Kiwi
Jan 12, 2018, 8:47 am
#3
Join Date: Nov 2016
Posts: 16
It is quite risky. It combines carriers that are not collaborating. It is ok if you are willing to take a low price for a high risk of not making it. They say that they cover all flight loses that might arise but this is not possible. Mathematically it would create good loses for KIWI.
Sep 23, 2018, 12:16 pm
#4
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,623
I'm trying to book a one way flight from Papeete, French Polynesia via San Francisco to Las Vegas.
The 8 hour one way flight on United from Papeete to San Francisco is a surprisingly affordable $245. Then there's a $65 flight from SFO to Las Vegas two hours later on Alaska Airlines, that would make it $310 ($335 with Alaska bag fee), though that's a real tight international-domestic connection on separate tickets.
If I try to book a single ticket all the way from Papeete to Las Vegas, United quotes me $600 on United metal and all aggregators like Kayak, Momondo, etc. are showing $600+ and don't combine the United flight with that Alaska flight.
Enter Kiwi.com. It's showing $360 total for Papeete to San Francisco on United and then San Francisco to Las Vegas two hours later on Alaska.
Is there any chance that this booking on Kiwi.com will be a single ticket, such that United will interline the bag to its interline partner Alaska, and I can just clear customs, drop my bag on the re-check belt, and walk to the domestic gate to make the two hour connection?
Or if I book on Kiwi, will these be separate tickets, and I'll have to go to the check in desk in SFO to re-check the bag, pay the checked bag fee, maybe miss my connection, etc. The kiwi booking page just says I may have to re-check bags, which any connecting flight entering the USA has to do, it doesn't mention if it's separate itineraries. I'm guessing separate tickets since no other aggregator offers the route.
I could just buy the United and Alaska flights separately myself for less than the Kiwi cost. But then I wouldn't get the "Kiwi connection guarantee," whatever that's worth. Or I can buy a later flight on Alaska for $113 with a more makeable connection. Not entirely sure what to do.
The 8 hour one way flight on United from Papeete to San Francisco is a surprisingly affordable $245. Then there's a $65 flight from SFO to Las Vegas two hours later on Alaska Airlines, that would make it $310 ($335 with Alaska bag fee), though that's a real tight international-domestic connection on separate tickets.
If I try to book a single ticket all the way from Papeete to Las Vegas, United quotes me $600 on United metal and all aggregators like Kayak, Momondo, etc. are showing $600+ and don't combine the United flight with that Alaska flight.
Enter Kiwi.com. It's showing $360 total for Papeete to San Francisco on United and then San Francisco to Las Vegas two hours later on Alaska.
Is there any chance that this booking on Kiwi.com will be a single ticket, such that United will interline the bag to its interline partner Alaska, and I can just clear customs, drop my bag on the re-check belt, and walk to the domestic gate to make the two hour connection?
Or if I book on Kiwi, will these be separate tickets, and I'll have to go to the check in desk in SFO to re-check the bag, pay the checked bag fee, maybe miss my connection, etc. The kiwi booking page just says I may have to re-check bags, which any connecting flight entering the USA has to do, it doesn't mention if it's separate itineraries. I'm guessing separate tickets since no other aggregator offers the route.
I could just buy the United and Alaska flights separately myself for less than the Kiwi cost. But then I wouldn't get the "Kiwi connection guarantee," whatever that's worth. Or I can buy a later flight on Alaska for $113 with a more makeable connection. Not entirely sure what to do.
Sep 23, 2018, 12:19 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
Surely AS and UA do interline, and two hours probably is a legal international to domestic connection at SFO, so I would expect a good real live human travel agent to be able to put these segments together on a single ticket/PNR (for a ticketing fee, of course, of maybe about $50).
Sep 23, 2018, 12:46 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,623
Surely AS and UA do interline, and two hours probably is a legal international to domestic connection at SFO, so I would expect a good real live human travel agent to be able to put these segments together on a single ticket/PNR (for a ticketing fee, of course, of maybe about $50).
Sep 23, 2018, 12:58 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: UA
Posts: 444
Read some reviews of Kiwi and the challenge of getting them to honor the guarantee.
UA will not interline the bag on a separate AS ticket. Here is a thread on UA separate ticket interline policy.
UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
UA will not interline the bag on a separate AS ticket. Here is a thread on UA separate ticket interline policy.
UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
Sep 23, 2018, 1:09 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,623
Sep 23, 2018, 1:18 pm
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,409
Don't take the risk; you won't be able to verify in advance how this will be ticketed. Go to a real live human travel agent if you want the UA-AS connection.
Sep 23, 2018, 1:55 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: NYC
Programs: UA
Posts: 444
Sep 23, 2018, 2:02 pm
#11
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Ambassador, Radisson Gold, Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 3,623
Jan 11, 2019, 5:58 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2004
Programs: Legend in my own mind
Posts: 244
Stay away. My European vacation was totalled after I was left stranded for 2 days by the kiwi "guarantee" - these people are the worst in the travel business. They have thousands of bad reviews on Trip Advisor. Don't do it!
Feb 18, 2019, 1:25 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2007
Programs: BAEC OW Gold/Emerald
Posts: 538
You could give propellertravel.com a shout. I have not used them to book a ticket as yet, but a fair few people on Flyertalk have and do use them. If you find the fare on Kiwi et al they can match or possibly beat the fare and/or give a more suitable itinerary to you.
Feb 18, 2019, 2:43 pm
#15
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: NYC/PHX
Programs: IATA, Sabre, AvgeekAgent
Posts: 1,958