Bharti Airtel, a leading telecommunications services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, has signed a partnership Agreement with Air France which will enable customers to purchase flight tickets from the French airline via Airtel Money.
Charles Alexis Boukinda, the Director of Airtel Money Gabon, said: “We are fully aware that a lot of our customers have hectic schedules and they don’t have time to go to travel agencies to purchase their plane tickets. Running petty errands can be time consuming. The introduction of this new payment method highlights the commitment of Airtel to finding convenient solutions for all its customers.”
The mobile money platform, Airtel Money, allows its customers to conduct financial transactions quickly and easily. It has been widely adopted by corporate, government and individual customers for the purchase of airtime, Person-2-Person cash transfers and utility bill Payments.
Nicolas Soulie, the director of Air France Gabon, stated that the use of mobile money for the payment of flight tickets is a first for the company. He also lauded the initiative for its innovativeness: “Air France customers now have a wider choice of payment methods. Consistently providing convenience for our clientele is something we strive to achieve on a daily basis”, he said.
A customer wishing to buy an Air France flight ticket via Airtel Money needs to make a reservation through an agency or on the internet. After that, he can easily make the payment via Airtel Money on his mobile phone. The plane ticket will be sent to his e-mail address and he will simultaneously receive a SMS confirming the purchase of the ticket.
“Airtel Money is a safe and secure service that is password-protected through state-of-the-art security systems”, says Mr. Boukinda Boukinda. “Many banks and other institutions use this method of payment in the 17 African countries where we operate in. It is a safe and effective way to conduct financial transactions”, he added.
