Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
The most amazing thing about Jet Blue’s announcement is how they fulfill and validate the credit card requests. Do they use a satellite or do they just pool them and then confirm on the ground. Other then that, this is a nice win for Apple Pay and a new niche. Could cruise ships, ferries, be far behind.
 
So here's a question: Google Wallet has been around for what, 3 years now? Android devices supported NFC well before iPhone did. Why isn't NFC ubiquitous in United States by now? Why wasn't Google able to move this forward like Apple appears to be doing? Is it because they gave up too much control to the carriers?
 
The most amazing thing about Jet Blue’s announcement is how they fulfill and validate the credit card requests. Do they use a satellite or do they just pool them and then confirm on the ground. Other then that, this is a nice win for Apple Pay and a new niche. Could cruise ships, ferries, be far behind.

I don't know how the airlines authorize payments in-flight but I'm guessing satellite. They've obviously figured it out because most of the majors have been taking credit cards in-flight for years. Some only accept cards now...no cash.
 
Starting next week, only intercontinental flights from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco will accept Apple Pay, with additional flights in March and plans for all JetBlue flights to accept the payment service in June.

It was mentioned earlier, but I'm going to be a pedant and reiterate that those are most certainly not intercontinental flights. They are intracontinental flights (i.e., within the same continent). "Intercontinental" means between 2 different continents.
 
Sorry, but I will always carry a wallet, with cash, with credit cards, and Apple Pay.

Until every single person, including your grandmother takes Apple Pay and its a service that is 100% uptime or the product/service is free of charge, I will not rely solely on it.

Nothing worse than being in a cab ride or restaurant and Apple Pay doesn't work. What am I going to tell the driver/waiter? Ed Cue told me not to take my wallet anymore. Yeah.. ok!
 
I don't know how the airlines authorize payments in-flight but I'm guessing satellite. They've obviously figured it out because most of the majors have been taking credit cards in-flight for years. Some only accept cards now...no cash.

I've never been on an airline that does do cash. All of them has been card only for years. Probably due to a logistical issue with providing change.
 
It was mentioned earlier, but I'm going to be a pedant and reiterate that those are most certainly not intercontinental flights. They are intracontinental flights (i.e., within the same continent). "Intercontinental" means between 2 different continents.

yup
 
So here's a question: Google Wallet has been around for what, 3 years now? Android devices supported NFC well before iPhone did. Why isn't NFC ubiquitous in United States by now? Why wasn't Google able to move this forward like Apple appears to be doing? Is it because they gave up too much control to the carriers?
Google didn't market it worth squat, for the longest time you had to have Sprint if you wanted to use it - strike one.

They didn't partner with banks, you know the ones giving you the cards themselves - strike two.

They limited to one phone at the time- the Nexus S, only the Sprint one. If you had T-Mobile or Verizon, you're not getting it. - 3 strikes you're out.

With Apple; any carrier iPhone 6 or 6 plus could use it. The banks are partnered and advertising it heavily, and you didn't have to be with Sprint at launch.
 
No: Apple Pay does not need an Internet connection!

Further, most flights already don't allow you to use cash.

Why come here and type out such a long, misinformed post?

----------




You must not fly Delta: they are credit card ONLY

I fly Delta all the time. They're based here. I've paid cash on plenty of flights when I've flown economy class in the past.

Even if they are credit card only, the difference in time between them trying to figure out how to use the reader they use all the time and your Apple Pay is going to be negligible. Will I use Apple Pay? Sure. But I don't see it being a huge time saver here.
 
Its game over when Apple opens up the API (or releases their own App) to send money between devices via ApplePay. And you thought Square grabbed a chunk of the market.
 
Question is also is this an Apple marketing ploy? The old devices had the ability to easily add NFC. They decided to get rid of them entirely and went for iPads.
 

Attachments

  • image.jpg
    image.jpg
    213.4 KB · Views: 98
But I wonder how the technology works that they're able to support Pay but nothing else.

They could check the passed account number against a list of bank id numbers reserved for tokens, but it's also possible that the JetBlue spokesperson wasn't prepared and is incorrect about other contactless cards.

The bank isn't paying for ApplePay, the credit card companies are. The banks are accepting liability for fraud, however. They likely won't have to pay a dime for fraud.

According to a leaked Apple Pay contract, the banks pay the CC networks, who then pay Apple.
 
Last edited:
So is Apple paying companies/retailers to be Pay only for a certain period of time? I'm not even sure how that would work if Pay is supposedly based on the same NFC standards that Google Wallet and others are. I hope they're not doing that. Pay doesn't need exclusivity to be successful.

----------



Ooh...good one. :)

No - I meant that they have a deal with banks to get a% from each transaction, isn't that right? So Apple has incentive to get it used in as many places as possible. I don't believe Google had that negotiated.


As for my bigger screen comment - it was tongue in cheek. But clearly aimed at those that think Apple doesn't pay attention to the competition :)
 
Surely it should be an intracontinental flight?

Actually the correct term for JFK / LAX or to SFO is: 'transcontinental'.

Really surprised that was missed by the editor.
As to Apple Pay; it's really handy; and by far my 6+ beats all devices so far. Using the 'iWatch' for Apple Pay will be welcomed too.
 
I fly Delta all the time. They're based here. I've paid cash on plenty of flights when I've flown economy class in the past.

You are contradicting yourself. Your "past" must mean around 5 years ago or so... because it's been a long time since Delta allowed you to pay with cash.

The convenience of tapping your phone (which you already have in your hands) on their tablet is orders of magnitude better than fishing a wallet out of your back pocket while you're seated or pulling your wallet out of your purse that's under the seat in front of you.

I don't get why it's so hard to see that this is the perfect use of Apple Pay?
 
No - I meant that they have a deal with banks to get a% from each transaction, isn't that right? So Apple has incentive to get it used in as many places as possible. I don't believe Google had that negotiated.


As for my bigger screen comment - it was tongue in cheek. But clearly aimed at those that think Apple doesn't pay attention to the competition :)

No I'm referring to the exclusivity. Is Apple paying for that? Or providing other incentives for JetBlue to be Pay only?

----------

They could check the passed account number against a list of bank id numbers reserved for tokens, but it's also possible that the JetBlue spokesperson wasn't prepared and is incorrect about other contactless cards.

There's video with Ed Baig and high up exec at JetBlue who said options like Google Wallet would be coming later. Perhaps there's a technical reason (like Google Wallet requiring an internet connection). If not then to me this is just as bad as CVS turning off NFC so Pay wouldn't work in their stores. Apple doesn't need to shut out the competiton for Pay to be successful.
 
Good. I've always hated the idea of swiping a credit card on any plane. It's like trying to bring air travel into the 21st century by old using 20th century technology. I am always using an iOS device on a plane anyway so this is a much more natural extension.
 
So here's a question: Google Wallet has been around for what, 3 years now? Android devices supported NFC well before iPhone did. Why isn't NFC ubiquitous in United States by now? Why wasn't Google able to move this forward like Apple appears to be doing? Is it because they gave up too much control to the carriers?

because Apple.


Apple is the master of marketing and building hype and because they're Apple when they want to build partnerships they can. Also Google uses a virtual Mastercard behind the scenes. I'm not quite sure how much support AMEX and Visa would give Google given the MasterCard relationship.

----------

Unlike Google Wallet you won't have to pay for inflight WiFi to use Apple Pay. Google Wallet requires that you use it with an internet connection at least once a day, Apple Pay doesn't.

https://support.google.com/wallet/answer/2466137?hl=en

Meh, this isn't a problem most of the time. You only have to log into Wallet once that day. So if you know you're going to be on a plane at 7 am, just log into wallet anytime before that (takes one second) while you still have an internet connection at the airport before you board. Unless your JetBlue flight is going to be in the air for 24 hours straight (unlikely, it being a Jetblue flight) you should be all set.

----------

Do companies need to do something special to support Pay? Is it possible to support only Pay? Or is this just a case of Apple marketing and Apple getting retailers to push/advertise Pay even though they support other forms of contactless payments as well?

It's just Apple (the master of marketing) pushing partners to help spread the word. Wherever Apple pay is accepted, all other forms of contactless payments based on NFC are also accepted.

Although, I wouldn't put it beneath Apple to try to make that retailer block other NFC payment methods in some form.

----------

For ApplePay to work you must have WiFi, does JetBlue provide free WiFi ?

I think it's been discussed prior to this post that you do not need internet connection for Apple Pay to work. It cc info is just stored in the the secure chip.
 
I fly Delta all the time. They're based here. I've paid cash on plenty of flights when I've flown economy class in the past.

Even if they are credit card only, the difference in time between them trying to figure out how to use the reader they use all the time and your Apple Pay is going to be negligible. Will I use Apple Pay? Sure. But I don't see it being a huge time saver here.


Delta has not accepted cash during flights for a few years now. In fact, all US airlines have been cashless for awhile.

http://www.bestfares.com/news.php?newsID=3054
http://www.creditcardchaser.com/list-of-airlines-that-will-only-accept-credit-cards/

I fly all the time (roughly 10-15 times a year) and I see folks buying food, drinks and DirectTV subscriptions all the time. That said, it's really not that hard to pull out the wallet-- but I love the fact that :apple:Pay is expanding. I use it and actively seek out merchants who support it (i.e. Walgreen > CVS/RiteAid, Home Depot > Lowes)..
 
In fact, all US airlines have been cashless for awhile.

Not quite. US Airways Express still takes cash, though not regular US Airways flights. I believe there are still a few smaller regional carriers that are cash only for in-flight purchases.
 
Who flies Jet Blue? Virgin all the way.

I fly both Virgin America and jetBlue. But yeah, VX is the top.

Anyway, this works out for B6 because their IFE only had card swipers for acessing movies. Unlike VX whose Red system is fully interactive and able to use the card swipers in the seat backs for everything B6 is using ApplePay for now. Virgin won't need to use ApplePay inflight.

----------

Good. I've always hated the idea of swiping a credit card on any plane. It's like trying to bring air travel into the 21st century by old using 20th century technology. I am always using an iOS device on a plane anyway so this is a much more natural extension.

Except that ApplePay isn't as convenient when you have to have an FA come by with an iPad, vs. swiping the seatback in front of you. Eventually companies like Panasonic Avionics and Thales will offer seatback contactless payments in the systems they offer, I'd bet.
 
So jealous.

Still waiting around here in the UK for Apple Pay to be launched. I use contactless all the time and we have much better coverage of NFC than over I. The U.S. Agree with a previous comment that said the Supermarkets over here are the only ones holding out as they're meant to be launching their own 'Currentc' type system soon a,though I believe Tesco are using Contacless in all their London stores.

I'm hoping Apple hold the rumoured March event and announce a date for roll out in the UK. I would happily swop banks if mine (Lloyds) isn't one of the first ones to support it.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.