Cathay Pacific, Alibaba Group, and Ant Financial Services Group have signed a strategic cooperation to enhance Chinese customers’ travel experiences.
The link-up connects Cathay Pacific with three key businesses within Alibaba’s ecosystem, including travel services, cloud computing and payments. By examining a number of potential solutions under the cooperative framework based on the strengths of each party, passengers of Cathay Pacific will benefit from optimised travel experiences. Alibaba’s consumer insights, developed based on its 507 million-strong mobile active users, will also support the carrier to accurately and effectively reach a wider range of travellers.
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Under the framework, Alibaba’s travel services platform Fliggy will allow Cathay Pacific’s passengers an enhanced level of customisation when planning their journeys. The two parties plan to seek other collaboration opportunities to promote global travel among Chinese consumers, building on the success of Cathay Pacific’s flagship store on the platform.
Alibaba Cloud, the cloud computing arm of Alibaba Group, will support Cathay Pacific with its best-in-class cloud computing services, powered by its data centres and global network resources in 14 regions. Both parties will explore opportunities for joint development to drive innovation and boost operational efficiency.
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Alipay, an online and mobile payment platform operated by Ant Financial, will work with Cathay Pacific to explore payment service options at different touchpoints along the passenger journey.
“Cathay Pacific and Alibaba Group have always been focusing on providing premium services to our customers,” says Cathay Pacific chief customer and commercial officer Paul Loo. “We believe this strategic cooperation will offer more choices and better user experiences for travellers in the future.”
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