Flightgiftcard website is less of a deal than it seems, expert claims

Voucher scheme marks up fares by up to 28%, and offers flights on an airline that became extinct six years ago

Fly the Atlantic on an airline that became extinct six years ago, or aboard an island-hopping Caribbean carrier: those are two of the options offered to baffled travellers seeking to redeem a new aviation gift voucher.

Flightgiftcard is being marketed by a Dutch firm. It claims the scheme is “Loved by thousands of gift recipients every month” and has “no catch and no limitations”.

But research by The Independent on a series of future journeys shows deep flaws in the system. Users will pay significantly more than they would booking direct with the airline or going through a good travel agent. Flightgiftcard’s booking engine is also misrepresenting the length of journeys and the airlines passengers will fly on.

Flightgiftcard says that for low-cost airlines its margin is between 2 and 5 per cent, while for premium airlines the markup is 10 per cent. But The Independent has found significantly higher margins on a series of test bookings.

A short notice easyJet flight from Luton to Amsterdam was available direct from the airline at £127, but priced by Flightgiftcard at £161 — an increase of 27 per cent.

A spokesperson for the airline said: “easyJet always recommends booking online at easyJet.com or via the easyJet app for the lowest fares.”

From Liverpool to Malta on 20 April, Ryanair is selling flights at £46, while Flightgiftcard is quoting £51, roughly a 10 per cent markup.

On the same day, a British Airways flight from Inverness to Heathrow, including a checked bag, is offered by Flightgiftcard at £127. But the fare offered direct by BA is £109, indicating a margin of 14 per cent.

​The booking system used by Flightgiftcard quotes some journey times that are out by up to 24 hours, and makes some bizarre claims about the airlines used.

The most extreme case uncovered by The Independent was for a one-way flight from Gatwick to New York on 18 May. The cheapest flight shown was said to be via Reykjavik on Bmibaby, a low-cost short-haul airline which closed down in 2012.

The flights are actually operated by Wow Air of Iceland; the prefix for the defunct airline was WOW.

The journey time stated by Flightgiftcard is 9 hours 20 minutes. In fact, the journey takes 22 hours longer and requires the traveller to find and pay for a hotel in Iceland close to midnight, before spending most of the following day at the airport.

An alternative nonstop flight from Gatwick was offered on Divi Divi Air. This is tiny local airline based in the Dutch Caribbean which flies only between Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Its slogan, “Divi Divi Air will take you there”, does not apply to the 3,455-mile journey from Gatwick to New York, which is four times the maximum range of the aircraft in the Divi Divi fleet.

The flights are actually operated by Norwegian, using long-haul Boeing 787 aircraft.

On the same route, another solution proposed by Flightgiftcard involved Deutsche Bahn. The German rail enterprise has not gone into the transatlantic air business; Flightgiftcard asserts that Deutsche Bahn operates trains from Gatwick to Heathrow in 90 minutes, from where the passenger picks up a British Airways flight to New York.

Loes Daniels, founder and chief executive of Flightgiftcard, said: “So far, Flightgiftcard have booked over 1,000 flights and not experienced any problems with the booking process.”

“As a startup brand, live for only 3 months, feedback like this is important for us to iron out any glitches.

“We are investigating the issues and will amend accordingly to provide the best possible booking experience.”

The company says that in the event of failure, cardholders’ cash would be protected: “There will be a solution in the event of this happening and we have accounted in our current balance sheet which includes the value of gift cards that are still to be redeemed. We will be able to provide alternative travel solutions or a cash refunds if necessary.”

Money Saving Expert advises: “You may not like giving cash, but it carries less risk, is more flexible and guarantees the recipient will be able to buy something.”

Huawei, a mobile phone manufacturer, is currently offering £100 Flightgiftcards to promote handsets in association with O2.