Amadeus boosts Air China’s international e-commerce as airline passenger numbers continue to surge

Air China deployed the Amadeus e-commerce suite in 25 international markets and showed 52% growth rate in first quarter of 2008.

Amadeus, a global leader in technology and distribution solutions for the travel and tourism industry, today announced the successful implementation of Air China’s international e-business in 25 international markets. Air China turned to Amadeus for a fully hosted and customized internet booking engine solution that will help them manage the intensified international online traffic due to the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer.

Through partnering with Amadeus, Air China now offers its international customers in many markets a fully localized online booking product in the native language and local currency, thus enhancing customers’ overall experience and increasing online conversion rates.

Air China Director, E-commerce, Lui Dong commented: “As a carrier operating worldwide with a vastly diverse customer base, Air China opted to build a local web site presence in each of its international markets, thereby offering our customers the best online experience, locally. This will help grow our international online business, especially during the increase in passenger traffic before the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics.

“We also believe that Amadeus has the financial strength and focus to maintain unrivalled booking engine technology, allowing us to remain competitive. We can clearly see an impact on our results for the past few months, with a growth rate of our online bookings of over 50% during the first quarter this year. We look forward to continue working with Amadeus, to provide an excellent customer experience to all of our online bookers.”

David Brett, President, Amadeus Asia Pacific, said, “I believe our leadership position in China is due to our ability to provide international reach, leading functionality as well as our proven record as technology partner to airlines. We are proud to partner with Air China and help them continue to deliver significant growth. We supply them with e-commerce solutions and are committed to develop our business even further in the region.”

Philippe Der Arslanian, Global Director, Airline Direct Channel, Amadeus added, “We are delighted to contribute to the success and development of Air China’s online business.

“Our Web 2.0, fully customizable, solutions allow the region’s players to accelerate their e-business and increase their international conversion rates. Further, Amadeus’ strong commitment to e-commerce means that our partners will be able to sustain their online growth by benefiting from evolving e-commerce opportunities and emerging technologies.”

The Amadeus e-Commerce solutions currently power more than 250 websites for over 80 airlines worldwide. These include Air Canada, Air China, Air France, BMI, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Dragonair, EVA Air, Finnair, Iberia, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.

About Air China

Carrying China, Spanning the World

As a Star Alliance member, the Beijing 2008 Olympics Airline Partner and the only flag carrier of China, Air China operates a worldwide network from its hub in Beijing. Using a fleet of 214 Airbus and Boeing aircraft, Air China flies 243 routes - 168 domestic, 69 international, and 6 regional - serving 28 countries and regions. It offers over 6,000 flights with over 1,000,000 seats every week to 81 domestic and 42 overseas and regional destinations.

On December 12, 2007, Air China joined Star Alliance, expanding its service to 897 destinations in 160 countries. Additionally, Air China maintains a code sharing cooperation with 20 airlines worldwide as well as various partnerships with other leading carriers.

The company’s customer service philosophy revolves around the 4Cs: credibility, convenience, comfort, and choice. A case in point of that is its new First Class “Forbidden Pavilion” and Business Class “Capital Pavilion” for long-haul international flights. These new service features, which include flat beds in First Class and lie-flat seats in Business Class, have redefined luxury in China’s airline industry. Air China was also the first airline in China to launch a frequent flyer program known as PhoenixMiles.

By its innovation and quality service, the company has won numerous accolades of the industry. For three years running, it has been honored with the Customer Satisfaction Award from the China Air Transport Association, and voted the Best Domestic Carrier Serving China by Business Traveler and TTG. Air China also ranks among “Top 20 Competitive Chinese Companies of the World” and among the “Top 500 Brands of the World" for 2007.

For more information, visit Air China’s website www.airchina.aero

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