Webjet has seen a strong performance from its Australian and New Zealand OTA business and a better-than-expected start to its global B2B operations, although its Zuji brand in Hong Kong and Singapore has struggled.
It told the markets that it is "geared for growth, both organically and through possible B2B acquisitions" and that "development and investment expenditure will be commensurately increased during [the second half of the financial year]."
The net result for the half to end-Dec14 is a total transaction value (TTV) of A$600 million ($467 million) generating revenues of A$58.2 million ($45.3 million) and an EBITDA of A$14.4 million ($11.2 million).
It also remains on track for a full-year EBITDA of A$28 million ($22 million).
By unit, the core www.webjet.com OTA business - flights, hotels, packages, cruises, car rentals - is now the largest OTA brand in Australia by visitor numbers. Since the start of the year it has increased its share while Wotif, Expedia, Flight Centre and lastminute.com all recorded a drop.
Webjet bookings overall were 17% ahead this half, with international bookings doing even better, seeing a 38% increase.
Its other B2C brand Zuji has performed less well. Although Zuji in Australia saw TTV up by more than 30%, Hong Kong and Singapore were down by 26%. Bookings have picked up in Asia since December although margins remain under pressure.
It is looking to add more low cost carrier content to Zuji in Asia, having worked with Tiger Airways since 2009.
B2B is a fairly new part of the business and will grow in importance. Last June, it bought European specialist Sun Hotels to work with its Middle East and Africa-focussed distributor Lots of Hotels which Webjet launched at the start of 2013.
Already, B2B accounts for nearly a quarter (23%) of the group's EBITDA.
Lots of Hotels is the number three player in MEA while Sun Hotels is the market leader in Sweden and Norway. Webjet will move both businesses onto the Sun Hotels platform over the next half which will incur short-term costs.