JetBlue Airlines the First Airline to Offer Apple Pay for Food, Drinks, Amenities Purchased During Flights

JetBlue announced Tuesday it has become the first major domestic carrier in the U.S. to accept Apple Pay in-flight, giving customers the ability to purchase snack boxes and more from the airline at altitude.

Most airline customers have their mobile phone or portable personal electronics in hand during flight while their wallets are tucked away in carry-on bags or stowed in luggage compartments above their seat. Enabling JetBlue customers the ability to pay with their smartphone or other electronic device offers added convenience for both customers and flight attendants.

The addition of Apple Pay gives iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch users an easy and secure way to pay for Even More Space seating, EatUp snack boxes, premium beverages, à la carte food from the EatUp Café, and other onboard amenities.

"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. "Customers want an easy and fast transaction when they decide to make an onboard purchase so that they can get back to enjoying their flight."

Every in-flight crewmember will have an iPad mini to accept Apple Pay. Each iPad mini will contain The Inflight Service Assistant, a custom-designed iOS app which will give crewmembers access to customer manifest and flight data to provide the best experience possible to JetBlue customers.

In addition to onboard purchases, JetBlue customers will be able use Apple Pay to complete purchases in JetBlue's mobile iOS app later this year.

Consumers will begin seeing Apple Pay appear on select JetBlue transcontinental flights from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco in mid-February. The mobile payment service will roll out to additional flights beginning in March with all JetBlue flights accepting Apple Pay by June.

JetBlue may be the first airline to accept Apple Pay at altitude but certainly won't be the last. "Somebody else doing it always puts pressure on the other guy," says Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president for Internet software and services.