booking with the airline, the chances are much lower compared to booking a flight through Kiwi.com.

Here’s why:

In case you do not know, Kiwi.com basically acts as an intermediary between you and the airlines.

As a middleman, Kiwi collects your payment and is responsible for your booking, not the airline you booked with since your contract is not directly with them, it is with Kiwi.

In the event that something goes wrong between you and the airline, you will have to contact Kiwi.com and then they will reach out to the airline you are booked with and then Kiwi will get back to you.

But how fast Kiwi.com’s customer support will help you resolve your issue depends on the level of customer service you choose at the time of booking.

For those who are unaware, Kiwi.com basically offers three types of services:

1. Basic Service: Under this service, neither immediate response will be given to your phone calls nor you can contact Kiwi.com through email.
2. Plus Service: With this service, you can contact Kiwi.com through email and your phone calls will be given medium priority.
3. Premium Service: Under premium service, your phone calls will be given high priority and you can contact Kiwi.com through email.

Similarly, making changes or cancellations to bookings and getting a refund depends upon the type of ticket you purchase at the time of booking.

In case you do not know, Kiwi.com basically provides three types of tickets and each one has its own refund and booking changes rules:

1. Saver Ticket: Can neither make changes nor can get a refund if you cancel your trip.
2. Standard Ticket: You can make changes, but can’t get a refund if you cancel your trip.
3. Flexi Ticket: Can make changes and also will get a 90% refund if you cancel your trip.

Kiwi’s Flexi Ticket is the only one that offers a refund if you cancel your trip, but it is not worth purchasing because it wipes out all the savings you get over direct bookings.

In fact, booking a flight directly with the airline with the same or even better features (cancellations, changes, and refunds) can be a lot cheaper than Flexi Tickets.

And Even if you opt for Premium Customer Service and purchase a Flexi Ticket, making changes, cancellations, obtaining a refund, or resolving any other issue will still not be as convenient as in direct booking with the airline since a middleman is involved.

So to summarize everything, I would say:

Kiwi.com definitely saves you money (typically with Saver Ticket) over direct bookings with the airline and it works out just fine as long as everything goes smoothly.

But when you’re booked through Kiwi and something goes wrong or any unexpected circumstances happen, Kiwi can make things more complicated to resolve.

You’ll most likely be stuck in a lot of back and forth between the airline and Kiwi.com before your issue is resolved.

And it is quite possible that your issue may not be resolved either, especially if it is urgent due to the involvement of a middleman (Kiwi) and maybe the lack of customer support at Kiwi.

Likewise, it becomes difficult to make changes, cancellations, and get a refund (even if you opted for a flexi ticket) when you’re booked through Kiwi.

So while it is true that Kiwi.com typically offers better rates than booking directly with the airline, dealing with Kiwi.com can be a headache if things go wrong or you need to make changes, cancellations, and get a refund.

But as far as its legitimacy is concerned, Kiwi.com is certainly a legitimate online travel agency as one of its main shareholders is General Atlantic which has 53% shares in Kiwi.com. 

In case you don’t know, General Atlantic is a growth equity which invests in the world’s leading growth companies for the last 42 years to build them and achieve success.

If Kiwi.com is a scam company, how a growth equity with a 42-year investment history in major companies can invest in such a company?

Absolutely they won’t!

Moreover, Kiwi.com has been in business for the last 10 years and it is a fact that scam companies don’t survive for such a long period.

Besides these, scam companies usually run anonymously but Kiwi.com has its headquarters in Borno, Czech Republic, with offices in Barcelona, Bratislava, and Prague. 

Taking all these major factors into account, one can come to the conclusion that Kiwi.com is without any doubt a legitimate online travel agency.

So, Should You Book Flights Directly Or Through Kiwi?

If the price difference between booking a flight directly with an airline vs through Kiwi is not substantial then there is no point to book through Kiwi.com.

However, if the price difference is significant then it mostly comes down to personal comfort level.

Personally, I recommend Kiwi.com only if:

• You’re tight on a budget.
• The price difference between booking directly vs through them is substantial.
• You are pretty much sure that you won’t change or cancel your flight for a refund.
• You’re willing to take the risks associated with booking through Kiwi.
• You purchase Kiwi.com Guarantee (more on this later) but still save significant money compared to direct booking with the airline.

Besides these conditions, you must be following the tips listed below.

8 Tips To Know Before Booking Through Kiwi.com

To significantly reduce the risks of issues associated with booking a flight through, here are seven tips you need to follow:

1. Choose Your Desired Flight Service

The first and foremost thing you should do is to select the type of flight service you want.

You’re given flight services of which you must select what suits you the best, that is, either cheapest, fast, or any other. 

This is essential because if you’re in a hurry and choose the cheapest option, don’t expect this flight service to take you to your destination quickly.  

2. Add The Baggage To Your Flight

One of the major issues travelers face at the airport is that either they’ve not included the type of baggage they carry with themselves or exceed the weight limit they’ve selected at the time of booking.

Therefore, to avoid such inconveniences, properly check how much weight you’re carrying and also make sure that the type of baggage you’re carrying is according to what you’ve selected during flight booking. 

3. Enter Correct Booking Details

The most important and sensitive part of your flight booking process is to enter the booking information accurately.

Keep in mind that only a minor error can lead to the failure of your whole booking.

To make this not happen, check multiple times that the information you’re puttingthe  on Kiwi.com site is as same as they are in your Passport/ ID. 

4. Review Your Booking Details

After you’ve entered all your booking information, take a glance at the overview of your booking to make sure you’ve accurately entered the booking details.

Please note that after this stage, you can’t change your booking information after your payment is completed if you’re visiting on a Saver ticket.

5. Confirm Your Reservation With The Airline

So once your flights are booked through Kiwi.com, you must confirm your reservation with the airline to avoid any nasty surprises when you arrive at the airport.

However, you should always:

6. Make Changes, Cancellations, Or Resolve Other Issues Only Through Kiwi.com

While there are not any issues by calling the airline directly and confirming your reservation made through Kiwi.com but making changes, cancellations, or resolving any other issues directly with the airline might cause issues at the airport.

And you may also lose the liability of Kiwi.com to help you.

Therefore, you should always make changes, cancellations, or resolve other issues only through Kiwi, or else your booking will end up with failure.

7. Make Sure That You’ve All The Required Documents

Before going on your trip, it is mandatory to make sure that you’ve the passport, visa, documents required by your carrier, departure and destination country, and other such countries through which you’re passing through.

Under these conditions, Kiwi.com will not be responsible for helping you in this regard and all your time and money will go in vain.

8. Print Your E-Ticket

After your booking is completed, Kiwi.com will send you your e-ticket via email. You can also download it from the Kiwi.com app.

It is essential to print your e-ticket as in some instances, you must show the airline your e-ticket because some flights might not be eligible for online check-in.

And, there you have it!

By following these eight tips, you’re less likely to encounter any issues when booking a flight through Kiwi.com.

What Is A Kiwi.com Guarantee?

Kiwi.com Guarantee is a paid additional Kiwi.com service offered to you as an extra protection under the conditions that:

1. Your flight is either cancelled, delayed by the carrier or the carrier makes schedule changes to your flight.
2. The responsible authorities prevent you from boarding one or more carriages in your itinerary. 
3. Any other such events caused by the carrier that affect your flight.

Under these conditions, Kiwi.com is liable to either arrange an alternative flight or refund your payment based on what you want.

However, there are some conditions where the Kiwi.com guarantee doesn’t apply even if you’ve borrowed it during booking. These are:

1. You cancel or change your flight on your own.
2. Your flight is disrupted by your own fault, such as, the non-availability of your own required documents or you missed your flight.
3. Disruptions caused by circumstances beyond the control of the airline.

Hence, in these unfortunate circumstances, Kiwi.com isn’t liable to arrange an alternative flight or refund your payment.

Conclusion

Indeed, Kiwi.com is a legit online travel agency and it really offers cheaper prices (in most cases) than booking directly with the airline.

However, booking through Kiwi.com carries a higher risk of issues than booking directly with the airline due to the fact that it acts as a middleman between you and the airline.

Kiwi.com works out just fine as long as everything goes smoothly.

But Kiwi.com can be a headache to deal with if something goes wrong, any unexpected circumstances happen, or if you need to make changes, cancellations, and get a refund.

So, should you book your flights through Kiwi.com or directly with an airline? 

Well, as I said before, it mostly comes down to personal preference but should only consider booking through Kiwi.com if:

• You’re tight on a budget.
• The price difference between booking directly vs through Kiwi is substantial.
• You are pretty much sure that you won’t change or cancel your flight for a refund.
• You’re willing to take the risks associated with booking through Kiwi.
• You’ve purchased Kiwi.com Guarantee and still saving substantial money than booking directly with an airline.

Apart from these conditions, you must be following the tips listed above.

So that’s it from my side!

If you’ve any questions or want to add something, please feel free to let us know in the comment section below.

Kiwi.com FAQs

Is Kiwi.com Reliable?

Kiwi.com is a reliable platform as long as everything goes smoothly but if an issue arises, resolving it becomes a headache due to third-party involvement, Kiwi.com.

Is Kiwi.com trusted?

Kiwi.com is definitely a trusted site for booking flights as it is one of the well-known travel technology companies that has been in business since 2012 and it is used by millions of travelers all over the world.

Is Kiwi.com safe?

Kiwi.com is safe but if something goes wrong, it becomes complicated and bears extra charges to make changes or get a refund.

Does Kiwi.com refund?

If you cancel your trip on your own, not the carrier, Kiwi.com gives you a 90% refund but only if you’ve chosen the Flexi ticket service.

However, if a disruption occurs from the carrier side, Kiwi.com will refund but only if you’ve chosen Kiwi.com Guarantee for your booking.