Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone to be used for in-flight purchases of drinks and more

Next time you order a drink or snacks on a flight, a flight attendant might raise an iPhone to your face and politely ask you to pay up. If you’ve got no cash, that’s alright – the flight attendant’s iPhone will act as a payment terminal to accept your contactless payment.

That is if you’re flying on Alaska Airlines in the (very) near future. Alaska Airlines will adopt Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone for in-flight purchases – this feature turns the iPhone into a contactless payment terminal (via 9to5Mac)!

In a press release, Alaska Airlines says that travelers will be able to pay with Apple Pay, Google Pay, contactless cards, or any other contactless payment method. This will be “rolling out on select flights and will be available across our fleet in the next few months”, they claim.

Tap to Pay on iPhone was first announced by Apple back in February 2022 as a way to turn iPhones into contactless payment terminals. Since then, the feature has gradually expanded to additional countries around the world.

“Whether you’re on your way to a celebratory vacation or coming home after a long business trip, that inflight beverage always hits the spot. Coming soon to your next flight, you can pay for your alcoholic beverage or snack pack with just a simple tap from your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay, other digital wallet, or contactless credit or debit card – no more swiping!”, reads the press release.