Later this month, United Airlines will resume onboard sales of beer, wine, and snack boxes on a handful of flights. It will also test out contactless payment to minimize contact between flight attendants and guests.
United Airlines Buy-On-Board Service Returns To Select Denver Flights
First noted by Zach Griff and confirmed by Live and Let’s Fly, the buy-on-board service will only be available on flights departing Denver (DEN) to:
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago O’Hare (ORD)
- Honolulu (HNL)
- Houston (IAH)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Newark (EWR)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Washington Dulles (IAD)
- Washington National (DCA)
It will be limited to beer, wine, snacks (like potato chips and gummy bears), and snack boxes. The plan is to offer this service on more flights if the trial goes well.
Prior to the pandemic, MileagePlus Premier 1K members received a complimentary snack and alcoholic beverage when traveling in economy class. This will return on these flights.
United Airlines Will Require Contactless Payment
Others will have to pay for snack and alcoholic beverage choices by storing a payment with their United Airlines profile (this can be done either online or via the United app). Flight attendants will pull up your profile if you wish to purchase something and charge the credit card through their United-issued iPhone.
Even if you are not a MileagePlus member, you can store a credit card linked to your reservation during check-in.
As long as internet is working on the flight, this can be added even once you are in the air since the use of web services on united.com and the United mobile app are free of charge. United will not accept cards onboard during the trial and also is not equipped to accept popular contactless payments like Apple Pay.
CONCLUSION
With all the onboard brawls lately, I’m not sure if the resumption of beer and wine sales onboard is a good thing, but it is nice that passengers who neglect to purchase food while in the airport will not be left to go hungry during the flight. Hopefully this pilot program will expand beyond nine routes from Denver before the holidays.
image: United Airlines
Why on earth don’t they accept contactless credit cards like everyone else in the world? This seems massively over-complicated.
If i cancel a united flight because they put me on a flight more than 3 hours earlier am i supposed to get a electronic travel certificate or refund to original form of payment?
Kirby gave me a electronic certificate. The bastard.
Meanwhile pathetic Delta can’t even manage to serve a cup of coffee at 6am. Too dangerous. Beer at 6am? No problem – perfectly safe. End this madness
@NB I believe contactless payments also require you to have a data connection, which not everyone will have onboard on a plane unless they have paid for the Wifi
Yeah had that bizarre experience last week on a 7 am Delta flight. Beer or wine -ok. Coffee, no. And what’s up with the cheezits? Yuck. Can’t they be swapped out with pretzels?
I think your reply was meant for Jim – however I do agree with you about the cheezits, hah.
Access to United.com does not require paid wi-fi.
Delta has been my favorite domestic carrier for years but little to no service in either cabin is a disappointment. Do they really need to treat us this way. Why not just push the cart out and let you take what you want, they are constantly reassuring us that flying is safe and brag on their cleaning practices and HEPA filters so what gives? Laziness and being cheap is what it boils down to. And United if you can do it on a select few flights you can do it on all, now is the time for you to outshine your competition and make flights enjoyable again.
BA allow contactless payment in-flight, so it’s definitely possible.
Matthew, I would be interest in reading about how contactless payment has grown in the US during the pandemic. I would like to understand the risks and benefits from a account security standpoint (as opposed to chip and PIN you are seeing in EUROPE). The benefits during COVID are obvious.
How do we pay contactless? Mental telepathy? Just nuts. Use the latex gloves FA
…and if people don’t have a cell-phone or iPad on them or one is not operating for some reason? Just wear gloves (FA’s) so you can “handle” a credit card for all of 30 seconds to swipe it. As someone already stated, UAL is notorious for initiating useless, over-complicated “enhancements”. Can they not think out of the box in the event NOT EVERYONE (my elderly husband included) DOES NOT HAVE NOR WANTS ANY DEVICE ?? He has a wallet, that’s what he has.
@bebit, I think you missed the point in this. As long as you are a United Plus member or you register your credit card to your ticket. (even on the fight) You will be at aloud to order and receive your order. There is no need to pre-order. Therefore you would never be charged for anything you did not order while on the flight.
Now just 1 step away from having hot/fresh BoB items…