Japanese flag carrier All Nippon Airways (ANA) is giving passengers flying to or from select Chinese airports the option to accept compensation for canceled and delayed flights through Chinese mobile payment app Alipay starting today.
ANA said it added Alipay as an option for instances where passengers encounter complications with a flight, such as cancellations or delays due to weather constraints. While cash payments will still be an option, ANA said it “hopes to streamline the process by adding Alipay”.
The Japanese carrier said Alipay will be an option for passengers who have a bank account in China and are flying to or from Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on ANA’s international flights.
To receive the payment, eligible passengers can open their Alipay App and scan a QR code provided by ANA. Once the QR code is scanned, passengers can scan their boarding pass information to receive their reimbursement.
Screenshot of the Alipay App
“Part of our commitment to service is making these difficult situations easier to resolve. By introducing Alipay compatibility, we hope we can create a more intuitive compensation process when flight disruptions occur,” said Masaki Yokai, senior vice president of ANA.
Alipay is one of the two major mobile payment platforms that are widely used in China, with the other being WeChat Pay.
Earlier this month, Alipay launched an international version of its app which allows visitors in China to make payments through its app. However, a spokesperson from ANA confirmed with Business Traveller Asia-Pacific that the airline’s compensation service is strictly only available for passengers with a Chinese bank account.
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific rounded up a few other mobile apps that would be useful for non-Chinese-speaking travellers visiting China.
