I tried to hack the system when I flew to Australia, but the system hacked me!
Kiwi.com is a travel site that claims to “hack the system” by finding the cheapest flights. But for Chandramouli Kashyap, who booked three roundtrip tickets to Melbourne, Australia, through Kiwi.com, the system hacked him.
He discovered that his reservation was not for Melbourne, but for Jakarta, Indonesia. How did that happen — and what are his rights?
Kashyap says he’s the victim of a travel scam.
“I hope you alert your readers to this,” he says.
Oh, I will. But first things first.
What is Kiwi.com and how does it work?How do you avoid a travel scam when you’re booking a flight? What are your rights when you hack a flight and are denied boarding?
Kashyap’s story serves as a warning to anyone who wants to save money on a flight. Be careful — very careful — when you see an attractive airfare. You might be breaking the rules.
HOW DID HE END UP WITH A FLIGHT TO JAKARTA?
Kashyap wanted to fly from Portland, Oregon, to Melbourne with his two daughters for his father-inlaw’s 80th birthday. That’s a long haul, and an expensive one at that. The average round trip flight is around $1,500 in economy class (which is something I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy).
Like any self-respecting air traveler, he was looking for ways to save money. So he clicked on Kayak.com, a metasearch site that scours several online sites for the best possible deal.
And that’s how he got to Kiwi.com.
He found a ticket from Seattle to Melbourne via Sydney on American Airlines, with a return from Melbourne to Portland via Honolulu on Jetstar and Hawaiian.
“When I checked into American Airlines at Seattle airport, the agent informed
me that the reservation showed we were going to Jakarta via Sydney and not Melbourne,” he recalls. “Alarmed, I showed her my travel itinerary, which
showed our travel to Melbourne, Australia, and back with Kiwi.
Or did it?