China Southern Airlines announced on Thursday its decision to honor extremely low-priced tickets sold during a technical malfunction. Late Wednesday, a glitch on the airline’s mobile app and various ticket-booking platforms, including Trip.com, led to tickets being sold for as little as 10 yuan ($1.37).
Social media buzz started around 8 p.m. on Wednesday when users noticed unusually low fares to and from Chengdu, a major southwestern city in China. Screenshots shared online showed fares like a Chengdu to Beijing flight for just 10 yuan, significantly lower than the usual price range of 400 to 500 yuan ($55 to $69).
This pricing anomaly lasted approximately two hours and, aside from the base fare, customers were required to pay an additional 110 yuan ($15) for airport fees and fuel surcharges.
In a statement, Guangzhou-based China Southern confirmed that passengers who managed to purchase these tickets could use them as usual, provided the tickets were already paid for and issued.
