Deal agreed sees Apple Pay take off with JetBlue

JetBlue will use eGate’s Near Field Communication enabled tech to offer customers the ability to make purchases with Apple Pay.

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JetBlue will use eGate’s Near Field Communication enabled tech to offer customers the ability to make purchases with Apple Pay.

NFC technology allows customers to pay using their smartphones and tablets, instead of using cash or cards.

Christopher McCloskey, JetBlue’s director of customer experience delivery, said: “By placing thoughtful new technology into the hands of our crewmembers, we can free them up to offer a more personalised experience to our customers.

“Our very successful partnership with eGate has helped us deliver this implementation very quickly, making JetBlue the first to accept Apple Pay in the air.”

As eGate’s first NFC customer, JetBlue is launching its new mobile payment program in 2015. JetBlue will provide its 3,500 inflight crewmembers with iPad mini tablets equipped with eGate software and NFC-enabled peripheral devices.

Simon de Montfort Walker, president and managing director of eGate Solutions, said: “Having the opportunity to partner with JetBlue and successfully deliver this innovative and cutting-edge project to market is an exciting milestone for eGate.

“The consumer demand for technology conveniences on-board will only grow as mobile devices and other consumer electronics become more pervasive. Implementing a modern payment infrastructure gives JetBlue a significant competitive foothold, as more consumers move toward mobile payments.”

The enhanced TS product accepts payment from any NFC-enabled peripheral device that has the Apple Pay app installed.