Online travel agency Webjet has been hit with a A$9 million penalty by the Federal Court after admitting to years of misleading conduct around flight pricing and booking confirmations.

The case, brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), found that Webjet misled consumers between 2018 and 2024.

Webjet acknowledged that it advertised flight prices that excluded compulsory fees – such as the “Webjet servicing fee” and “booking price guarantee” – across its website, promotional emails and social media.

The extra charges, which added between $34.90 and $54.90 to bookings, were often buried in fine print or not disclosed at all on social platforms.

In one example that sparked the ACCC investigation, a flight advertised as “from $18” ended up costing nearly triple once fees were added.

“Luring customers in with prices that don’t tell the full story is a serious breach of Australian Consumer Law,” said ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

“Retailers must clearly disclose all compulsory fees and ensure advertised prices are accurate.”

Webjet also admitted to sending misleading booking confirmations to 118 customers between 2019 and 2024, falsely indicating that their flight reservations were confirmed.

In reality, bookings hadn’t been secured, and the company later demanded additional payments of up to $2,120 to finalise them. All affected consumers have since been refunded.

The hidden fees made up 36% of Webjet’s total revenue over a five-year period.

The court orders include a compliance review and a contribution to the ACCC’s legal costs.

Webjet, a subsidiary of ASX-listed Webjet Group Limited, co-operated with the regulator and made joint submissions on the penalty and orders.