Finnair to Trial Alipay on Flights Between Helsinki and Shanghai

Finnair will trial Alipay, the world´s largest online payment platform, onboard flights between Helsinki and Shanghai from 27 January 2017.

Finnair has partnered with Finland´s leading e-payment platform ePassi to offer Alipay as an official payment method onboard flights connecting the two cities.

In addition, the Finnair lounge in the non-Schengen area at Helsinki Airport will also accept Alipay.

Customers will be able to make payments for inflight purchases such as tax free items or buy themselves an Economy Comfort seat through the app by scanning a QR code.

Alipay will first be made available for a month on a trial basis. Finnair has said that decisions on future rollouts will be made after the trial period.

“Taking advantage of the opportunities provided by digitalization is an integral part of Finnair's accelerated growth strategy,” said Katri Harra-Salonen, Finnair's Chief Digital Officer. “The introduction of Alipay onboard is part of our commitment to continuously develop a better travel experience for our customers and to enhance the customer experience with digital solutions. As the number of travelers grows between Asia and Northern Europe, the need for a familiar and convenient payment platform has never been greater. This new partnership with Alipay will help Chinese travelers to make payments onboard in a very convenient manner, through a system that is both fast and familiar to them.”

Alipay has over 450 million active users in China and is used by over 60% of Chinese people traveling abroad.

Helsinki Airport has also adopted ePassi-Alipay for some selected shops and sales outlets, which has made payment more convenient for many people passing through. 

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