Qantas signs deal with Alibaba's online travel platform

Qantas has teamed up with Alibaba Group.

The new agreement will allow customers to book Qantas flights directly from Alibaba's online travel service platform, Fliggy.

Previously known as Alitrip, Fliggy is an online travel platform that offers Chinese customers a range of services including international and domestic airline tickets, hotel bookings and vacation packages.

Together with its partners China Eastern and China Southern, Qantas operates more than 130 weekly return flights between Australia and China, and close to 250 connecting services to domestic destinations within China.

Qantas International CEO Gareth Evans and Fliggy vice president Jerry Hu have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic relationship, which also has scope for joint marketing campaigns to Alibaba Group's 507 million mobile active users.

For airlines targeting the China market, Alibaba's Fliggy is a direct sales platform with more than 20 international carriers running online booking stores, called Fliggy flagship stores, on the platform.

Hu says Alibaba is looking forward to welcoming Qantas' booking presence on Fliggy, which will make Qantas the first Australian airline to have a flagship store on the site.

Evans says a partnership with Fliggy makes it easier for a large number of potential customers to purchase Qantas flights.

Currently, around 75% of Alibaba Group's users are aged 35 years and younger.

"With travel between China and Australia booming, a Qantas booking page on Fliggy is an exciting opportunity for us to have a connection with younger Chinese travellers, who increasingly turn to mobile applications like Fliggy and online sites to research and purchase travel.

"Australia is one of the top destinations on the wish list for many Chinese travellers, and following the launch of our direct service from Beijing to Australia in January, we now have the Qantas Group's largest ever network in Greater China.

Evans continues, "Qantas' partnership with Fliggy forms another part of our growth strategy for China and the broader Asian region.

Hu explains, "With the popularity of mobile internet and its impact on commerce, Fliggy can provide brands with a large customer base, as well as facilitate direct communication with their customers.

"Fliggy can also provide consumer insights to help brands improve their marketing, membership system, services levels, and continuously optimise the consumer travel experience."