To our customers, who have let us play a part of their travel memories, and to our people, past and present, who have contributed to the company’s enduring success over the past 40 years, thank you.
Where are we going next?
Space
Space-Flight Centre? Anything's possible. Either way, you can rest assured that whatever the future brings, we’ll be here to take you there.
Hotels
"Rise of the boutique brands to complement customer's desires for authentic in-destination experiences. There will also be an increase in demand for tranquil, nature-based getaways." - Skroo
Cruising:
"Ocean, river and expeditions will grow dramatically in popularity." - Skroo
Coach Touring
"This will all be about immersive cultural experiences with small groups." - Skroo
Air Travel:
"Sydney to London in less than 6 hours. Planes will be powered by liquid Hydrogen processed by renewables." - Skroo
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Captain’s announcement
The future is bright, we’re turning 40, travel is back and we are flooded with new and returning customers ready to turn their travel dreams into a reality again.
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The Future
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Prepare for takeoff
2022:
As part of our commitment to living and operating in a more sustainable world, we officially introduce a Flight Centre Global Sustainability Leader role.
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In-flight entertainment
2021:
Flight Centre launches its new tagline “Experience our experience”. We welcome new Captains and made all of our amazing people official Co-Captains of the brand.
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Grounded
2021:
A year on we take out a full page ad thanking our customers for their patience, and support; we know the journey isn't over yet.
Grounded
2020:
International borders shut, airlines ground their fleets, FLT temporarily suspends trading on the ASX and Flight Centre stands down over 15,000 employees. In Australia alone we issued $1billion in customer refunds.
Captain’s announcement
2020 will forever be remembered as “that year”. After facing government-mandated closures of the travel industry, we had to make some of the hardest decisions in our company’s history.
The 20s:
The world stops. And re-opens
22,000 people
2,908 shops
AU$40 per share
Fasten seat belt
2019:
Wuhan Municipal Health Commission, China, reported a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan. A novel coronavirus was eventually identified.
Ascending
2019:
Buffalo Tours Asia and Olympus Tours merge to create Discova.
We also announce our 100% acquisition of Ignite Travel Group.
Ascending
2016:
Open new FCTG global headquarters at Southpoint South Brisbane, Australia.
Ascending
2016:
Canada joins USA and Mexico to form FCTG ‘The Americas’. We also start operations in Malaysia and Netherlands.
We launch our new online brand Aunty Betty as an online offering for package holidays.
Ascending
2014:
We acquire Topdeck Travel and enter a joint venture with Buffalo Tours. In this same year, we acquire Travelplan Corporate which becomes FCM in Dublin and signals the starts of our operations in Ireland.
Cruising altitude
2014:
Marks 20 years of Flight Centre South Africa and Canada.
All 10 countries are profitable for the fourth consecutive year.
Cruising altitude
2012:
Flight Centre Australia turns 30 and Flight Centre New Zealand turns 25.
Liberty Travel opens a flagship store on Madison Avenue, NYC with all of our FC USA brands under the same roof.
Cruising altitude
2011:
For the first time, all countries we operate in are profitable.
Ascending
2010:
We acquire gapyear.com and Air Services Singapore which becomes FCM Singapore. At the same time, we introduce the Flight Centre Business School to develop the next generation of business leaders.
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Captain’s announcement
We officially become the Flight Centre Travel group, reflecting the company’s transformation from its traditional roots as a travel agent to a world-class retailer of leisure and corporate travel products and continue to grow our family of brands, and enter new markets.
The 10s:
Profit in all 10 countries and we formally become Flight Centre Travel Group
12,900 people
2,152 shops
AU$17.57 per share
Prepare for takeoff
2008:
We launch the Flight Centre Foundation; our give back program to the communities we work, operate and travel in.
Boarding
2008:
Our biggest acquisition to date (AU$135M) – Liberty Travel and GoGo Vacations in the USA at the end of 2007 – coincides with the Global Financial Crisis. We make the bold move to rebrand our tagline to “Unbeatable”.
Boarding
2007:
We launch Flight Centre Travel Money, now known as Travel Money, a foreign exchange business. By 2016 it becomes our second-largest retail brand in FCTG Australia.
Boarding
2005:
We acquire 51% of Friends Globe Travel in India to start our India Operations under FCM India. We fully acquire this company in 2010.
Boarding
2004:
We acquire 50% of China Comfort Travel and operate it as FCM China, signalling the start of our operations in China. This year also marks the official launch of the FCM Travel Solutions brand – an amalgamation of various corporate brands and businesses acquired over the last few years into a single global brand.
Boarding
2003:
As the travel industry reels with the impacts of the Iraq War and SARS outbreaks, we make a gutsy move with the acquisition of Britannic Travel in the UK, providing our UK corporate operations immediate scale, a strong network of branches and a high-end client base.
Boarding
2002:
We acquire Cruiseabout and Turramurra Travel, Quickbeds, and Internet Travel Group (now known as FCM). In an effort to enter the Hong Kong corporate travel market, we acquire American International Travel Ltd and bring it into our FCM brand. It works, and we officially start operations in Hong Kong later this year.
Grounded
2001:
9/11 significantly impacts customer confidence. Flight Centre Limited's monthly profit drops from AU$8 million in August to AU$3.7 million in September.
Captain’s announcement
We all know how the 2000s began. The world and travel changed forever with events like 9/11, the collapse of Ansett, the GFC and the Iraq War.
Many other travel businesses contract during these tough times, our strategy on the other hand was to keep expanding, acquire more businesses and enter new markets.
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The 00s:
9/11, SARS and Facebook
3,000 people
440 shops
AU$5.95 per share
Ascending
1999:
We close out this decade by acquiring Sydney Business Travel (now FCM) and Stage and Screen, and start operations in the USA.
Corporate Traveller launches in the UK with a computer and a cardboard box for a desk.
Ascending
1998:
The first Travel Associates shop opens in Melbourne.
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In-flight entertainment
1996:
We hold the first Flight Centre Airfare and Holiday Expo at the Brisbane Convention Centre. In our first year, over 8000 customers attend. In 1997, 11,000. In 1998, we open Flight Centre Travel Expos across Australia and New Zealand.
Cruising Altitude
1995:
Profit surpasses $10M and Flight Centre goes public on the ASX. Flighties purchase over 25% of shares available and set an Australian record for take-up by in-house people. The share price opened at AU95cents, and closed at AU$1.23.
Layover
1995:
Flight Centre opens shop in Vancouver, Canada. Phones were ringing off the hook with customers eager to book travel.
Layover
1994:
Throw a shrimp on the braai, because Flight Centre opens in Johannesburg, South Africa. It breaks even within the first three months.
Ascending
1993:
Flight Centre Corporate starts in Melbourne running as a brand until 1996, when it was rebranded into the Corporate Traveller brand we know today.
In this same year we also enter a joint venture to acquire Infinity, our wholesale business.
Fasten seat belt
1991:
The Gulf War. With the demand for international airfares on the decline, Flight Centre begins selling domestic flights. According to Skroo “the Gulf War showed us that certain shops and consultants were war and recession-proof."
Captain’s announcement
The 90s were all about Friends, Seinfeld, Guns n Roses and Flight Centre floating on the Australian Securities Exchange. We open in South Africa, Canada, the USA, and re-launch in the UK. We also welcome a number of new brands into the family.
The 90s:
More brands, more countries & we float
345 people
63 shops
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In-flight entertainment
1988:
The Captain first appears (we’ve had 5 of those, ladies and gents, since!), and we introduce our famous “Lowest Airfares Guaranteed” slogan. Enquiry quadruples after trials on TV and press ads.
Layover
1987:
We say chur bro to our cousins across the ditch, and Flight Centre starts operations in New Zealand. It’s also the first year we host Global Gathering, an infamous Flight Centre awards event to celebrate our amazing people. It quickly becomes an annual tradition, globally.
Layover
1984:
Frankie says Relax don’t do it... but we did it anyway and Flight Centre opens in London (making £60,000 profit with six consultants in the first 12 months!)
Layover
1982:
Flight Centre opens in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Captain’s announcement
Welcome to the 80s. Airlines have been deregulated and Skroo reckons Australia, the UK and NZ are ripe for the picking, which makes sense for a bloke who grew up on an apple farm. Flight Centre is born.
The 80s:
Hello UK, NZ and... The Captain.
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By the end of the 70s, Top Deck was operating 26 buses and the crew are partying their way around Europe, pretending it’s a proper job.
1975:
Fast forward your Sanyo cassette deck to the mid 70s and that one bus has multiplied like guinea pigs. Top Deck is born, operating in London and the following year, in Brisbane, Australia.
1973:
Skroo (Graham Turner – our founder) and friend (Geoff “Spy” Lomas) buy a double decker bus and take off on their first tour around Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
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The 70s:
The facial hair is dodgy and the travellers are even dodgier...
You’re about to take off on a 40-year flight through adventure, fun, success, stuff-ups, tragedy and triumphs. But, most of it all, it’s about surviving the storm, coming through stronger and enjoying the trip.
Today, we are one of the world’s largest travel retailers employing 12,000 people globally across a retail network of over 500 customer service centres, 23 businesses, and a corporate travel network spanning more than 100 countries.
