The unsung heroes of the industry, Travel Advisors (aka Travel Agents), have generously stepped in to use what little spare time they have to assist travellers affected by Bestjet’s collapse late last year.
In case you missed the news, Bestjet went into liquidation a week before Christmas and disappeared from the online world by removing its website and social media pages.
Unable to contact the booking site, thousands of travellers (believed to be up to 10,000) were left confused and uncertain about the fate of their upcoming holidays.
Sympathising with those affected, Travel Advisors such as Curated Travel’s Matt Castell took to social media to offer their assistance and weren’t surprised when enquiries from travellers came rushing in.
Bestjet.com.au has entered into administration, two weeks after changing hands.With an average review rating of 1.6/5…
Posted by Curated Travel – Upgrade Your Experience on Tuesday, December 18, 2018
Castell said he was personally connected to six “scared” and “unsure” travellers, two of whom were former Travel Agents.
He quickly contacted airlines and checked the validity of their bookings. Thankfully, their trips were still valid, however, not everyone was as fortunate.
“I’ve found at least 20 other Travel Agents in the industry who reached out to help affected customers. It’s a really good feeling to be part of a great industry of people that just genuinely want to help.”
Matt Castell, Curated Travel Owner
“A few of my colleagues have received calls from Bestjet clients that have lost their flights,” Castell said.
Image: Matthew Henry/Unsplash
Castell continued, saying that although he understands that there’s a place for online booking sites in the bottom end of the travel market ($49 domestic flights to 2 for 1 Bali holidays), he can’t comprehend why people would spend thousands through a faceless business.
“Dropping $10,000 with a company that has no face and doesn’t have a great record for customer satisfaction – I don’t understand why people take that risk.”
Matt Castell, Curated Travel Owner
“I think most will re-think how they book their travel in the future.”
- READ: 10,000 customers may be affected by online site’s liquidation
- READ: Online travel agency mysteriously goes offline