Affirm becomes exclusive US pay-over-time partner of Cathay Pacific

Payment network Affirm has become the exclusive US pay-over-time partner of Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific.

Through the new partnership, customers of Cathay Pacific will be able to split the total cost of any flight into bi-weekly or monthly payments, by selecting Affirm at checkout.

In doing so, customers are shown the total cost of their purchase and will never pay more than they agree to upfront.

“Cathay Pacific travellers will now be able to split their payment into easy instalments, making it an attractive option for those who prefer to pay over time, at their own pace, without any late or hidden fees,” said Richard Jones, Cathay Pacific’s vice president of marketing and sales, Americas.

“Customers have been asking for more flexibility when it comes to payment options, and this partnership with Affirm delivers a simple and easy-to-use flexible payment option,” he added.

Cathay Pacific offers non-stop passenger services to Hong Kong and more than 60 destinations worldwide, including 16 airports in 15 cities on the Chinese mainland, as well as from four US cities – Boston, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), and San Francisco.

It confirmed that Chicago services will resume from 1 October this year.

Wayne Pommen, Affirm’s chief revenue officer, said: “By integrating Affirm, Cathay Pacific can seamlessly offer personalized monthly and bi-weekly payment options side-by-side in a single checkout experience that delivers increased purchasing power to its customers.”

Pommen added that global airline traffic increased nearly 40% in May, compared to 2022, and has returned to over 90% of pre-pandemic levels.

Affirm formed a partnership with US-based travel search engine KAYAK at the start of the year, becoming its exclusive pay-over-time provider in the US.

In April, Affirm expanded its partnership with financial infrastructure platform Stripe, to Canada.