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If you’re anything like us, then you probably spend way too many hours digging through dozens of travel websites hoping to shave a few euros off that next flight. Whereas maybe 5 – 10 years ago, the go-to was Skyscanner, savvy travellers today know that it pays to shop around even if shopping around for an aggregator (a tool that is supposed to shop around for you…) seems a touch absurd.
Anyway, I recently stumbled across Wingie.com, a lesser-known OTA (Online Travel Agency) promising smart connections and ultra-cheap fares. But let’s cut to the chase here Is Wingie.com legit?
Can it really compete with the flight-booking powerhouses like Kiwi.com or Skyscanner? Or is it a case of “too good to be true” or “too irrelevant to matter”? Well in this detailed review, we put Wingie through its paces — looking at features, pricing, customer feedback, and comparing it directly to its biggest rivals.
The Broke Backpacker is supported by you. Clicking through our links may earn us a small affiliate commission, and that's what allows us to keep producing free content 🙂 Learn more.
What is Wingie.com?
Launched globally in 2016, Wingie.com is an online travel agency focused on making air travel booking cheaper and more efficient. Unlike Skyscanner and the likes, which effectively act as a search engine and redirect you elsewhere to complete your booking, Wingie allows you to book flights directly through its own platform.
Wingie partners with over 450 airlines and offers both domestic, international and multi-leg flight options. The flight booking platform works in multiple languages and aspires to become a go-to tool for price-conscious travelers.
A standout feature is its proprietary LogiConnect technology, which builds multi-airline, custom transfer routes that aren’t always available on traditional search tools.
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Booking Flights on Wingie – What’s It Like?
Using Wingie to search for flights feels clean and fast, and should seem familiar enough to anybody who has ever used Skyscanner. You enter your departure destination, where you want to go and then your prefered dates.
Straight away, I note that Wingie doesn’t seem to have the same Geo-tracking tools that other sites do and the default currency is set to USD. Of course it only takes a second to change it to GBP but its an interesting observation.
Searching For Flights
When playing with the search, I see that 2 very useful Skyscanner functions are missing here – the first is that there is no search option for “Everywhere” as a destination and then no “Whole Month” option for the dates. So you need to kinda know exactly where you want to go, and when you want to go there.
Moving on, the results load pretty fast (maybe faster than Skyscsnner) and once results load, you’ll see the typical, classic filters—departure time, price, stopovers—with but fewer bells and whistles than more established competitors.
If you find something you like the look of and want to book, the key difference is that Wingie doesn’t redirect you elsewhere to make the booking. Rather the entire purchase process is completed on their site.
I will be honest here, I am sick and tired of sites like Skyscanner sending me elsewhere to complete the booking because it slows the process down, means I end up with multiple windows open, but moreover because these days the price always changes (increases) by the time we click through. Therefore this is a huge win for Wingie…
We All Have Our Baggage…
Something else important here – as you probably know, in these times of outrageous travel shrinkflation, checked baggage is never included in the standard airfare. With Skyscanner and the likes, you need to click away from Skyscanner and through to the broker/airlines website and light through multiple screens before you see what a checked bag is going to cost you.
This is a real pain in the arse but with Wingie, you can find out what a checked bag will cost with one click by choosing the appropriate “package” making it faster.
The downside is that you don’t really know what the airline is charging for the bag and what Wingie are charging you for the bag…
So What Do We Think?
Not only is the ‘all one site’ booking process faster and more convenient, it also means Wingie itself is responsible for managing your ticket, not the airline or some other random middleman company.
All in all, the booking process with Wingie is straightforward, and there’s an app available for both iOS and Android, which replicates the web experience pretty well. You can also use the app to manage bookings or to check in, although the feature set is still quite basic compared to something like the fancy Kiwi.com app.
Wingie vs Kiwi.com vs Skyscanner – How Does It Stack Up?
We have already gone into some detail about how Wingie compares and differs from Kiwi and Skyscanner but let’s take a deeper dive.
| Feature | Wingie.com | Kiwi.com | Skyscanner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booking Type | Direct OTA | OTA + meta-search hybrid | Meta-search engine |
| Smart Connections | LogiConnect | Virtual interlining | Partner-only combinations |
| Booking Flexibility | Limited | Nomad & price maps | Flexible date calendar |
| Refund Handling | In house | Kiwi Guarantee (some help) | Depends on partner |
| Customer Support | Mixed reputation | Mixed reputation | Not involved in support |
| Mobile Experience | Decent | Excellent app | Best-in-class UX |
Verdict:
- Wingie is good for direct, cheap, point-to-point bookings.
- Kiwi.com wins for complex or multi-leg journeys.
- Skyscanner is still top for research and transparency.
Complaints and Customer Service Red Flags
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room; Wingie has earned some mixed reviews from consumers. Most concerns focus on the post booking service and customer support.
Issues raised include:
- No responses to refund requests
- Lack of phone support
- Delayed email replies (if any)
- Problems with flight changes or cancellations
Even ScamAdviser.com, while saying Wingie appears technically safe and legitimate, cautions users on account of the number of negative reviews.
Of course, sites like Skyscanner don’t really offer any kind of customer support at all as all bookings are made directly with airlines or with 3rd parties, many of whom also provide shocking customer support. The days of “Customer is King” long ago disappeared from the rear view mirror.
The key question is whether this should put you off using Wingie.com. Personally I would still give them a go on account of the good platform, low prices and transparent pricing.
Pros and Cons of Using Wingie.com
This seems like an opportune time to run down the pros and cons of Wingie.com.
- Competitive prices
- Book without redirection
- Easy to see baggage costs
- Offers smart transfer options via LogiConnect
- Supports multiple languages and currencies
- Mixed reputation for refunds and customer
- No live chat or direct hotline
- Less search features than Skyscanner or Kiwi
- No loyalty or reward programs
Wingie App: Worth Downloading?
If you like to book on the go, then the Wingie mobile app is very useful. It pretty much replicates the desktop booking flow and allows you to:
- Search flights
- View ticket details
- Access booking history
- Perform online check-in (where available)
Furthermore, the app also offers deeper features such as price alerts, AI-powered suggestions, or travel insurance integration. All on all, it’s a decent companion.
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View on OspreyWho Should (and Shouldn’t) Use Wingie?
Personally I think Wingie should form a part of any travellers tool kit. Stick it in your arsenal today and give it a try next time you want to search for a flight.
Specifically though;
Use Wingie if:
- You find a significantly cheaper fare than elsewhere
- You’re booking a simple, one-way or return trip
- You’re confident you won’t need to make changes
Avoid Wingie if:
- You want solid customer support
- You’re booking a long, complex, or flexible trip
FAQs About Wingie
Here are the most frequently asked questions about Wingie.
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Final Verdict: Should You Book with Wingie?
Wingie.com is a classic example of “get what you pay for.” It offers competitive prices, clever flight combinations, and a user-friendly interface. But it seems that all of this may come with a cost as support is limited, and if anything goes wrong, you may have to wait to get support.
But make no mistake, Wingie isn’t without its value. If you’re booking a short-haul flight, don’t mind flying light, and want to save some cash, it can be a very useful tool. And of course if you make your booking using a Credit Card you get buyer protection.
Buy Us a Coffee!
A couple of you lovely readers suggested we set up a tip jar for direct support as an alternative to booking through our links, since we’ve decided to keep the site ad-free. So here it is!
You can now buy The Broke Backpacker a coffee. If you like and use our content to plan your trips, it’s a much appreciated way to show appreciation 🙂
