United and PayPal have announced a new way to make touch-free inflight purchases, even in areas without WiFi. United customers on select flights can simply show a flight attendant the PayPal QR Code in the PayPal app and use it to buy snacks, drinks and other inflight purchases while onboard.
United is the first airline to offer PayPal QR Codes, and this partnership is part of United’s easy-to-use, industry-leading suite of contactless payment tools. United was the first airline to give customers in economy cabins the option to pre-order snacks and beverages from the airline’s app and website, and also offers customers the ability to easily store payment information in a digital wallet.
PayPal QR Codes can be used on select flights departing from Chicago O’Hare International Airport in November and before the end of the year, will extend to all flights across the entire network where contactless payment is available.
“Our contactless payment offering is built on simplicity and choice and it’s another way we’re improving the overall experience of flying United,” said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United. “PayPal is a terrific partner and this technology gives our customers another easy way to make purchases, even when they’re not online. We expect to introduce even more new and innovative options for our customers in the future through our collaboration with PayPal.”
“We’re excited to be partnering with United to introduce our new offline QR code functionality, adding more ways for customers to check out with PayPal in more places, especially in offline or low connectivity areas,” said Frank Keller, Senior Vice President of Enterprise Segment Solutions and Digital Commerce at PayPal. “Bringing PayPal QR Codes inflight reinforces our commitment to offering customers choice and provides a new level of touch-free convenience for consumers when making in-flight purchases, within the PayPal app they know and trust.”
United’s New Buy-On-Board Menu
Customers can pay using PayPal QR Codes to enjoy one of many new food and beverage offerings United launched in June.
United also introduced brand-new meal offerings to customers seated in domestic premium cabins on flights over 1,500 miles and hub-to-hub flights over 800 miles.
United Next
United is more focused than ever on its commitment to customers and employees. In addition to today’s announcement, United has recently:
- Launched an ambitious plan to transform the United customer experience by adding and upgrading hundreds of aircraft as well as investing in features like larger overhead bins, seatback entertainment in every seat and the industry’s fastest available WiFi.
- Announced a goal to create 25,000 unionised jobs by 2026 that includes careers as pilots, flight attendants, agents, technicians, and dispatchers.
- Announced that United will train at least 5,000 pilots by 2030 through the United Aviate Academy, with the plan of at least half being women and people of colour.
- Required all US employees to receive a covid-19 vaccination.
- Became the first airline to offer customers the ability to check their destination’s travel requirements, schedule covid-19 tests and more on its mobile app and website.
- Invested in emerging technologies that are designed to decarbonise air travel, like an agreement to work with urban air mobility company Archer, an investment in aircraft startup Heart Aerospace and a purchase agreement with Boom Supersonic.
- Committed to going 100% green by 2050 by reducing 100% of our greenhouse gas emissions without relying on traditional carbon offsets, including a recent agreement to purchase one and a half times the amount of all of the rest of the world’s airlines’ publicly announced Sustainable Aviation Fuel commitments combined.
- Eliminated change fees for all economy and premium cabin tickets for travel within the US.
