Qantas extends international internet booking facilities

Mumbai: Australian airline Qantas has announced that it will expand its service of booking tickets via the airline's website to encompass customers outside Australia.

Qantas group general manager for sales and distribution, Rob Gurney said that the airline would initially expand its internet booking capability to an additional 15 countries starting today, with a further expansion planned for 2008.

''Customers in India will now be able to book Qantas and Qantas codeshare services online via the Qantas website,'' he added.

According to Gurney, till now Qantas offered the facility of online ticketing in six countries – Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, UK and the US. He added, ''As part of this expansion, 6 of the 15 countries will have a local language version of qantas.com that provides customers with information as well as the ability to make bookings online in English, a facility which we believe will prove attractive to expatriate Australians based overseas''.

Gurney said the updates will provide customers with an internet booking service, allowing them to book Qantas flights to 52 destinations in Australia, four destinations in New Zealand and a number of Qantas destinations world wide.

Starting mid-2008, Qantas will further expand its international internet booking capabilities to introduce foreign language booking facilities for certain markets. The international extension of Qantas' internet booking capability also allowed customers to service their bookings online, allowing an extended ability to view flight details online, add a frequent flyer number to a booking, update contact details, make seat and meal requests and request a frequent flyer upgrades.

''Given the international nature of our business, it is important that we give our customers access to our range of online services'' Gurney said