JJ Kavanagh & Sons Reviews 

215
•
TrustScore 2 out of 5

2.0

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 48 reviews, most reviewers were unhappy with their experience overall. Travelers frequently complained about severe delays, completely unpunctual timetables, and buses passing local stations without picking up waiting crowds standing out in the cold weather. Many passengers also expressed deep frustration regarding rude driver behavior, a total lack of communication, and highly unreliable service when trying to reach important events. Some reviewers were happy with the professional drivers, clean buses, and friendly assistance provided during their regular daily journeys. A few consumers also noted positive interactions when customer support representatives efficiently resolved booking issues and safely returned lost personal belongings via post.

What people talk about most

Service

Customers had ambiguous experiences with service, as many reviewers reported severe delays, missed buses, and... See more

Staff

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of staff, as experiences vary dramatically between individuals. While... See more

Location

People report ambiguous experiences with location, frequently highlighting severe difficulties regarding... See more

Customer service

Clients share ambiguous opinions on customer service, with many praising helpful staff for their outstanding... See more

Delivery service

Reviewers express deep frustration regarding the delivery service, frequently highlighting severe delays and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I've been using the 717 (Dublin/Clonmel) JJ Kavanagh service on a regular basis over the last number of weeks and have been highly disappointed with the service and punctuality of departures.... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I had a bad experience with a bus driver on one of their buses. I asked the bus driver would he open the luggage door so I could put my luggage in the compartment. He completely ignored me and didn’t... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Useless ! Trying to collect my daughter off the bus in Paulstown. The live bus tracker says she is just arriving in Paulstown - I ring her and she’s on the quay in Waterford ! Live bus... See more

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Every single time I take the 139 bus it is extremely delayed. An awful experience every single time. If the bus timings were live this would help greatly as to not have many people standing out in the... See more


Company details

  1. Bus company

Written by the company

Founded in 1919 by James and Mollie Kavanagh, JJ Kavanagh & Sons began as a small, family-run business with a single bus serving local routes in the rural town of Urlingford, Co. Kilkenny. From these modest beginnings, we have grown into one of Ireland’s foremost coach operators, renowned for our unwavering commitment to safety, reliability, and innovation. Over the past century, we have transformed the coach travel industry, adapting to the changing needs of our passengers while never compromising on the quality of service. Today, we operate over 300 services daily, transporting more than 3.5 million passengers annually across Ireland, connecting cities, towns, and rural areas with ease. An extra-ordinary journey At JJ Kavanagh, we understand that travel is more than just getting from one point to another—it’s about the experience. That’s why we’re dedicated to providing a travel experience prioritising passenger comfort, safety, and sustainability. Our fleet is one of the most modern in Ireland, equipped with the latest technology and safety features to ensure you arrive at your destination smoothly and securely. Backed by a team of over 200 dedicated professionals, we’re proud to be a company that travellers trust to deliver safe, reliable, and comfortable journeys.


Contact info

2.0

Poor

TrustScore 2 out of 5

215 reviews

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No recent history of asking for reviews

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2.0

All reviews

(215)

48 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 1 out of 5 stars

My 19 years old son and his friend were…

My 19 years old son and his friend were just told there was no seats left on bus going from Dublin to Waterford..They prebooked there seats 1 month ago.Now they are waiting for next bus 3.5h...Shocking service...Extremly unprofesional!!!!!

6 August 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

NO GUARANTEED BUS SEAT ON THIS SERVICE

In manifest contradiction with what is stated on this company’s website, your seat on the bus of this company is NOT guaranteed even if you have paid for the seat in advance.

I booked 4 seats for my family from Carlow coach park to Dublin airport and there was solely one seat available on the bus when we boarded the bus and the driver told us to take the next bus. Additionally, the bus arrived 20 minutes late.

This service does not assure that you will get to the airport in time. I used it to support a local company but this mistake will not be repeated and I will use an alternative service in the future.

1 August 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Colin Mullane

Colin Mullane , the driver, got me to Dublin airport on a flight I thought I would miss , i am so grateful for his professionalism and recommend this company

29 July 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I would like to thank Greg sincerely…

I would like to thank Greg sincerely from the bottom of my heart on the 717 route from Kilkenny to airport route.. who couldn’t have made our trip more manageable.. my knee was giving me trouble and he organised assistance from the bus zone all the way through security

11 July 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Driver tiredness and lack of concentration

Driver seemed very very tired..Drinking from large bottle, putting on hand sanitizer and bending to a bag on ground to get nuts to eat.
All this was going on with one hand on the wheel! It was a nightmare...I was too afraid to say anything. It was on bus from Airport back to the Country...2 hours and 30 mins.
Lovely helpful Man but needs to concentrate more on his driving ....

12 July 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Unreliable service, very dissapointing

It’s a shame the way JJKavanagh company treat their customers. I purchased a return online ticket Portlaoise to Eden Quay this morning. Driver informed that there will be bus transfer at the Red Cow. By the way, the bus tranfer doesn’t mean, that another bus will be waiting there. Instead, passengers waited for 30min until Carlow- Dublin bus came and picked us up. Many people could not wait any longer, so they took Luas to town at their own expense, so they would not be late for work. This exact situation happened 3 times already in the last 6 weeks, and I don’t even travel daily. Just to let you know JJKavanagh team- I purchased an online ticket Portlaoise to Eden Quay without transfer/ bus swap option, so my minimum expectation would be to travel to Eden Quay without being left waiting for a different bus at another bus stop for 30min before I could continue my journey to work. Passengers should only be asked to get off and wait for another bus if there was a breakdown, not because it works better for you to bring people to Red Cow and let them wait for the next bus. I am looking for options not to use your services anymore, because it is unreliable and you also disrespect your customers.

30 June 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Luggage lost!

I took a JJbus from WIT (1.15am) to Dublin airport (3 am) on 23rd of June 2023. I would like to make a complaint about a bus drive on that day.Once I got off the bus to check my luggage at the airport car park zone 16 and my luggage was gone, somebody took it or might switch it with me. At that time, I told the bus driver about this situation. He did not care or even help me with this. He only said to me that the only one luggage left there (wasnt mine), should be mine and then he drove the bus out of the car park immediately. So, I needed to continue my journey without the luggage. Such a terrible bus driver!!!!!!

23 June 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Oversold ticket

I prebooked my ticket online. The bus came full and I had to wait for 2 hours for the next bus even i had prebooked my ticket. I called the customer service to ask if i can get the refund and get onto another bus. The customer service said NO. They dont refund the ticket (even is their fault oversold the ticket).

2 June 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Completely unreliable

Completely unreliable. Bus is never on time. Schedule needs to be changed. Realtime app only partially works. So frustrating if you need to be anywhere on time.

24 May 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Worse bus service ever in waterford…

Worse city bus service ever in waterford city always late most of the time late 50 minutes sometimes 1 hour and 30 minutes I'm very disappointed the bus inspector should inspect or investigate because it seems the bus drivers are lost

13 May 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

JJ Kavanagh rip off warning

Avoid these scam artists at all costs. They refused their own ticket believe it or not. Ticket was for 1 adult and 2 children (53 euros). Driver took it upon himself to refuse the adult part of ticket going from Carlow to Dublin. Proceeded to say bookings only, had to beg to be taken and after minutes of pleading he requested more money. Manipulated the customer out of parting with more money for himself more than likely. We nearly missed an international flight. This is like something you'd get in north Africa. Company refusing to reimburse money. My God a new low for a transport company. How they are aloud to operate like this I'll never know. Don't take a chance. Avoid travelling with this joke of a company.

13 April 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Okay until something goes wrong

Have had some good experiences and some bad in the past but the realtime information on the site can not be trusted as it's usually incorrect.
I booked a trip for St. Patrick's Day (I booked it on 16/03) and the times seemed okay but on 17/03, I went to the stop and the bus never arrived so I checked to find that the timetable had been altered since at least 15/03 but I was still able to purchase the ticket on 16/03 and after emailing support, I was told that anyone who booked for 17/03 received an email informing them of this change but as I booked my ticket on the 16th, I imagine that email went out prior to that date and I never received it. I booked another ticket for a time that was available and asked to refund my original ticket to no avail- seems rather unreasonable to me.

17 March 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Late and dirty

15 minutes late is not good for an airport bus. Driver had little English. Bus needs to be cleaned from time to time. Won't use again.

29 January 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

If it wasn't for Kavanagh & Sons!

I found the bus services is very good, I go from Nenagh to Dublin Airport and visa-versa. The bus drivers are very nice and helpful, so I have no complaints their service.
If it wasn't for JJ Kavanagh & Sons we wouldn't have a direct service.

4 January 2023
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Return of the Curse of JJ Kavanagh

So, unfortunately (for me) I’m back with MORE JJK ‘rubbish service’ news.
Yes, this morning I arrived at Naas P.O. for bus to Maynooth Uni, got there @ 7:40, 2nd in the queue, return tickets booked last night. What could go wrong, right?
Bus arrived (almost on time) bunch of mannerless tools forced their way ahead of 3 of us and… bus full, no seats (reminder: I HAD booked, and thus paid for, my seat).
Driver, who like most JJK drivers is a ‘stranger’ to conversational English, said ‘busfull’, nothing else. I had to squeeze further info out of him, “dunno, nother bus 10 minutes”. I and my 2 fellow students waited 30 minutes, nothing, no bus.
So, once again and like others on here, ‘thanks for (literally) nothing Kavanagh’s, lectures missed, money taken, capitalism is alive and still flourishing in grubby old Ireland.
A thoroughly crap service - avoid (if you can) folks.

23 November 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

The local service has a lot to be…

The local service has a lot to be disered the service from ballygunner to sliveure don't show up like 2 night the bus is running late so it turned around in town never picked up at view mount so I have to waite in the rain what a shocking service need to.be looked at big time it's going on with a while

14 November 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Dreadful horrible service,I went to the…

Dreadful horrible service,I went to the bus station 3 minutes earlier than arrival time at 7:35 in portarlington,the bus arrived over 5 minutes before it’s arrival time and took off.I have an exam today aswell.I’ll be taking the train from now on.

7 November 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Great customer service

Left an item on the bus recently. The subsequent customer service experience to get it back was excellent, from the bus driver who found it, to Anna in Customer Service. It was then arranged by Gaby in the depot to put it on a bus and I collected it yesterday. Great service from all.

3 November 2022
Unprompted review
Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Terrible

Worst customer service ever, would not recommend. Greedy. No refunds given on e-tickets unlike Bus Eireann, I will be staying with them in future.

3 November 2022
Unprompted review

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