United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
Webjet takes off with sales surge
SYDNEY – Internet-based travel portal Webjet says the number of people using its services surged 19 percent in the second half of 2008 despite economic gloom and the falling Australian dollar prompting fears of a slowdown in air travel. 
 

Webjet managing director David Clarke attributed the result to increasingly budget-conscious travellers using the company’s portal, which compares prices across different airlines, to drive their dollar further. 
 

“We’ve got a general economic environment where people are really hunting the bargains. To do that on individual airline (web)sites or within a bricks and mortar travel agent is very difficult, but very easy on the Net,”
Clarke told The Age newspaper that the performance of the sector during 2009 would be determined by the extent of the rise in unemployment and the degree to which airlines continued the heavy discounting of recent months.
While he forecast the discounting to remain strong for the first half of the year, he said the situation beyond June was less certain. 
 

“We may see either a continuation of major bargains, or we may see airlines seriously rationalising capacity.”


He said sales in the first days of January had been “very strong”.
Ian Jarrett
Walt Leger on New Orleans’ Resilience and Major Events Ahead
Cindy Mackin Shares Estes Park’s Winter Thrills
Mark Jaronski of Explore Georgia on FIFA World Cup 2026
Connecting Small Businesses to Global Tourism Markets: Nate Huff of Tourism Exchange
North Carolina’s Resilience: Wit Tuttell on Recovery and Tourism
Kittipong Prapattong’s Plan for Thailand’s Tourism Growth: Taxes, Visas, and Campaigns
James Jin: Didatravel’s Journey from China to Global Reach and the Impact of AI on Travel
Darien Schaefer on Pensacola’s Evolution: From Small Town to Global Destination
Florida Tourism’s Next Frontier: Dana Young on Expanding Beyond the Classics
Patrick Harrison on Tampa Bay Tourism’s Resilience and Marketing Strategy
Bubba O’Keefe on Clarksdale’s Vibrant Music Scene
Commemorating Elvis and Embracing Tupelo’s Culture with Jennie Bradford Curlee
BA suspending all Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flights
Unexpected wave rocks cruise ship
Woman dies after going overboard in English Channel
Report: Cruise guest died after ship lashed in heavy storm
British teen in serious condition after paraglider collision