United Airlines will accept only credit and debit cards for onboard purchases on flights to Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Brazil and Argentina, signaling the beginning of what could become a widespread movement among major airlines to eliminate cash on international flights.
United, which announced in March that it would no longer accept cash on flights within North America, Central America and the Caribbean, was a relative latecomer to the cashless-cabin trend, which caught on last year with most major U.S. airlines. United, a unit of UAL Corp. of Chicago, accepts cards carrying the Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Diners Club brands.
But United, which announced the new policy last week, appears to be ahead of the pack in eliminating cash on transatlantic flights, and some observers say other airlines are likely to follow.
"Handling cash on international flights is a mess, because translating currencies and handling money from different countries is time-consuming and expensive for airlines," said Bob Harrell, a principal at Bob Harrell Associates, an airline consulting firm based in New York.
Though airlines might have encountered some "cultural or foreign-government resistance" to eliminating cash on some international flights, the benefits clearly outweigh the negatives, Harrell said. "Most international travelers have a credit or debit card, and the cost savings for airlines in eliminating cash should make this a desirable goal for many airlines."
United said it will continue to accept cash on flights to Asia, but the company "will monitor our success and continue to study the transition [to cashless cabins] for Asia markets," a representative said.
