Cashless in the cabin

[Hot Nuts]

What are your thoughts about going Cashless in the cabin?

 

[Travelpro72]

It's a fantastic idea! ! ! Thank you Hector this will make our lives MUCH easier. Now if we can find out if it's cashless on domestic only or transatlantic also. Hmmmm

 

[Toothy Grin]

The customer service ratings of this airline will improve when the employees FINALLY remember that they are there for the customer...wether the customer chooses to pay by cash or credit or debit...whatever.

Customer convenience, not employee...

 

[Travelpro72]

Happy employee = Happy customer = repeat customer. I don't think going cashless is going to be a big deal. Hell Southwest the "Darling" of the airline industry is cashless and they are doing just fine. 😉

 

[flybynite]

While I like the idea of going cashless, I think the option for the customer to pay with cash should be available.

Also, we should be promoting the pre-paid debit cards for purchases on the aircraft. We can sell them in the stores at the airport or sell them at the podium. I have yet to see them anywhere in CLT.

Southwest sells them here in CLT all over the place ( drug & grocery stores ) and they don't even fly in here.

 

[WCT]

Travelpro, we aren't Southwest. We sell more than liqour and a few drinks. We sell a heck of lot of stuff including food. What are the younger crowd, who don't have credtit cards suppose to do? Or when our junkie HHD's don't work, batteries dead? Don't sell anything?
The company needs to address these issues, and make it work! Furthermore, no more INVENTORY!! Sick and tired of counting endless products!!!!! :down: :down: I think the customer has a great option whether to pay cash or credit, and US Airways is the only Big Airline to offer both. I think we are at an advantage. Now if the company can make sure the BRINKS work properly is another question?????????? :blink: 🙄

 

[Travelpro72]

Others besides Southwest are cashless and are doing just fine. You cannot expect US to keep a costly process of processing cash to accommodate youngsters who don't have a debit/credit card. Hector said the process of handling cash is costly and therefore defeats the purpose of accepting it. I'm all for cashless. It will also make the HHD process and f/a responsibilities easier. There are even grocery store chains including WholeFoods who don't accept checks any longer. I have a local dry cleaners that doesn't take credit/debit but the man is busier than a one armed paper hanger. It is what it is. No card no sale. IF the HHD's are inop I'm sure Hector or whomever will figure something out. Going cashless is the way of the world. Once cashless is adopted ya may find "B" going a bit junior.

 

[tahitigirl]

I think going cashless is great. I've often thought it dangerous that we have f/a's walking around and staying in hotels with hundreds of dollars. We could sell gift cards in $10 increments at the counter/gates and that would solve the issue with the folks who don't have credit cards.

 

[flybynite]

One of the easiest things to do when a customer wants to buy food or a beverage is to ask them "cash or credit?". And nine times out of ten they'll give you their card. Or at least they do for me.

It's just going to take some time for people to get used to not using cash. And I wouldn't want to piss someone off if the option to pay in cash weren't available. Nor do I want to listen to the belly aching over it either.

 

[Travelpro72]

If I come in contact with a passenger that isn't happy about US not accepting cash I'll simply say, "While I understand your frustration you may want to direct your comments to our Consumer Affairs". "You will find the address on the flip side of your boarding pass stub". I am all about taking care of our passengers but this decision is A. out of the f/a's hands and B. A better process for the f/a not to mention safer. Customers will be JUST fine. 😉

 

[SS255]

I think both options should be available, but if it has to be one or the other, it should be cash only. Some people do not have credit or debit cards. And what about UM's? The airplane cabin, being a unique environment where one can potentially be "trapped" for several hours without any access food other than what the airline is willing to sell you, is not the appropriate environment to refuse cash.

 

[Zarah]

We will always have a few customers who roll their eyes and resist change at first. Heck we still have people who roll their eyes about paying for liquor or meals in coach and we have been doing that for awhile now.

This change is a good change for a change. hahahaha say that 5x real fast!

 

[Zarah]

I think both options should be available, but if it has to be one or the other, it should be cash only. Some people do not have credit or debit cards. And what about UM's? The airplane cabin, being a unique environment where one can potentially be "trapped" for several hours without any access food other than what the airline is willing to sell you, is not the appropriate environment to refuse cash.

hahahaha as if we have enough food for everybody under normal operations.

The UMs will be fine. They will bring food on if they are hungry just like they do now, because food in coach is never 100% catered.

Extreme circumstances will be evaluated by FAs on a person-to-person basis just like they are today.

Thanks for the giggles.

 

[Itestwell]

I have friends at UA and AA, and this cashless business is "no big deal", as they say. No one really complains about it, aside from complaining that they actually have to pay for things that used to be free....


I'm sure they will come up with a way for UM's to purchase meals, since they obviously won't have a credit/ debit card.

Why are there not endless threads on AA/UA boards about how horrible the system is? Why does it cause an uproar when US does it? Who really doesn't have a credit/ debit card? 🙄

Non- issue, folks.

 

[jimntx]

As you say, here at AA it has been no big deal since about Day 2 of the first week. I've yet to have a passenger say that they didn't have a credit or debit card after I told them that we no longer accept cash.

As far as the the UMs...we tell them (and it's company policy) that they can have one of any snack available--that includes the Boston Market sandwich and chips we have on longer flights (3+ hours). It's considered included in the $75 UM fee that is added to their ticket. However, I had a young girl (about 11 or 12) as a UM one day not long ago. When I told her she could have any snack she wanted, she asked for the can of Lay's Stax potato chips. She then whipped out her debit card and purchased a cheese and crackers tray and a giant chocolate chip cookie. And, she asked for a receipt!

We also comp a snack to any Platinum or Executive Platinum AAdvantage members traveling in coach. We are given a list of them in the final paperwork.