Cashless Test on Select Flights

[Hatu]

American Airlines to Conduct Cashless Test on Select Flights
Thursday September 6, 12:17 pm ET
San Francisco to Serve as Test Market for Onboard Plastic Payment


FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines today 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.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070906/lath086.html?.v=101

 

[marco90821]

American Airlines to Conduct Cashless Test on Select Flights
Thursday September 6, 12:17 pm ET
San Francisco to Serve as Test Market for Onboard Plastic Payment
FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- American Airlines today 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.

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/070906/lath086.html?.v=101

There goes the F/As car payment.

 

[jimntx]

Here's hoping the experiment is deemed a success. I hate having to deal with the liquor money envelopes. Frontier, I know, has already gone to all credit card sales and it is working well there.

 

[AC AA LA FA]

In SFO this test is being meet with resistance by flight attendants and will most certainly fail..

 

[eolesen]

So, assuming that most flight attendants are honest, and don't pocket cash from cash sales, why would there be any resistance to this? I'm with Jim -- dealing with cash deposits is a pain in the butt, and as a consumer, I'd rather pay with plastic anyday.

 

[AC AA LA FA]

So, assuming that most flight attendants are honest, and don't pocket cash from cash sales, why would there be any resistance to this? I'm with Jim -- dealing with cash deposits is a pain in the butt, and as a consumer, I'd rather pay with plastic anyday.

Your assuming that its greed or dishonesty on the side of the crew that may doom this to fail..........

I beleive that its more the reality that its not practical nor realistic that we will deny a cash sale from grandma, grandpa, senor.senora,...etc..for a two dollar headset....

If management wants these tests conducted, it is my opinion and the opinion of many they should hop on board and do it themselves...They seem to have all the answers and can then explain to the passenger thru to BOG, LIM, or wherever that its too bad their "Visa de Central y South America" or "Maestro" MC wont work on our OSRs and they'll have to do without......

 

[jimntx]

Your assuming that its greed or dishonesty on the side of the crew that may doom this to fail..........

I beleive that its more the reality that its not practical nor realistic that we will deny a cash sale from grandma, grandpa, senor.senora,...etc..for a two dollar headset....

If management wants these tests conducted, it is my opinion and the opinion of many they should hop on board and do it themselves...They seem to have all the answers and can then explain to the passenger thru to BOG, LIM, or wherever that its too bad their "Visa de Central y South America" or "Maestro" MC wont work on our OSRs and they'll have to do without......

First off, I don't think it has ever been mentioned that the Cashless flights would involve International. And, grandma, grandpa, senor, and senora are still flying Frontier on a regular basis. They haven't had cash sales for over a year.

But then, it's just like the introduction of the OSRs. "If they didn't have it in 1963 when I started flying, then it should never be done. I'm not paid enough to use that OSR. I had to take a pay cut in 2003. It's a violation of the contract. Where's my People magazine? I need to sit down."

 

[AC AA LA FA]

..Dont get your shorts in a knot jimntx...!!

We fly many connecting Intl pax.many with no credit card in/out of SFO. Many more than Frontier last time I checked...Many older and from other countries. Guess you might not get a lot of that out of DFW..? I dont know..?
Refusing cash, at this point really doesn't make sense, especially out of SFO. I say let em try it out on more of a "domestic operation."


btw..

I wasn't even a twinkle in my parents eye in 1963 and I deplore People Magazine..

 

[eolesen]

What's laughable about your "we have lots of int'l pax" argument is that they're also the least likely to have US currency, especially if they've just connected from an international inbound. But I'm willing to bet they probably have a bank card or debit card. And if they do have currency, it's going to be in large bills which are harder and harder to break with the number of people who prefer to use the OSR (like me, so that I have a receipt to expense).

 

[AC AA LA FA]

What's laughable about your "we have lots of int'l pax" argument is that they're also the least likely to have US currency, especially if they've just connected from an international inbound. But I'm willing to bet they probably have a bank card or debit card. And if they do have currency, it's going to be in large bills which are harder and harder to break with the number of people who prefer to use the OSR (like me, so that I have a receipt to expense).

..not always true as flights are a good way to burn remaining US currency..

and

the test is only outbound SFO.....

Debit/Credit card issued in other countries don't work on the OSR's.....


look.....,


all I am saying is that cashless would be great given the right tools..(improved OSR quality and reliability)

and.....

more than a 2 weeks notice period to cut off all outbound SFO flights from accepting cash..
Its a poorly planed test, and I beleive it will show in the results. A better developed and thought out test might yield more a accurate picture if we are ready for cashless at AA.

thats it.....

 

[jersey777]

My guess is that we will be all cashless by this time next year. The only exceptions might be the DR and Haiti. The reason they are "testing" this on jfk-sfo is because ithe passengers tend to be a sophisticated and well heeled group. If cashless doesn't work on this flight then it won't work on any flight. Mgmt wants this to be a success so they can expand it.

 

[eolesen]

Doesn't make sense that AA would limit the cards accepted, but I'll take your word for it. Personally, I'm three days into an international trip and have yet to need cash...

 

[Flyboy4u]

Who is going to tell the Executive Platnium ,who just didn't get his upgrade, that he can't give me cash for his $3 Oatmeal cookie? It has to be a credit card only! Talking about adding fuel to the fire!

 

[skibumbos]

This has to be one of the worst ideas I have heard of in a long time! Plenty of people have no desire to put a $2.00 headset on their Visa card. This is going to cause major issues on flights and will probably result in losing out on money if cash sales are not accepted. Maybe I'm not in the majority, but there is no way I would put anything on a credit card when I have cash in hand!

 

[jimntx]

This has to be one of the worst ideas I have heard of in a long time! Plenty of people have no desire to put a $2.00 headset on their Visa card. This is going to cause major issues on flights and will probably result in losing out on money if cash sales are not accepted. Maybe I'm not in the majority, but there is no way I would put anything on a credit card when I have cash in hand!

You must not go to Starbucks at the airport very much! I was in line the other day at STL and 4 people ahead of me put just a cup of coffee, or a muffin, or a bottle of water on their cards. (Oh wait, bad example. At Starbucks, each of those things would be at least $5.00. )

I'm like you. I rarely use a credit or debit card if I have cash, but a lot of the travel gurus are telling people to carry only a small amount of cash and use it as little as possible. My financial advisor at Merrill Lynch is always telling me that I should leave my money in my interest bearing checking account with them for as long as possible and carry no more than $20.00 cash at one time. (Of course, he is also my nephew and I think he wants to make sure that there is something left to inherit. He doesn't really believe that my retirement plan is to be a burden to him.)

As far as it being an issue for us on the airplane...yes, it probably will be at first. Even though an announcement is supposed to be made at the gate that no cash will be accepted on board, most of them will not listen any more than they do when you do the PA to put their seatbacks up for landing. However, other airlines have survived this transition, and I'm sure we will also. European airlines have used OSRs for quite awhile now.