“LOOK! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s… Apple Pay!” Beginning next week, passengers on select JetBlue Airways flight will be able to pay for inflight purchases using their iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
JetBlue is the first airline to accept Apple Pay for inflight purchases such as paying for food, drinks, or a seat upgrade.
“The sky is definitely not the limit when it comes to mobile payments with Apple Pay,” said Marty St. George, a senior vice president at JetBlue.
Apple’s mobile payments solution will at first only be available on flights between JFK and airports in Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airline will begin adding more flights in March, and intends to have all flights accepting Apple Pay by June.
In order to accept the new payment method, JetBlue will be swapping out their current mobile payment terminals for iPad minis enclosed in NFC-enabled cases. The new devices will be issued to JetBlue’s over 3,500 inflight crew members. The Federal Aviation Administration had to approve the devices before the airline could begin issuing them to employees.
The iPads include an Inflight Service Assistant app with information that will help flight attendants identify frequent fliers or passengers with a birthday. If the FAA gives its blessing, the iPads will also include the entire inflight manual.
JetBlue VP for inflight experience Rachel McCarthy says passengers with Google Wallet or another mobile payments system won’t be left out, as they will be able to pay with their phones “down the road.”
JetBlue has a history of embracing Apple’s mobile technology. Back in 2013, the airline replaced its heavy paper light manuals for lightweight iPads with electronic versions of the manuals, which supply real-time info to the cockpit crew.
Apple Pay has proven popular in the U.S. following its October 2014 debut, quickly grabbing 1% of all digital payment dollars in the month of November. While Apple Pay is currently only available in the United States, the company has plans to expand to other countries, reportedly readying a Canadian launch of the service for early 2015.
(Via USA Today)
