China UnionPay to further develop China Southern Airlines' E-ticket business

China Southern Airlines has announced a new strategic cooperation agreement with China UnionPay.

China UnionPay will provide the most advanced Internet E-ticket payment system for China Southern Airline's E-ticket sales. 

China UnionPay bank members total more than 450 Million bankcard customers who are now able to buy airline tickets from the safety and comfort of their home or office and simply claim their boarding pass at any  China Southern Airlines' E-ticket airport counter.

In 2002, China Southern recorded E-ticket sales of $72 Million (US). 2003 Internet revenues are expected to top out at more than $193 Million (US).

"We will continuously explore the E-ticket business, extend the service into more cities, thoroughly upgrade the E-ticket system into a perfectly functional system and use this cutting-edge technology to meld the connection of reservations, booking, flight departures, revenue accounting and tariff," said Mr. Yan Zhi Qing, President, China Southern Air Holding Company & Chairman of China Southern Airlines Company Ltd.

Mr. Yan added that the airline is, "demonstrating China Southern's brand value of 'convenience and quickness', gradually improving the proportion of E-ticket sales in China Southern's sales revenues, making China Southern one of the leading E-business airlines within China."

During the past three years, China Southern Airlines has gradually built up its service network while continuously expanding its E-business platform to the B-to-C and B-to-B customers and is currently available in 33 major metropolitan cities across China, including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Wuhan.