Queensland-based Bestjet and its subsidiaries, Wynyard Travel Pty Ltd and Brooklyn Travel Pty Ltd, went into voluntary administration on December 18.
Thousands of travellers in Australia have been hit by the collapse of online travel agent, Bestjet.
Queensland-based Bestjet and its subsidiaries, Wynyard Travel Pty Ltd and Brooklyn Travel Pty Ltd, went into voluntary administration on December 18.
Furious customers have accused an airfare ticketing consolidator group of "acting illegally" by working with airlines to cancel bookings and obtaining full refunds which they haven’t refunded to customers.
A Facebook group, Bestjet Fiasco Action Group, set up by registered nurse Kate Ryder after Bestjet went into administration, currently has 1025 members.
It’s lead-in page says, “Airlines have been involved in refunding the price of the tickets to Bestjet and third party operators associated with Bestjet, WITHOUT informing Bestjet’s customers of their action, leaving customers sometimes thousands of dollars out-of-pocket and having to re-purchase their tickets, and often at inflated prices.
“These identified airlines are currently Emirates, Qatar, Aerolineas Argentinas, Air Asia, Jetstar, Garuda, Singapore, Korean, Qantas, Malaysian, Thai, Air Canada, Etihad, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, China and Virgin airlines.”
Ryder told 9News, “We’re putting companies on notice. You’re not going to get away with this, especially in the age of social media.
“Customers are going to be organised and informed and they’re going to come after you. We aren’t taking this lying down.”
Industry insiders estimate about 10,000 people have been affected by Bestjet’s collapse.
A spokesman for Singapore Airlines said they had been advised by Bestjet.com’s ticketing agent that they have cancelled tickets issued on or after 29 October 2018 for departures from 1 February 2019 to 30 November 2019.
He said customers who began their travel in December 2018 and January 2019 should not be affected by these cancellations. Similarly, customers whose tickets were issued on or prior to 28 October 2018 for travel from 1 February 2019 to 30 November 2019 should not be affected.
For those who have had tickets cancelled and bookings remain in-place, he said the airline would honour the Singapore Airlines airfare charged for the itinerary when booked. However, this airfare may be slightly different to Bestjet.com’s charges as the agent regularly sold airfares below market price.