Qatar Airways, the national airline of the State of Qatar, has entered into a strategic partnership with one of the world’s leading mobile money service providers, Vodacom, to launch a service that now enables customers to pay for Qatar Airways tickets using the M-Pesa service.
The new service offers greater flexibility for Qatar Airways’ passengers and Vodacom Tanzania customers, who can now book tickets online at www.qatarairways.com/tz or through the reservations office and make their payment through M-Pesa.
Vodacom Tanzania’s Acting Managing Director Nina Pendaeli Eshun said, “We are proud to be associated with Qatar Airways – one of the world’s leading airlines. Our goal is to remain relevant and responsive to market needs at all times. M-Pesa is about reach, access and convenience. That is why Vodacom customers travelling on Qatar airways can now purchase their tickets anytime and anywhere at the mere click of a button.
Eshun went on to say that “M-Pesa would continue working on the provision of solutions that would be customized to suit the needs of the market and customer preferences as well as lifestyles.”
For his part, Qatar Airways Country Manager, Basel Haydar, said, “The new payment solution has been introduced to give passengers much more flexibility in payment methods. Our passengers want to be able to book tickets 24/7 and instantly access our latest offers,” said Basel. “So this solution is both user-friendly and gives passengers greater flexibility. We at Qatar Airways are always committed to continually improve our products and services to enhance the travel experience for our passengers.”
Currently, one of the most sophisticated mobile money payment systems in the world, M-Pesa allows registered users to make cash transactions using a mobile device. In order to pay, customers go to the M-Pesa pay bill option, enter Qatar Airways’ business number 331199 and insert their booking reference number and the amount quoted at time of the booking. Upon receipt of payment, the customer will receive an SMS confirmation and the e-ticket via e-mail. The ticket may also be collected at Qatar.
