UnionDigital Bank Inc., a division of the Aboitiz-led Union Bank of the Philippines, has recently signed a strategic collaboration agreement with AirAsia as well as BigPay Malaysia Sdn Bhd and airasia Superapp Sdn Bhd, two of Capital A Berhad’s most important subsidiaries.
AirAsia is the airline business of Capital A Berhad, while airasia Superapp is a one-stop travel platform that offers services such as flights, hotels, ride-hailing, and loyalty programs, among other things.
BigPay, on the other hand, is the fintech arm providing accessible and secure digital financial services with the vision of improving financial well-being and accessibility in Southeast Asia. Its goal is to improve financial accessibility and well-being in Southeast Asia.
Photo shows Zubin Krishnan (2nd from left), acting group CEO of BigPay while shaking hands with Henry Aguda (3rd from left), president and CEO of UnionDigital Bank Inc. Joining them are Tony Fernandes (left), CEO of Capital A Berhad, and Sabin M. Aboitiz, president and CEO of Aboitiz Equity Venture (AEV).
As the primary Philippine booking source for AirAsia flights, airasia Superapp will now feature embedded financing services from UnionDigital Bank in collaboration with BigPay.
Thanks to this synergy, users of Airasia Superapp can also now expect a seamless and enhanced travel booking experience, with the one-stop travel platform claiming to completely change how people travel and handle their money.
Benefits of the partnership
Through this partnership, Filipinos can now expect improved frequent flyers’ travel experiences, fly-now, pay-later offers, as well as special co-branding bargains and flexible payment choices that are now available on the airasia Superapp.
According to UnionDigital Bank, this (collaboration) will bring about a gradual change in how consumers book and pay for their flights and other travel-related services, making fintech more practical and available to Filipinos.
“This is a pivotal moment for the two important sectors in the Philippines. We are forging a path towards greater convenience, accessibility, and innovation to empower Filipinos to live better lives,” said Henry Aguda, president and CEO of UnionDigital Bank Inc.
The Aboitiz Group, which recently acquired shares in GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corporation (GMCAC), the developer and operator of the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), is now expanding its tourism-related business with this newest venture with one of the largest conglomerates in Malaysia — Capital A Berhad.
For his part, Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A Berhad, said that the mission of Capital A has always been to connect people and realize ambitions for people throughout ASEAN and beyond by offering low-cost, highest-value services.
He adds that the company is currently working to build a future where travel and cutting-edge financial solutions are combined to make it easier than ever for people to take the trips of their dreams.
“With UnionDigital as our proud partner, we are now on our way to creating a future where travel meets innovative financial solutions that facilitate everyone’s dream journeys with unparalleled ease,” Fernandes said in a press statement.
“We look forward to partnering with UnionDigital to reimagine travel combined with finance as an accessible and rewarding experience,” he added.
According to a recent study conducted by AirAsia, seven out of ten Filipino customers diligently save money for their travel plans. They are also very meticulous in managing their budgets to make sure they can travel pleasantly around the world.
“Our desire is to remove obstacles and forge an inclusive and connected global community that is fueled by this admirable commitment,” Fernandes ends.