Today is going to be different from what I normally do. This is going to be sort of a scam exposé regarding the fraudulent activities which this website, travel portal, and shady business is offering. I recently had a bad experience with these guys.
I tried to book a flight from Bangalore to Minneapolis on the 16th of October. These guys lie to your face when they are showing you flights. I realized that only after I made the reservation. I just wanted people to be aware of the lies and the kind of shady business they are running.
If you are questioning the legitimacy of travel sites, similar to asking is Go Splitty legit, you need to look at the details.
What Exactly is a ‘Kiss and Fly’ Zone?
A “Kiss and Fly” zone is a designated passenger drop-off area typically located away from the hyper-congested main terminal building. The core purpose of this facility is to divert a significant portion of private vehicle traffic from the immediate curbside, thereby reducing gridlock and improving the flow of commercial vehicles like taxis and shuttles.
Passengers are dropped off in this calmer, less crowded area and then connect to their terminal via a fast, free, and reliable transit system. This connection is usually a dedicated airport shuttle bus, an automated train like an AirTrain, or a direct walkway with moving sidewalks. The name itself perfectly encapsulates its function: a place for a quick, stress-free goodbye before the passenger flies off.
The Hidden Costs of ‘Convenient’ Curbside Drop-Offs
Many drivers default to the terminal curbside, believing it to be the most convenient option. However, this perceived convenience often comes with a host of hidden costs, both financial and emotional. The primary issue is the strict enforcement of “no waiting” or “active loading/unloading only” policies. Lingering for even a minute too long can result in hefty fines.
Beyond fines, there’s the cost of parking. If you need more than 90 seconds to say goodbye, your only option is the short-term parking garage, where rates are notoriously high. Even a brief 15-minute stay can be surprisingly expensive, transforming a simple drop-off into an unexpected travel expense. This financial pressure, combined with the stress of navigating dense traffic, makes the curbside drop-off one of the most frustrating parts of the airport experience.
The Customer Service Void
The other thing which they do is that it is really difficult to get a hold of their customer care number or anyone from customer care. If you look at their website, it barely has any numbers to contact them. There is no way to be able to contact them. It just has an FAQ; it doesn’t list their number anywhere.
Trying to reach out to their customer care number is crazy. It’s just freaking crazy. If they don’t answer your call within seven minutes, it automatically gets dropped. You can’t escalate it. You absolutely cannot escalate it or speak to their manager. Email support from them is absolutely zero. They have barely responded to the multiple emails which I have sent because, obviously, this is what they do.
Analyzing the Fraudulent Itineraries
Let’s take a look at this fraudulent activity and what kind of fraud they are committing. I just hit search; this is their website, everything happening in real-time.
Air India does not operate a flight directly to Minneapolis. The nearest flight that comes in is Chicago. The itinerary for that is Bangalore to New Delhi, and New Delhi to Chicago, which both legs of the journey Air India operates. But this particular website offers you a version where they are not telling you the truth about the flights themselves, and they are kind of going to twist the truth on how they show it to you.
I am going to show you a couple of instances of this.
The Indigo Deception
This says Indigo. I click “more about the flight.” They say the first leg of the journey is from Indigo, lands in New Delhi. That’s fine. New Delhi to Chicago, that’s fine. Again, they say the third leg of the journey Indigo operates between Chicago and Minneapolis.
Those who live here in the United States know that Indigo has absolutely no presence in the United States. They don’t operate flights, they don’t have a codeshare, and they don’t fly to the United States. So this is a lie.
The Fake Flight Numbers
Let’s see what the flight number is which they are saying operates. They say: Indigo operated by American Airlines.
This is a lie. These guys are lying. This is where the fraud starts. So let’s search for this flight: AI 4538. Flight doesn’t exist. There is no flight with that name. So these guys are lying on this flight.
They make it look like it’s a partnership codeshare agreement between all these airlines, but it’s not. When I booked, what they did was they showed it to be like one continuous airline operated, or different legs of the journey operated by Air India and their partners. But that was not the case. Once I actually made the payment, what they did was they ended up giving me two separate tickets, which is not nice.
The Danger of Separate Tickets
Because they give you separate tickets, you have to take your baggage again and take it all the way back and check it in by yourself. Let’s say if you miss one of your flights; then you are kind of screwed because none of these airlines which they are offering have a codeshare agreement.
If you travel all the way to New Delhi, and from New Delhi travel all the way to Chicago, and for some reason your flight was delayed and you missed the connecting flight, then you are on your own. You have to book a brand new flight. These guys are not going to book you another flight because it is not under a partnership agreement.
Whether you are trying to figure out why is Frontier so cheap or analyzing international carriers, understanding ticket structures is vital.
A Real-World Example
Let’s take a look at the itinerary which I ended up booking. This was the one leaving at 21:00, which is 9:00 PM, and arriving at Minneapolis at 11:53.
They say the third leg of the journey is operated by AI 4538, and they try to make it look like Air India has a partnership with American Airlines and they are operating it. So you would think that, God forbid, my flight from New Delhi to Chicago were to get delayed, then it is Air India’s fault. They delayed the flight, so they will put me on a different flight to connect to my final destination.
That doesn’t happen because Air India and American Airlines do not have a codeshare agreement. I verified that because they gave me two separate tickets. I called each of those operators, and they had no clue about the connecting flight. Air India did not have any clue about this flight which they are allegedly supposed to be operating, and American Airlines had absolutely no clue about their previous flight.
Normally in codeshare flights, it still shows Air India and then it says “operated by American Airlines,” but it does have an Air India flight number. For those of you who travel internationally across multiple flights, you will know that the booking reference number should be the same across multiple airlines as long as they have a partner codeshare agreement.
However, the booking reference number is different. That is one thing to note.
The Baggage and Refund Scam
They also screwed me over saying that there is no baggage. They just went ahead and booked a normal flight and they made it look like Air India is operating, whereas Air India is not operating. This website is what the kind of fraud they are pulling.
As soon as I came to know about this, after I verified, I called American Airlines and reached out to Air India and reached out to KissandFly themselves. They started pretending that they absolutely knew nothing about it. They said, “Nope, your ticket is two separate tickets, that’s what we see.”
They wouldn’t even agree that what they are showing on their website is not what they are selling. They are trying to trick you saying that, “Hey, this is operated all the way through Air India,” but what they end up doing is booking you on separate flights which I could have done perfectly fine by myself for almost four hundred dollars less.
When you try to cancel it, they say it will take almost three months. It could take up to three months for your refund. These guys are really running some sort of a scam here.
Comparing Expectations vs. Reality
| Feature | What KissandFly Shows | The Reality |
| Itinerary | Single continuous journey with partner airlines. | Two separate tickets with no connection. |
| Operator | “Operated by American Airlines” (Codeshare). | No codeshare exists; American Airlines has no clue about the previous flight. |
| Baggage | Implies through-check baggage. | You must claim baggage and re-check it yourself. |
| Flight Numbers | Shows fake flight numbers like AI 4538. | The flight does not exist. |
| Protection | Implies airline responsibility for missed connections. | You are stranded and must book a new flight yourself. |
What the Reviews Say
Let’s take a look at their reviews. They seem to have some really bad reviews.
111 reviews, average rating at one star.
People have been complaining that they haven’t refunded their money for almost three months now. Even on TripAdvisor, they have a really bad rating.
- “This brand is just a scam. There is no customer service in this company.”
- “I would give zero stars if I could.”
- “This is a joke, do not use! Thieves!”
From four years ago, they have kind of maintained consistency of providing bad service and doing these fraudulent scams and running this shady business for many, many years. I am surprised how they have been allowed to operate this long.
A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Use Kiss and Fly Like a Pro
Using a Kiss and Fly facility is remarkably simple and efficient, but a little preparation goes a long way. Following a few key steps can ensure the process is seamless for both the driver and the passenger.
First, conduct pre-trip research. A quick visit to your departure airport’s official website will confirm if they offer a Kiss and Fly service. The website will provide crucial details, including its exact location and the frequency of the connecting shuttles or trains. Next, as you approach the airport, pay close attention to the roadway signage. Airports with these facilities have clear, often color-coded signs that direct you to the “Kiss and Fly” or “Remote Drop-Off” area, guiding you away from the main terminal traffic.
The drop-off itself is the easiest part. These zones are designed for quick stops, with ample space to pull over and unload luggage without pressure. Once the passenger is on their way to the connecting transport, the driver can exit the airport property immediately, avoiding the terminal loop entirely. Some airports have even enhanced this service; San Francisco International Airport (SFO), for example, offers remote bag check services at their Kiss & Fly location for several major domestic airlines.
Final Verdict: Buyer Beware
When you are booking airline tickets, I would strongly suggest that you avoid making the same mistake which I did. If these guys are showing a certain itinerary and it looks too good to be true, just go to the website they claim is offering that itinerary.
If I go to Air India’s website and put the source as Bangalore and destination as Minneapolis, they don’t have an itinerary. If they don’t have an itinerary, and they don’t have a codeshare, how the heck are these guys offering it? They are being dishonest. They are committing a fraud.
They are trying to say that “Hey, this is what we are giving you,” but after payment, they are not giving you that. They are just screwing with you.
With their fraudulent way they book their flights, they just put you as a domestic passenger on there. They are not even giving you enough layover time to be able to make that switch in some of the itineraries. So you are just left stranded. Imagine your parents, imagine your family—those people would just be left stranded and have to fend for themselves and have to book their own connecting flight to their final destination, whether they are just trying to get home or planning to visit Memphis.
Stay away from these guys. These guys are frauds. These guys are running a shady business. The reviews speak for themselves, and I got really, really badly burned by these guys. I have raised a dispute with my credit card company because of the sheer scam that they are running.
This is exactly what they do. They are running a shady scam. Buyer beware. Be careful if you have accidentally or intentionally tried to book a flight from these guys. Be careful and follow social distancing; stay away from them with a six-foot pole.
I really hope this exposes their malpractices and they stop operating. I hope they shut down. Don’t forget to leave a comment down below if any of you guys also have been burned by this website.