China Southern Airlines has signed a new global partnership with Expedia. The agreement, which represents the first-ever global deal between the Guangzhou-based airline and an online travel agency, will make China Southern’s fares and inventory available on all Expedia websites in North America, Europe and Asia, as well as corporate travel arm Egencia, discount travel site Hotwire, and on China’s second-largest online travel site, eLong.

“Our aim is to capture the growing demand for travel to and within China, and make travel into the country simpler and more accessible,” said Greg Schulze, Senior Vice President of Global Tour & Transport for Expedia Worldwide. “That’s what makes this partnership with China Southern Airlines so exciting. We are increasing our relevance with Chinese consumers, and extending the reach of China Southern to a greater audience of travellers around the world.”

The deal means that Expedia customers can now bundle China Southern flights with any of the nearly 145,000 hotels offered on Expedia sites worldwide.

Zhao Zaikui, China Southern’s President of Sales said the new arrangement would help it promote its new ‘Canton Route’ - an alternative to the Kangaroo Route for travellers flying between Australia and Europe, connecting China Southern flights via Guangzhou’s Baiyun International Airport.

“Through our partnership with Expedia, we are now able to promote China Southern Airlines’ flights on Expedia sites in countries like the UK and Australia where we’ve not previously had a presence,” said Zhao. “We’re confident that our impressive air offerings, coupled with Expedia’s vast global reach, will serve to build brand awareness and drive incremental demand for China Southern among an entirely new audience of international travellers.”

Source: Travel Daily Asia