More airlines are accepting plastic for onboard transactions…
Airline travel is more expensive than ever, but it’s becoming a bit more convenient. Gone are the days of boarding your plane with cash to buy a mid-air alcoholic beverage. More and more airlines are now accepting credit and debit cards to pay for your onboard transactions. In fact, AirTran, Frontier, JetBlue, MidWest, Spirit, and Virgin American no longer accept cash for on-flight purchases. The latest airline to join the cashless cabin is Alaska Airlines, which will stop accepting cash on Aug. 5. To promote the change, the airline is offering 10 miles per dollar spent for travelers who charge their purchases with an Alaska Airlines Visa card.
Northwest, Southwest, U.S. Airways and United are the other cash-only airlines. American, Continental and Delta, however, continue to accept cash, credit and debit.
With airlines looking for ways to trim the cost of flying, they’ve eliminated many of the complimentary services that were once offered to their customers. Food, entertainment, alcoholic (and even some non-alcoholic) beverages are no longer offered free. With more services requiring customer payment, the ability to pay with plastic is good news. Not only is it convenient for passengers, service will be quicker with flight attendants being able to quickly swipe a card for payment, eliminating the need to make change. Airlines have also found that passengers spend more when they can conveniently pay with credit.
U.S. Airways will join Spirit Airlines in charging for all beverages. They will begin charging $2 for non-alcoholic beverages, including water in the coach section on August 1. In addition, the price of alcoholic beverages will increase from $5 to $7. Other carriers are charging $4 to $6 for alcoholic beverages and are sure to follow the lead by eliminating complimentary beverages.
With the rules constantly changing, it’s even more important that you make sure you understand the airline rules before you board your flight.
* Be sure to see our complete list of airline mile credit cards.