Rehlat is a UAE-based online travel agency that offers flight, hotel, and holiday package bookings across the Middle East and beyond. But before you hand over your card details, there’s one question worth answering first: Is Rehlat legit, or is it a platform you should avoid? Here is everything we found.
What Is Rehlat?
Rehlat (Arabic for “journey”) is a travel booking platform originally launched in Kuwait and expanding across the GCC region and internationally. It targets travellers looking for affordable flights and holiday packages, competing with platforms like Booking.com, Expedia, and MakeMyTrip in the Middle Eastern and South Asian markets.
Rehlat’s Trustpilot Score and User Reviews
Rehlat’s rating on Trustpilot is consistently low — sitting below 2 stars from over 1,900 reviews at the time of our research. On Sitejabber, the picture is similar, with users awarding an average of around 2.3 stars from over 780 reviews. These are not the numbers of a trusted travel platform.
The complaints that appear most frequently across both platforms include:
- Prices displayed at search that increase significantly at checkout without clear explanation
- Flights cancelled by the airline with refunds not processed back to the customer by Rehlat
- Customer support being unreachable or unresponsive when issues arise
- Discrepancies between the refund policy as written and what actually happens when users try to claim one
Rehlat’s Pricing Tactics: Is the Bait Real?
Rehlat’s primary marketing hook is aggressive promotional pricing. The platform frequently displays fares that appear significantly below competitor prices. However, a recurring complaint from users is that by the time taxes, service fees, and processing charges are added at checkout, the final price is no longer competitive — and sometimes higher than direct airline booking.
This pattern is not unique to Rehlat — it exists across many online travel agencies — but the volume of complaints about it on Rehlat is notably higher than industry peers of similar size.
Rehlat Refunds and Cancellations
This is Rehlat’s weakest area. Users report a consistent pattern: when a flight is cancelled — whether by the airline or by the user within a refundable window — getting the money back from Rehlat is an ordeal. Common experiences include refunds promised within 7–14 days that take months, support agents giving contradictory information, and cases where the money was never returned at all.
If you must book through Rehlat, pay with a credit card rather than a debit card so you can initiate a chargeback through your bank if the refund is refused.
Is Rehlat Trustworthy for International Bookings?
Based on the evidence available, Rehlat carries a significantly higher-than-average risk of post-booking problems compared to established alternatives. It is not a fictional or fraudulent operation — real flights are booked and real PNRs are issued — but its handling of exceptions, cancellations, and customer service falls well below the standard of trusted platforms.
Safer Alternatives to Rehlat
If you’re looking for affordable flight bookings, these alternatives have stronger consumer protection track records:
- Google Flights — compare fares across all airlines and book direct with the carrier
- Skyscanner — price comparison with strong filtering tools
- Booking.com — strong refund processes and 24/7 support
- Direct airline websites — most airlines now offer price-match guarantees and clearer refund terms than OTAs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Rehlat a legitimate company?
Rehlat is a registered business that issues real flight bookings. However, its customer service and refund handling record raises serious concerns about reliability.
How do I get a refund from Rehlat?
Contact Rehlat support via their official channels and document every interaction. If the refund is not processed within the promised window, file a chargeback through your credit card provider.
Is Rehlat available in Nigeria?
Rehlat primarily serves the Middle East, South Asia, and international travellers from those regions. Nigerian users looking for flight deals are better served by Wakanow, Travelstart, or direct airline bookings.
Our Verdict
Rehlat is not a scam in the traditional sense, but its pattern of pricing discrepancies, refund failures, and poor customer support puts it firmly in the high-risk, avoid-if-possible category. The smarter move is to book direct with airlines or use a well-established OTA with a proven refund track record.
Related: Is Super.com Legit for Travel? | Scam Reports
