Chinese airline to honor US$1.30 plane tickets sold during problem
Chinese airline China Southern Airlines said Thursday it would honor ticket sales as low as $1.30 following a two-hour technical glitch on its mobile phone app and some ticket booking platforms Wednesday evening.
Around 8 p.m. on Wednesday, consumers began reporting on Chinese social media that many flights to and from the southwest metropolis of Chengdu were available for 10, 20 or 30 yuan (1.37 at $4.12) on the China Southern app.
A screenshot circulating online showed a ticket from Chengdu to Beijing priced at just 10 yuan ($1.37), compared to the normal minimum price of 400 to 500 yuan (about $55 to $69). Other screenshots online showed the cheap fares were offered for about two hours on the carrier’s app as well as several ticket booking platforms, including market leader Trip.com.
On top of that price, buyers had to pay at least an additional 110 yuan ($15) in airport fees and fuel surcharges.
“Passengers can use them normally,” Guangzhou-based China Southern said, provided the tickets have already been paid for and issued.
Reporting by Sophie Yu and Casey Hall; Editing by Bernadette Baum
