Fliggy vs Booking.com: Travel Booking in China
Fliggy is Alibaba's travel booking platform with 300M+ users. Compare Fliggy with Booking.com, Ctrip, and Agoda for travel booking in China.
TL;DR
Key Insights
Fliggy User Base
Fliggy has over 300 million registered users and processes millions of bookings monthly. As part of Alibaba's ecosystem, it benefits from cross-platform traffic from Taobao, Tmall, and Alipay. Fliggy covers 1 million+ hotels and 5,000+ airlines globally, making it one of China's top three travel booking platforms.
Sesame Credit Integration
Fliggy's standout feature is deposit-free hotel and car rental bookings for users with good Sesame Credit scores. This eliminates the need for security deposits, making bookings faster and more convenient. Users with scores above 600 can enjoy deposit-free stays at thousands of hotels across China.
Alibaba Ecosystem
Fliggy benefits from deep integration with Alibaba's ecosystem. Users can earn and spend Taobao points, pay with Alipay, and access exclusive travel deals during Alibaba shopping festivals. This integration creates a seamless travel-shopping experience unique to Fliggy among travel platforms.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Fliggy | Ctrip | Booking.com | Agoda |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Users | 300M+ | 400M+ | 500M+ (global) | 100M+ (Asia) |
| Owner | Alibaba | Trip.com Group | Booking Holdings | Booking Holdings |
| Deposit-Free Hotels | Yes (Sesame) | Limited | No | No |
| Payment | Alipay + credit | WeChat + credit | Credit card | Credit card |
| International Hotels | Good | Excellent | Excellent | Good (Asia) |
| Domestic Hotels | Excellent | Excellent | Limited | Limited |
| English Support | Limited | Good | Excellent | Excellent |
| Best For | Alibaba users | Comprehensive travel | International hotels | Budget Asia travel |
Frequently Asked Questions
Fliggy (formerly Alitrip) is Alibaba's travel booking platform launched in 2014. With over 300 million registered users, it offers flights, hotels, vacation packages, car rentals, and travel insurance. Fliggy integrates with Alibaba's ecosystem including Alipay for payments and Sesame Credit for deposit-free hotel bookings.
Ctrip is China's largest travel platform with broader hotel coverage and better customer service. Fliggy offers competitive pricing through Alibaba's ecosystem and features like deposit-free bookings via Sesame Credit. Ctrip has stronger international hotel inventory; Fliggy has better deals on domestic hotels through Taobao data integration.
Fliggy requires a Chinese phone number and Alipay account for full functionality. Foreigners with access to these can book flights and hotels. However, for international travelers, Booking.com or Agoda offers a more foreigner-friendly experience with English interfaces and international payment methods.
Fliggy often has competitive hotel rates, especially during shopping festivals like Singles Day. It offers deposit-free bookings for users with high Sesame Credit scores. Fliggy also bundles travel with shopping credits from Alibaba's ecosystem, providing additional savings for Taobao and Tmall users.