Step aside, Skyscanner, there’s a new kid on the block and she works harder than you do: Kiwi.com.
Have you used it yet?
If you don’t know about it, Kiwi.com is the newly popular flight booking platform that everyone has been buzzing about lately. It takes the flexibility of search engines like Skyscanner and adds a bunch of incredibly useful features to find even better prices and routes.
In fact, Kiwi recently found me a route to Morocco that was $120 cheaper than what I had found on Skyscanner or Momondo. I most recently used Kiwi to book a flight from Johannesburg to Pemba in Mozambique in August 2019, and it worked great.
But before you start using Kiwi to book your flights, there are a few things you should know to get the most out of the platform and avoid any potential difficulties later on. So, let's dive in!
Kiwi Searches for the Cheapest Route, Regardless of Codeshares
And this is what makes Kiwi so awesome. While other flight search engines focus on booking you through your entire route on either the same airline or airlines with codeshares, Kiwi looks at all the cheapest possibilities, even if it means putting you on two separate flights or sending you to a random off-route airport.
This might not be ideal for those looking for the fastest and easiest way to get somewhere, but it's perfect for those who want the absolute cheapest option. In fact, this is something I used to spend hours doing myself - booking a flight from one city to a major hub, and then another flight from the hub to my final destination, as it tends to be much cheaper. So basically Kiwi does the flight hacking for you, saving you time and effort.
They Offer a Flight Guarantee for Unprotected Flight Routes
The downside of booking separate flights is that if your first flight is delayed and you miss a connection, you won't automatically be put on the next available flight. However, Kiwi offers a guarantee that covers cases of flight delays, cancellations, and schedule changes. While this guarantee isn't perfect, as there's a possibility you'll have to pay extra for your new flight or part of your accommodation, it's still a better option than having no guarantee at all.
Think of Kiwi as an upgrade from flight hacking where you put together the flights yourself. It does the same thing for you, with the added benefit of insurance should things go wrong. However, flying on connected routes with airlines that automatically put you on a new flight is still safer if money isn't an issue.
Kiwi Flight Refund
If your travel plans change and you need a flight refund from Kiwi.com, you can find their cancellation policy on their website. It's always good to familiarize yourself with the refund policy before making any bookings.
You Can Search Flights from and to Regions, Instead of Specific Cities
While many flight search engines offer this to some extent, Kiwi has the most flexibility I've seen. You can search flights to or from "anywhere" if you want ultimate flexibility. You can find the cheapest flight from your departure point or the cheapest departure point for your destination.
Even cooler, if you click on any area of the map on the Kiwi.com homepage, a circle will appear. You can drag it to whatever region you want and adjust its size to determine where you would like your flight to depart from. Then you can either type in a specific destination or click the map again to draw a circle around the region you would like to fly to.
This feature is super helpful if you're planning a longer trip in two different regions and don't really care which specific city or even country you fly to or from. It's also convenient if you have a few different nearby airports in different cities that you'd like to search for all at the same time.
So, for example, when looking up where to go in May, you can draw a circle around the region you want to depart from and another circle around the region you want to fly to. Kiwi.com will then show you all the different city options with prices next to them. It's super easy!
You Can Search Multiple Destinations at Once
Before I switched over to Kiwi, I almost always used Skyscanner to search for flights. One thing that would drive me crazy was having to do separate searches if I wanted to change my departure or destination city. Well, with Kiwi, you can search a bunch of different departure cities and/or countries as well as a bunch of different destinations all at the same time. Again, a huge time-saver!
You Can Search for Flights with Flexible Dates and Duration
If your schedule is flexible, Kiwi allows you to search for flights at any time or over a set range of dates. You can also specify how long you want your total trip to be. For example, if you want to take a holiday for about 10-14 days sometime over the summer, you can search for flights in a date range of June to August and select your desired duration of stay. This way, you can figure out not only where the cheapest holiday option is but also when and for how long.
You Can Use Kiwi.com's "Nomad" Tool for the Cheapest Possible Multi-City Trip
This feature on Kiwi.com is incredibly cool. With the "Nomad" tool, you can enter all the cities you'd like to visit along with how long you'd like to stay in each city, and Kiwi.com will work out the cheapest possible option. No need to keep checking different dates or changing the order of your trip because Kiwi.com will tell you the best order to book your flights for the cheapest possible fare.
This tool is especially helpful if you're going on a longer trip to multiple cities, such as backpacking through Europe or visiting various places across the US.
Things You Should Know About Booking with Kiwi.com
Okay, now that we've covered all the things I love about using Kiwi, there are a few important things you should know before booking your flights through Kiwi.com.
Adding Extra Baggage After Booking Can Be Costly
If you realize after making your booking that you want to add extra checked luggage, you have to do so through Kiwi.com, not directly with the airline. Keep in mind that Kiwi deals with many different airlines, so instead of charging exactly what each airline charges for extra luggage, they have their own set price list, which is an average of the luggage costs for different airlines. This means that sometimes Kiwi might charge you less than the airline does, but in other cases, you might end up paying more. Nevertheless, it will still be less than what you would have to pay at the airport.
Unprotected Routes Might Require Going Through Customs and Needing a Visa
One of the unique features of Kiwi is finding unrelated flight routes to get you to your destination. This might involve going through customs and checking in again during a layover. It's crucial to check your Kiwi ticket to see if you need to collect your luggage and check in again during a layover. Also, make sure to check if you need a visa for any country you'll be going through customs in, even if it's not your final destination. There have been cases where passengers were not allowed to check in for their next flight because they didn't have a visa.
You Might End Up Making A Lot of Travel Plans
All the flexibility that Kiwi offers in searching for flights can be a little dangerous, especially if you have a case of wanderlust like me. When browsing flights, you might discover all sorts of other places you want to visit that you hadn't realized were so cheap. It's both exciting and overwhelming. So, make sure to stay focused and plan wisely.
Have you booked through Kiwi.com yet? Any tips to add?
Since I love using Kiwi to book my flights, I recently joined their affiliate program. This means I'll make a small commission if you book a flight through them. Most flight search engines have similar programs, but I only joined Kiwi's because I like it the most!
And there you have it! Now you have all the information you need to make the most of Kiwi.com when booking your next flight. Enjoy your travels and may you find the best deals!
