CAA website, with specific info regarding Kiss Flights:

http://www.caa.co.uk/application.aspx?catid=27&pagetype=65&appid=9&mode=detail&nid=1909

Hi Tyrone

Have you got your airline tickets?

Good luck Ed

yes we have recieved tickets in the post, but unclear wether or not we are still permitted to fly

No. Sorry but you cannot fly after 6pm Weds.

You will have to claim your refund via CAA, which may take several weeks.

my flight is on viking airways not kiss? Kiss was just the tour operator

OK. Then read this.

http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2010/08/17/34497/viking+airlines+makes+fleet+and+job+cuts.html

i'll just have to wait till the morning and see what the booking travel agent advises to do, as unsure of whether to cancel my hotel and transfers. I don't think the insurance will cover all three costs?

Good luck Ed, will let you know what advice I am given

Tyrone

Hi Tyrone
we're booked through Bookable too with Viking, I havent recd my tickets yet as we go 26th, I've got a horrible feeling that they may of used Kiss but not sure as its not mentioned on my confirmation. was Kiss mentioned on your confirmation letter ?
Thanks

Hi, we we're told over the phone that the booking was going through kiss flights. Other than that the only letter we have with kiss flights on is the letter that came with our tickets.
We got the tickets a week before our departure date..

yeah, i've got a feeling that is what i was told too on the phone, my letter only mentions Viking, doubt i'll get any tickets..... what a bloody mess !!

yvonne

I Cannot believe that the people of the UK were sucked into buying flights from this company.

CAA and Atol are supposed to regulates these companies but what the hell is going on.

Freedom flights/Excel airways went bust and left thousands of people stranded yet 3 or 4 days before they went bust Kiss flights was formed by the owner( another con) someone must be taking backhanders somewhere.

Now Kiss has gone bust.

I cannot believe the people that have booked flights with this company.

So what is the money paid into the bond for, just to bring people home.

I wonder what the name of the new company will be that has probably been invented about a week ago.

So sad for the people on holiday, so sad for the people that will never book with confidence but what a sad lot of people the CAA and Atol are to allow this to happen

John

Double trouble there, sorry

hi....hope you all get sorted....whats going on.....this if Im right is the 17th company to go down in 12 months......and people will loose confidence in the smaller operators ...could mean more go down the same way....and the big operators will raise prices knowing people are afraid to go else where....things arent looking healthy....tweetie

ps....whats puzzling me with this one is why people dont have their flights.....Ive been reading of people having problems with sun4u still having flights as they were paid for when booked by sun4u....but as accomodation gets paid later that hadnt been paid....so they have flight but no accomodation......viking are still sending out the tickets??....they are a seperate company so why didnt they take payment when accepting a booking......and why get rid of staff and planes when they will be needed for passengers who have booked and paid for a ticket.....I really cant fathom it out

Seems you're not alone in those thoughts Tweetie

Quote from : http://www.ttglive.com/c/portal/layout?p_l_id=3208370&CMPI_SHARED_articleId=4259414&CMPI_SHARED_ImageArticleId=4259414&CMPI_SHARED_articleIdRelated=4259414&CMPI_SHARED_ToolsArticleId=4259414&CMPI_SHARED_CommentArticleId=4259414&articleTitle=Agents%20warns%20demise%20of%20Kiss%20Flights%20will%20hit%20independent%20sector%20hard

Agents warns demise of Kiss Flights will hit independent sector hard
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Sophie Griffiths

The managing director of Sunvil Holidays has warned that the independent travel sector could suffer in the aftermath of Kiss Flights' demise.

Noel Josephides told TTG that Kiss had been the "main supplier" to the independent sector and that he was concerned about the repercussions that could follow.

"Kiss was key to independents," he said. " This will leave agents with far less capacity to sell, and give them far less choice when booking seats, meaning prices will get pushed up.

"The worry is that it could all end up in the hands of two or three suppliers, Tui, Thomas Cook and Avro. This is very messy," he added.

I believe it's only 13 but don't quote me on that as the figure does seem to fluctuate....The recession has hit everyone hard not just the tour operators but the whole sector of holidays. Holidays are one of the first things to be hit in times of hardship especially holidays abroad. With that, the Icelandic volcano, the burden of uncertainty faced by the industry and the need to ensure costs are low in order to out-gun the major players, small operators are definitely feeling the pinch and unfortunately some end up on their knees.

Whether this is bad management, lack of funding or otherwise, thousands of holidaymakers are set to suffer. The CAA and ATOL will do as much as is possible in the short term but many families are going to be left scouring the net and scraping what they can together to ensure their holidays still go ahead.

Ultimately the sector will recover all be it in a slimmer form, with less operators taking a larger share of the market. No one can blame consumers for turning to the big names.

Re Johns question Why do people book with these guys?
Price as always is the main criteria John...XL were the same as I'm sure you recall, with low cost flights to destinations not serviced by the "Low cost airlines". Unfortunately it is the lack of money from finance that has caused some of these collapses I only hope that those who have bookings with KISS manage to recompose themselves and salvage something from this latest collapse.

Regards

Van

I'm not surprised with this company going under, it was set up by the executives of the failed XL.com.
I posted this link in September 2008, http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g189398-i192-k2260613-Keep_your_eye_on_this_but_with_caution-Greece.html
Will they be allowed to set up again with the same aircraft?

Robby

Watching interviews on the TV news, what I find absolutely incredible is that people STILL pay for holidays using debit cards. NEVER, EVER buy anything of significant value on a debit card. Always buy holidays etc. on a credit card. When you buy a holiday using a credit card you buy off the credit card company, not the dodgy holiday company. If you don't get the holiday you don't have to pay the bill.

If anyone could give me a bit of advice I'd be incredibly grateful

I have a holiday to Crete booked through an ATOL protected travel agent - Media Travel. The flights were through Kiss Flight unfortunately.

Immediate reaction is to ring Media travel to try and sort out alternative flights. However, every time I ring I sit in a que for 20+ minutes and when I get to the front I just get hung up on, its happened about 5 times now.

I have looked around and found other flights, for around the same price. Should I just snap them up? Or will the accommodation be effected? I'm just thinking that I paid by credit card and it wasn't separate prices for flights and hotel, I was billed one final price. Will I struggle to get just the flight money back?

Probably silly questions, I'm just panicking.

Robby

Kiss were agents and just bought seats or chartered planes from proper airlines.

But it's a good point about the XL link - I've no doubt that the same names will pop up somewhere else and people will line up to give them money.

nevermind