Former Air Australia boss Michael James’s wife in new travel website venture, Bestjet.com
MICHAEL James left the airline industry in disgrace, but now his wife is behind a website selling cheap flights and travel deals.
Travel
Don't miss out on the headlines from Travel. Followed categories will be added to My News.
THEIR efforts to fly people on the cheap failed spectacularly so now the James family is trying another approach to discount travel.
Rachel James, wife of former Air Australia and Strategic Airlines boss Michael, is behind bestjet.com, which is taking on Webjet, Wotif and Expedia in the competitive internet-driven travel market.
Mr James was last year banned from managing a company for three years by the Australian Securities and Investment Corporation after Air Australia collapsed with debts of almost $100 million.
Very little money was recovered from asset sales, leaving investors, creditors and travellers out of pocket to the tune of $97.1 million.
Within two weeks of the airline folding in February 2012, Bestjet Travel had been registered with ASIC by Ms James.
Now operating out of a small office in inner-Brisbane, the web-based agency promises “cheaper prices than the airlines direct”.
Ms James refused to say if her husband was part of the new venture, which has a staff of 10 people.
She said the company’s start-up was unrelated to Air Australia’s demise and based on her “own experience”.
“I just simply had more time to focus on it and I thought it was a great idea,” said Ms James.
“Everyone I spoke to said that they would book with an agency that didn’t charge booking or credit card fees.”
Despite being registered in February 2012, Bestjet.com remained in the “start-up phase” and accepted its first booking in May last year, Ms James said.
“We are growing slowly as we need to make sure our customers are satisfied, that we can remain focused on our goals and learn from our mistakes,” she said.
“The travel industry in general is a highly competitive market but most markets are these days and the element of difference has never been more important.”
Australian Federation of Travel Agents’ chief executive Jayson Westbury said overcrowding of the “travel space” had made it hard for those in the industry.
“It’s a crowded space not only through the websites but through suppliers wanting to sell things directly — hotel and airline websites have become much more consumer friendly and competitive,” Mr Westbury said.
“The beneficiary of all that is the consumer because with competition comes price reduction.”
He said the best advice he could offer consumers was to “know who they were dealing with”.
“Always look for an Australian ABN because at least then you’re covered by Australian consumer laws,” said Mr Westbury.
“The other point is, with respect to travel deals — if it seems too good to be true, it often is.”
Originally published as Former Air Australia boss Michael James’s wife in new travel website venture, Bestjet.com
Jetsetting Harry and Meghan cop flak
The Sussex Royals have been accused of leaving a huge carbon footprint after taking another private jet to Nice days after they flew to Ibiza via private jet.
Inside Harry, Meghan’s Ibiza supervilla
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spared no expense on their recent holiday in Ibiza, staying in a luxury villa that costs around $50,000 a week to rent.