Zuji Australia dumps booking fees
SYDNEY – Zuji has removed its online booking fees in Australia.
Customers will pay the promoted cost of a flight without any additional travel agency booking fees.
Peter Smith, Zuji Australia’s general manager, said online booking fees were an important part of establishing the online travel industry in Australia some years ago.
“However, the industry is now well established here, and as such, we believe charging booking fees for online transactions is now outdated, and frankly, pretty unfair to Aussie travellers, in these tough economic times.
“By removing booking fees and therefore reducing the cost of a trip, we hope we help more people take a holiday.
“We also hope travellers take the opportunity to compare Zuji Australia’s ‘booking-fee-free’ approach with that of our competitors.â€
According to figures produced by Zuji, with more consumers now researching their travel online (77% of all trips booked in Australia are researched online), growth in online travel is significantly outpacing the traditional travel industry with a projected 15 percent compound annual growth rate over the next three years.
In 2009, US$25 billion is expected to be spent on travel, 24 percent of which will come from online.
Zuji Australia estimates Australian travellers paid more than A$22 million in online booking fees in 2008.
“The removal of fees is a turning point for the industry and is sign of confidence in the Australian economy, in online travel and Aussie travellers, and it should help stimulate more travel demand as a result,†Smith added.
Smith said people booking travel online on web sites other than Zuji Australia may expect to pay between A$9 and A$50 per transaction in booking fees.
Ian Jarrett
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