Amadeus doubles down on Asia Pacific via partnerships with UnionPay and Singapore Airlines

By expanding its NDC footprint with Amadeus, SIA is unlocking merchandising capabilities, enabling agencies to access the airline’s full suite of fares, ancillaries, and branded experiences with greater transparency and consistency.

Travel providers to accept UnionPay cards for both direct e-Commerce bookings and in-direct sales via Amadeus Travel Platform

According to ResearchAndMarkets’ recent forecasts, Chinese outbound travel is predicted to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 13.5%, increasing from $140B today to reach $386B by 2033. UnionPay International helps cardholders to make cross-border payments in 183 markets and its payment methods are particularly popular with travellers across Asia Pacific.  That’s why being able to directly accept UnionPay cards is crucial for airlines serving travellers from the 85 countries and regions where UnionPay cards are issued.

Under the terms of a new partnership between Outpayce from Amadeus and UnionPay International, airlines that power online payments in their direct channels with Outpayce’s Xchange Payments Platform can natively accept UnionPay cards in the standardized way. This native acceptance secures more revenue for airlines while improving the payment experience for travelers by drastically increasing acceptance rates.

Via this new partnership, travellers wishing to pay with a UnionPay card can be passed through to the provider to pay directly when making a booking.

The new approach means travellers can access the same payments experience as an airline offers on its website, including access to loyalty benefits that depend on making payment directly with the airline.

By directly processing the payment, airlines improve cash flow by accessing funds faster and can also take control of the payments experience for indirect bookings. By applying their own approach to issues like fraud management, airlines can improve acceptance rates and deliver a better overall experience.

The addition of card acceptance for UnionPay means that travellers can pay travel providers directly with all major card schemes when their booking is completed via the Amadeus Travel Platform. Native acceptance of UnionPay cards via the Outpayce Exchange Payments Platform is expected to be enabled in H1 2026 and will be enabled gradually across different markets throughout 2026 within the Amadeus Travel Platform.