On April 18, China Southern Airlines released an Announcement on Regulating Online Seat Selection and Check-in Services.

“China Southern Airlines has never authorized any third-party platforms to deliver seat selection and check-in services. Passengers can only pre-select seats or check in online through official website csair.com, China Southern Airlines’s mobile application or WeChat Mini Program, or they can go directly to the designated check-in counters at airports.”  

The announcement said that China Southern has notified third-party platforms to cease further infringement. It added that “China Southern Airlines may further issue a permit to authorize third-party players involved in such operations”, leaving room for future cooperation.

The spokesperson explains there are three options for online third parties to get check-in details for their customers:

A. TravelSky, the tech provider of the passenger management system and the departure control system for China Southern and other major airlines, is not authorized to directly serve travelers. Instead, its affiliate Umetrip is allowed to provide seat selection and check-in services to passengers.

B. Only certain airports in China have designated China Southern Airlines check-in counters. No online self-service check-in features are included.

C. Third-party platforms can conduct check-in services through a simulated China Southern log-in platform. The process is similar to 12306.com’s booking system for passengers to obtain train tickets.