China Southern to honour $1.30 flight tickets sold during glitch

BEIJING — Chinese carrier China Southern Airlines said on Thursday (Nov 9) it would honour the sale of tickets priced as cheaply as US$1.30 (S$1.77) during a two-hour technical glitch on its mobile phone app and some ticket-booking platforms late on Wednesday.

Consumers began reporting on Chinese social media at around 8pm (GMT+8) on Wednesday that many flights to and from the southwest metropolis of Chengdu were available at 10, 20 or 30 yuan (S$1.87, S$3.73 or S$5.60) on China Southern’s app.

One screenshot circulating online showed a ticket from Chengdu to Beijing priced at only 10 yuan, compared to the normal minimum price of 400 to 500 yuan.

Other online screenshots indicated the cheap prices were offered for about two hours on the carrier’s app as well as across several ticket-booking platforms, including market leader Trip.com.

On top of that price, buyers were required to pay at least an additional 110 yuan in airport fees and fuel surcharges. “Passengers can use them as normal,” Guangzhou-based China Southern said, on the proviso that tickets were already paid for and issued.

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