Cash won't fly on some U.S. airlines

Fliers, get ready for the cashless cabin, where you need a credit or debit card to buy food, drinks, headsets and anything else onboard. No currency needed -- or wanted.

Not long ago, cash ruled the skies, but no more. Some U.S. airlines already ban cash, and others are thinking about it.

This month, JetBlue Airways announced it would take only credit or debit cards for onboard purchases starting Nov. 1. American Airlines, which accepts cash and cards, is testing the card-only option on hundreds of flights from San Francisco through the end of this month.

Of the dozen other U.S. airlines contacted, five took only cash for onboard purchases (except for duty-free items); five took only cards on many or all flights; Delta Air Lines took both; and Alaska Airlines was adding the option of using cards. Aloha, Frontier and Midwest adopted plastic policies this year, and Hawaiian finished going cashless in January. AirTran has been cashless since 2004.

"I think it's the wave of the future," Alaska Airlines spokeswoman Caroline Boren said of the move to adopt credit in the cabin. "We're increasingly living in a cashless society."

Representatives at several airlines, including Alaska and Northwest, which plan to add the plastic option next year, said they would consider going credit-only in the future.

Not every company is sold on the idea. Southwest Airlines is investigating whether to accept cards, but it doesn't plan to end its cash-only policy, said spokeswoman Brandy King.

Airlines that have gone cashless say few passengers complain.

Plastic spares passengers the hassle of finding exact change (or waiting for flight attendants to solicit fellow fliers for change). Business travelers find it easier to expense.

But using only plastic? Some people prefer cash for small purchases. They say that it keeps their credit-card bills uncluttered and that they worry less about identity theft when they limit the use of cards. As captives of the cabin, however, passengers may get no choice.

Credit has many advantages for airlines, starting with profit.

In-flight sales of alcohol increased 30 percent or more on Aloha flights that went cashless, said Thom Nulty, Aloha's senior vice president for marketing and sales.

"People are much more likely to spend money on a credit card than to fish the cash out of their wallets," he said.

Then there's efficiency.

"Cash is messy on board, from a handling standpoint," said Greg Latimer, Alaska Airlines managing director of brand and product marketing. "It's very time-consuming, whereas a credit-card transaction is seamless and much easier to handle."

Using credit also helps the airline keep track of inventory. Crew members can swipe cards through hand-held readers, which record the sales, said Candace Kolander, coordinator for air safety, health and security at the Association of Flight Attendants. They upload the data after landing.

With cash, the crew typically must log sales by hand and tally them at the end of their shifts, she said.

Even so, Kolander thinks fliers should be able to choose between cash and cards.

In Europe, where crews on budget airlines such as Ryanair and EasyJet accept credit cards and make change onboard in several currencies, that seems to pose no problem.

Why not here?