On Board AC.......In the Cabin ...Credit Cards only

[Kip Powick]

From Friday's Daily

Air Canada streamlines service with “credit card only” cabin. Beginning May 1, Air Canada will transition to “credit card only” for the purchase of all in-flight products such as Onboard Café, bar or duty-free boutique items. The simple and easy change will allow flight attendants to move more quickly throughout the cabin without having to make change and will eliminate the need for our customers to carry smaller bills and coins on board.

In addition, Air Canada is the only North American carrier which continues to offer convenience and savings by making it possible for customers to pre-order and pre-pay food and duty-free online at aircanada.com.

Beginning May 1, accepted methods of payment will be:

1) Onboard Café – Visa, Mastercard, American Express

Duty-Free – Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners Club and Japan Credit Bureau

2) Pre-purchase payment via aircanada.com (not available for employee travel)

Cash and traveller’s cheques will no longer be accepted as of May 1. Credit cards for all passengers on international flights will be charged in Canadian dollars.

We will begin to communicate with passengers on Monday via aircanada.com, and employees can help by reminding friends and family who are travelling with us of the new “credit card only” cabin. We will monitor feedback from customers and crew following the launch.

[J.O.]

So that rare customer who still doesn't have a credit card will have no choice but to brown bag it and buy their duty free in the terminal. What a goofy decision.

[CanadaEH]

The decision is in line with American carriers who have been cashless for quite some time. I know WJ is/was throwing around the idea of going cashless but the percentage of people actually debit/credit is very low.