United Airlines , the Chicago - based carrier , has announced a partnership with China 's Ant Financial , to offer online payment service Alipay to its customers using the Chinese version of the United Airlines website . The partnership is likely to benefit both businesses significantly given the continued growth forecast for China 's outbound travel market . Over 2.5 million Chinese visitors arrived in the US in 2015 , a number expected to grow due to 2016 being designated " China - US Tourism Year " , a programme launched by the US Department of Commerce . The move could potentially skyrocket sales in China, as many consumers in the country use Alipay both for its convenience and popularity as an industry standard. Alipay , with around 400 million users , is the largest online payment service operating in China which will improve the ease of online booking for Chinese travellers .
United Airlines , the Chicago - based carrier , has announced a partnership with China 's Ant Financial , to offer online payment service Alipay to its customers using the Chinese version of the United Airlines website . The partnership is likely to benefit both businesses significantly given the continued growth forecast for China 's outbound travel market . Over 2.5 million Chinese visitors arrived in the US in 2015 , a number expected to grow due to 2016 being designated " China - US Tourism Year " , a programme launched by the US Department of Commerce . Alipay , with around 400 million users , is the largest online payment service operating in China which will improve the ease of online booking for Chinese travellers .