Continental Airlines pioneers cash-free service

Continental Airlines is set to offer a card-only on-board shopping service on its flights.

People booking holidays to India who are planning to fly with Continental Airlines may be interested in its new on-board shopping service that will allow passengers to pay by card only.

The airline announced that it was making the changes following feedback from passengers and cabin crew that indicated a card service would be preferable for making purchases on the plane.

Handheld card readers will be used to take payment and save passengers having to root around in their bags to find the correct change. However, cash will still be accepted for purchases of duty-free products.

The carrier is rolling the service out across all its mainline flights, except for routes to China. It intends to switch to a cash-free service on all its Continental Express, Continental Micronesia and Continental Connection flights by March 2010.

Every year, approximately 67 million passengers use the airline, which was founded in 1934 by Walter Varney.

Written by Nicholas Scott