Air China, China Southern Airlines, and Hainan Airlines using PayPal as preferred online payment solution on their international websites just in time for Chinese New Year
SHANGHAI, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- PayPal today announced that three out of China's top four airlines have accepted PayPal on their international websites since the start of 2011. Air China, Southern China Airlines and Hainan Airlines are using PayPal as their preferred online payment solution in the global market just in time for the Chinese New Year period as many overseas Chinese have booked their flights back to mainland China in the past month. PayPal enables the Chinese airline industry to expand its global reach and overseas business through its safe, convenient online payment solution used by 94 million active PayPal consumers available in 190 markets and 24 currencies.
PayPal is becoming an important component of the Chinese airline industry's strategy to reach travelers around the world and provide a new source of revenue as the tickets purchased by overseas consumers are typically for higher-priced international flights. For example, Air China (http://www.airchina.com) is allowing travelers to book and purchase tickets via PayPal on the airline's websites in the United States, Australia, and Singapore. In addition, China Southern Airlines accepts PayPal for all routes on its international website (http://www.flychinasouthern.com). Meanwhile, Hainan Airlines is using PayPal on its US website (http://www.hainanair.us) and will integrate PayPal on its global website soon for travelers around the world.
Zhang Lan, Vice President of Air China said, "Improving our marketing capability in international markets by developing e-commerce is an important strategic measure for Air China. In collaboration with PayPal, Air China will offer more payment options for travelers who purchase tickets directly on Air China's international websites, thus providing faster and safer online payment method and improving travelers' ticketing experiences."
"PayPal's safe and seamless payment solution is a powerful tool in helping airlines, particularly those based in China, to expand their reach into overseas markets. We have selected PayPal as the preferred checkout option for travelers booking on our worldwide website, as the service enables our international customers to benefit from a safe and easy-to-use online payment platform for purchasing their air tickets online." -- Statement from China Southern Airlines.
"Travelers in our global customer base continually look for more convenient, safer ways to pay for flights online without the need to repeatedly enter sensitive financial information. Hainan Airlines becomes the seventh 5-Star airline in the world and the first airline in mainland China to earn the 5-Star airline certification of Skytrax this year, PayPal enables us to meet the demands of overseas customers, making our cooperation of strategic significance for our ambition to be a globally-recognized airline." -- Statement from Hainan Airlines.
"We are committed to providing our users all over the world with a faster, safer way to pay for online transactions, especially for airline tickets that are easily purchased via the Internet," said Alan Tien, General Manager of PayPal China. "PayPal's strategic cooperation with the top Chinese airlines empowers them with opportunities to sell more tickets to travelers all over the world with a globally-accepted payment method as the international demand for Chinese tourism and business travel to China grows every year."
The three Chinese airlines hope the recent launch of their PayPal service can accommodate the expected surge in flight bookings for the Chinese New Year on Feb 3, 2011. The period preceding and following the Chinese New Year is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year as overseas Chinese take trips back to their hometowns. The PayPal service offers overseas Chinese, especially those in Western countries like the US, UK and Australia, a more convenient way to purchase their flight tickets on the leading Chinese airlines.
About PayPal
PayPal is the faster, safer way to pay and get paid online. The service allows members to send payments without sharing financial information, with the flexibility to pay using their account balances, credit cards, and bank accounts where available in various markets. PayPal is an eBay company and enables global e-commerce with more than 94 million active accounts in 190 markets and 24 currencies around the world. The company's open payment platform, PayPal X, allows developers to build innovative payment applications on multiple platforms and devices. More information about the company can be found at http://www.paypal.com.
PayPal is headquartered in San Jose, California and its international headquarters is located in Singapore.
For more information, please contact:
PayPal China:
David Ye
Head of Marketing
Tel: +86-21-2308 8209
Email: daye@paypal.com
Chen Chen
BlueBay Consulting
Tel: +86-21-3503-1069
Email: chenchen@bluebaypr.com
PayPal Asia Pacific:
Dickson Seow
Director of Corporate Communications
Tel: +65-6510-6463
Email: dseow@paypal.com
