Kenya Association of Travel Agents (KATA) Travel News
Ethiopian Airlines Integrates Alipay Into Mobile App
More airlines and destinations are offering Alipay as an alternative payment solution, helping Chinese travelers spend more easily.
Ethiopian Airlines has partnered with sales and payment technology solutions company CellPoint Mobile to begin accepting payments on China’s leading alternative payment method (APM) Alipay in the airline’s mobile app.
“CellPoint Mobile has demonstrated its commitment and knowledge of the Africa region as a member of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), as well as its global reach as a payment service provider,” said Miretab Teklaye, digital director, at Ethiopian Airlines. “The Alipay integration is the first in our PSP partnership in China and an important step in our airline’s growth strategy for the mobile channel.”
Ethiopian Airlines and CellPoint Mobile announced a partnership earlier this year to integrate the Velocity payment platform – a full merchant-side payment control environment built specifically for the travel industry. Velocity’s platform gives Ethiopian Airlines access to multiple PSPs, acquirers, global consumer wallets and APMs. The Velocity platform also features a PCI DSS Level 1 certified card vault and advanced fraud monitoring.
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IATA launches EasyPay scheme, aims to ease cash flows for airlines
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has rolled out a new payment model for travel agents which aims to ease cash flows for airlines.
Currently, travel agents in India receive seven-day credit to pay airlines for ticket bookings under the IATA’s billing and settlement plan. Agents are required to furnish a bank guarantee to avail credit.
Under the EasyPay scheme announced today, agents will be able to make payments using a debit card. IATA has tied up with Yes Bank to implement the scheme.
The EasyPay is a component of the new generation settlement system (NewGen ISS) launched by IATA which represents over 250 airlines around the world.
EasyPay is a voluntary payment model and agents can continue to avail seven-day credit under the existing process. However, agents may have to furnish a bank guarantee of a higher amount to avail credit as IATA has reworked some of its policies governing the agents’ accreditation.
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Watchdog gives KQ, Precision Air Nod to Set Prices
Kenya Airways and Tanzania’s Precision Air are now free to set prices and share revenues among other commercial decisions on their common routes after the Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) approved the carriers’ joint venture deal.
The airlines already have code-sharing agreement that allows airlines to sell seats on each other’s planes on the Nairobi-Dar es Salaam route.
They had applied to be exempted from competition regulations in their deal that will also allow them to fix route schedules and collaborate on sales and marketing activities.
“Following the application notified vide Gazette Notice No. 4657 of 2018, it is notified for general information that the Authority has granted an exemption for the Joint Venture Agreement between Kenya Airways PLC and Precision Air Services PLC for a period of four (4) years ending 11th April, 2022,” CAK said in the latest Kenya Gazette.
The joint venture destinations are Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu, Dar-es-salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. Although competition laws forbid collusion to set prices, the law also allows companies to apply for exemptions.
KQ, as the national carrier is known by its international code, acquired a 41.23 stake in Precision Air for Sh230 million and which it has since written off.
