Webjet is an Australian online travel agent. They have been around for a long time and were one of the first online travel booking sites in Australia.
But is it worth actually using Webjet to book flights in Australia? Here’s our review:
Webjet Charges Booking Fees
When you book a flight through Webjet you are charged two extra fees that you aren’t charged when you book directly with the airline:
Webjet charges a “Webjet Booking Price Guarantee”. Webjet says they will hold the price of your ticket for 30 minutes. In my experience prices for flights don’t change that rapidly. I don’t think this is a good deal for most people.
The second fee is the Webjet Servicing Fee. This is a booking fee that Webjet charges you for simply booking through their interface.
If you were to book the exact same price directly with the Airline, you wouldn’t pay these fees:
The one upside to using Webjet is they won’t charge you an extra fee to change flights. However you will still need to pay the airline fees for changing flight, Webjet won’t add on extra fees on top as they’ve already charged you an extra fee.
There are a number of things you can book on Webjet; flights, hotels, packages etc. And not all products have booking fees. For example the packages don’t have fees. These might be better value and it’s worth comparing prices with other package sites like Luxury Escapes.
Changes Need to Be Made Through Webjet
Whenever you book through a travel agent instead of directly with an airline, you’ll need to make changes through the agent. Even if you call the airline directly, they’ll tell you to get in touch with the agent.
Depending on the airline you might not be able to use the Airline’s website to update your booking and do things like select seats, add your Frequent Flyer number etc. And if the airlines schedule change and you need to change flights, you have to do this through Webjet.
Webjet most likely has much better customer support than many discount online travel agents, but it’s often just easier to book direct with the airline so you can use their website to make booking adjustments.
Good Interface
One thing I do like about Webjet is the search interface. It does make it easy to quickly compare prices, especially for domestic flights in Australia. One thing you could do is search for flights through Webjet and then just book directly with the airline to save money.
Who Owns Webjet
Webjet is listed on the ASX and is a public company. While some online travel agents don’t disclose who they are owned by, Webjet is a public company and has been around for a long time. Webjet is definitely legit and is not a scam.
Is it Worth Booking Flights with Webjet?
I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to book flights through Webjet. The only real reason to use an online travel agent is to save money. But Webjet charges two extra booking fees which makes them more expensive. You will be able to get a cheaper price by booking the flight directly with the airline.
Have you used Webjet to book flights in Australia? Let me know in the comments what your experience has been like.
