Rex’s travel agent deals set to double revenue

The regional airline says the agreements with Flight Centre, Helloworld and others could double revenue in the next year.

Rex has signed an agreement to be a preferred supplier to a number of local travel agents.

Regional airline Rex has announced deals with major travel agents it says will more than double its revenue.

Agreements signed with Flight Centre, Helloworld, Webjet, Consolidated Travel and Corporate Travel Management are set to promote Rex flights over its competitors.

In particular, the company has announced a ten-year agreement with Flight Centre to become the travel agent’s partner airline of choice.

The deals will come as a relief to the airline, with The Australian reported its forays into major routes between Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne were flagging as a large number of the flights were less than a quarter full.

Rex’s new partnerships are expected to have a significant impact on its standing in the market, with the company predicting next year’s domestic jet revenue to be double that of this year, “with no increase in fleet size.”

Rex’s general manager of sales, Ann Elliott said: “These new partnerships are a testament to our growing reputation as a safe, reliable and affordable full-service airline which is enjoying ever increasing passenger support.” “As we continue to grow our network, our travel agency community is critical to this success,” she said.

After accusing Qantas of predatory actions, and withdrawing from several regional routes including Sydney to Grafton, Bathurst and Lismore, the partnerships will give Rex a much-welcomed edge over its rivals.

The move comes ahead of June 30, when the federal government’s $241.9m Regional Airline Network Support scheme comes to an end.