HK EXPRESS SOARS, BOOSTED BY RACKSPACE

Hong Kong – September 26, 2017 – Rackspace, the #1 managed cloud company, is helping HK Express, Hong Kong’s first low-cost carrier, use cloud technology to make booking flights more convenient for passengers and to preserve its lean, low-cost operating model as its business grows.

Ever since its maiden flight took off from Chek Lap Kok in 2013, HK Express has forged a new path as a pioneer of Hong Kong’s aviation industry, which has long been dominated by legacy carriers. Its affordable fares and no-frills approach have proven very popular with value-conscious travellers, and the airline now serves 27 destinations across Asia. HK Express has carried more than 8 million passengers in the past four years, and demand continues to build: it served 22 percent more passengers in July in 2017 than in 2016. 

An efficient online booking platform that enables a reliable and seamless customer experience is an essential feature of the low-cost carrier business model. With online and mobile channels, the HK Express platform allows customers to search and book flights, complete check-in and find destination information and special offers, plus save their boarding pass to their mobile device for fast paper-free travel.

HK Express began working with Rackspace in 2013, when soaring traffic to the airline’s online booking system made it clear that it needed greater ICT resources to keep this mission-critical infrastructure running smoothly. Rackspace provided three solutions – Rackspace Private Cloud powered by VMware®, Dedicated Servers and Server Virtualization – all backed by Rackspace’s industry-leading Fanatical Support®. The airline’s e-commerce conversion rates increased 50 percent following the move to Rackspace, with an enhanced and seamless booking experience.

In addition to continuing to develop the airline’s web-based reservations system and provide around-the-clock technical service through Fanatical Support, Rackspace has also worked with HK Express on a number of projects to improve customer services, enhance system performance and consolidate costs. As a result, HK Express has been able to reduce its IT manpower costs by around 30 percent, while also improving departmental performance.

“Our relationship with Rackspace brings benefits that we could not achieve alone,” said Greg Green, General Manager, U-Technologies, HK Express: “We treat the Rackspace team as an extension of our own team, and this brings great peace of mind. Since we no longer have to worry about keeping our solutions running day-to-day, we have the resources to look at how Rackspace can help us further improve our bottom line and business performance.”

“An airline is only as good as its reservations system. It is the customer’s first experience of its service and a vital first step in their journey. This is especially true of a low-fare carrier, where efficiency and cost savings have to go hand in hand. Rackspace is delighted to be part of the HK Express success story, helping it keep its passengers happy and its booking system and associated infrastructure running smoothly,” said Reinhard Waldinger, Managing Director, Rackspace International GmBH.

Rackspace, the leading multi-cloud managed services company, helps businesses tap the power of cloud computing without the complexity and cost of managing it all on their own. Rackspace engineers deliver specialized expertise, easy-to-use tools, and Fanatical Support® for leading technologies including AWS, Google, Microsoft, OpenStack, Oracle, SAP and VMware. The company serves customers in 150 countries, including more than half of the FORTUNE 100. Rackspace was named a leader in the 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide and has been honored by Fortune, Forbes, and others as one of the best companies to work for. Learn more at www.rackspace.com.