After an extensive Where’s Wally-level search, missing online travel agency, Bestjet, has been located in liquidation, according to various industry bodies.
The Queensland-based business is believed to have gone offline on 18 December 2018 by removing its web presence, including its Bestjet.com website and social media pages.
Bestjet’s landline was also switched off, making it impossible for paying customers and media to get in touch.
Travellers with holidays booked through Bestjet have been advised by industry professionals to contact their bank or credit card provider and commence the process of a chargeback. This may take several weeks to complete.
Flight Centre’s Brand General Manager, Tom Walley, sympathised with affected travellers, which he believes to be around 10,000.
He said the online business was plagued with problems for some time, and news of its demise should act as a “strong warning” to customers about the risks of using online travel sites.
“Their model of trimming service and reducing prices at all costs is not without consequences, as many travellers are unfortunately finding out the hard way,” he said.
“We estimate that as many as 10,000 Bestjet.com customers will have their Christmas holiday plans thrown into disarray.”
Tom Walley, Flight Centre Brand General Manager
Tom urged Australian travellers to look beyond the lure low prices offered by online travel agencies and use a trusted travel retailer to book their dream holidays.
Meanwhile, several affected Bestjet clients have taken to social media to express their disappointments, including a few who set up Facebook pages to share news articles and encourage others to share their stories.