American Airlines announced a three-week test on flights departing from San Francisco in which it will only accept major credit cards or debit cards for onboard purchases, including headsets, snacks, fresh light meals and alcoholic beverages.
The cashless test will help American determine if passengers in the main cabin prefer to pay for onboard items with plastic. The test will include more than 700 scheduled flights American Express ® Cards and other major credit and debit cards will be accepted. Receipts will be provided to passengers upon request.
Lauri Curtis, American Airlines Vice President – Onboard Service, said: “These days, consumers are more frequently paying for items electronically with credit cards and debit cards. With this test, we are seeking feedback from passengers and from our flight attendants to determine if this consumer behavior also works with the purchase of onboard items.
“We chose San Francisco because our departures from there cover an excellent cross-section of distances. From there, we operate service to Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu and New York, among other destinations,” Curtis said.
American, a founding member of the global oneworld® Alliance, began accepting credit and debit cards for onboard purchases last year. Initial customer feedback indicates that plastic payment options are a great way to conserve cash while being able to purchase items available on American Airlines flights.
Snacks available for purchase on flights two hours or longer include: Orange Cranberry Trail Mix from Great Nut Supply Co., Raisin Oatmeal Mega Bite® Cookies, Lay’s Stax® Potato Crisps, and 3Musketeers® for $3 each or Dannon® Spring TM bottled water for $2 each. In addition to snacks , American also offers fresh light meals on all flights three hours or longer. Choices vary based on destination, but currently include a breakfast bagel sandwich, club croissant sandwich, Italian wrap, turkey and swiss ciabatta, or Asian chicken salad or wrap for $5.
The Food for Sale program is offered in addition to American’s complimentary beverage service, which
remains unchanged.
Source:AMRcorp press release
By: cloud_9 - 12th December 2007 at 09:52
I bet Ryanair will look into the outcome of this very closely.
I wouldnt be suprised if they did force passengers to pay by card, and then they would probably even charge an additional fee for using a debit card, and even more for a credit card!:D:diablo:
By: Rickt - 8th December 2007 at 10:28
Going back to one of the points above
And in this case, if the card reader was to break, I’m sure they’d comp the refreshments
Im sure they will have a few wireless card readers.. if the system breaks when its a different story.
I think its a good idea, as a whole as these days more and more of us perfer using plastic that cash..
If its the small change which is an issue, how about they just enforce a rule of any purchase above $15.00 or £10.00 has to be via Card..
That way the customer is able to use small change, wether its getting rid of it on a return leg, not wanting addtional banks charges on “nibbles” and the cabin crew will always have small change…. (unless everone uses notes!!)
Plus the on the onbard cash float will not be massive then??
Thoughts??
Rick
By: frankvw - 6th December 2007 at 06:56
Assume you are an international visitor, as I was a few weeks ago. If you hold a debit card issued by a UK bank, you would not even consider using it to buy a some headphones, a snack and a drink. Along with the bad exchange rate, you will be charged commission on each individual purchase. Where you might spend $10 on your nibbles on a domestic flight, the actual cost could be almost doubled by the time additional charges have been made to your account.
Would a simpler method of determining the preferred tender of customers not have been to keep a tally of every transaction? I really cannot understand the logic behind all this. If I hadn’t sampled American’s already lame service, something like this would certainly put me off of travelling with them.
Going to the USA without a credit card (supposing here you’re going anywhere else than to Disneyland Florida on a all in vacation organised by some travel agency) isn’t really a good idea.
You need a credit card for pretty much anything, especially to do things like rent a car. (If you expect to be able to go around without a rental outside of cities like NYC, or Chicago, you are deeply mistaken).
Having a credit card also means that you will benefit of the GREAT exchange rate versus the Euro or Pound, without being charged transaction fees on purchases.
For hte record, I was an international traveller in the US 1 month ago, and didn’t have a credit card the first time I was there. This has changed since, as a CC is nearly necessary for any international travel. Especially if you are on business, travel on short notice, and didn’t get a chance to go to the bank beforehand to get some cash. The card will pay for its fees once you use it abroad, buying stuff on 1/2 the price you’d get it at home.
Also, the longest non international flight you’ll ever have will be intercontinental, so, 5 hours. On that one, you’ll have complementary drinks, and most likely something to eat as well.
If you aren’t a business traveller, you’ll also most likely have layovers of over one hour at all airports. Each and every of them have restaurants and bars, where you’ll have better food for less anyway. Headsets: bring your own. I’m sure you have a walkman somewhere in the house. And I’m sure you can do without alcoholic drinks for 5 hours, too.
While I concede that this isn’t an improvement in service, if an airline wants to avoid handling cash, fine with me. It will also mean that the drink service will proceed faster, as it will solve the problem of the who don’t seem able to find the correct change in their pocket and will pay a bag of chips with $50…
Read the press release this way instead: “We want to make sure our sales won’t drop too much if we only take credit cards”.
By: alangirvan01 - 6th December 2007 at 02:26
If you are flying Jetstar on flights to Asia from Australia, or Air Asia X, you can prepay the cost of your main meals, in flight entertainment and blanket/pillow at time of original booking. No cash handling, no electronic transactions for the Cabin Crew. You could do pre-ordered duty free sales as well.
By: T5 - 5th December 2007 at 19:53
Assume you are an international visitor, as I was a few weeks ago. If you hold a debit card issued by a UK bank, you would not even consider using it to buy a some headphones, a snack and a drink. Along with the bad exchange rate, you will be charged commission on each individual purchase. Where you might spend $10 on your nibbles on a domestic flight, the actual cost could be almost doubled by the time additional charges have been made to your account.
Would a simpler method of determining the preferred tender of customers not have been to keep a tally of every transaction? I really cannot understand the logic behind all this. If I hadn’t sampled American’s already lame service, something like this would certainly put me off of travelling with them.
By: Ren Frew - 4th December 2007 at 17:12
Good old fashioned paper back-up.
1L.
Somebody let Continental Airlines in on the idea…;)
By: OneLeft - 4th December 2007 at 15:17
The anwswer is that the ones who pay with cash, prefer to pay by cash, doh.
Maybe they’ll ask the crew how much grief they got from pax who wanted to pay cash and judge it that way.
OK, a stupid statement from AA I grant you, and I know I only deal with duty free sales rather than snacks and drinks, but if I see pax paying by cash once a week that would be all. I think this is the way most airlines will go before too long.
what if the card reader breaks ?
Good old fashioned paper back-up.
1L.
By: frankvw - 4th December 2007 at 12:33
Now, see it from the airline point of view:
They don’t want to handle cash (how many time have I seen flight attendants searching desperately for small change, because there wasn’t enough). So, if they can remove the cash, just use credit cards, without impacting their revenues too much, that’s ok.
Who doesn’t have a credit card nowadays, at leaast in the US ?
And in this case, if the card reader was to break, I’m sure they’d comp the refreshments.
By: Newforest - 4th December 2007 at 12:27
The anwswer is that the ones who pay with cash, prefer to pay by cash, doh.
There, experiment proved.
By: Ren Frew - 4th December 2007 at 11:19
How will forcing passengers to pay with plastic, help determine whether or not they prefer to pay with cash? And what if the card reader breaks ? It happened to a friend of mine on a Continental flight, she only had UK pounds, which they refused to accept, resulting in a 7 hour flight with no refreshments !
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December 4, 2007 at 5:44 am