How to pay for drinks on United Airlines?
The steps of paying for drinks and other items on United Airlines
When you are a passenger on a United Airlines flight and find yourself feeling thirsty, you have several choices that are available to you for ordering and paying for your beverage of choice. Below is a United Airlines guide to help you understand the drink payment methods allowed on flights.
In-Flight Beverage Service In most United flights, the flight attendants will offer the passenger one or two rounds of complimentary beverage services during the journey. Free drinks may vary depending on the cabin class, flight duration, and time of the day and may include soda, juice, coffee or tea, wine, or beer. All the other beverages, which are not part of the complimentary items, will have to be bought.
If you would like a drink outside of the complimentary service time, you can make a payment using any of the options listed below. United Airlines offers drinks for sale on flights, such as soda, juice, sparkling wines, alcoholic beverages, and liquors. Common beverage prices vary from three dollars for soft drinks and juices to ten dollars plus for wines and spirits.
The attendants shall offer drinks from a rolling trolley that is in the aisle. You may have to use the call button if they are not in your vicinity to look at you directly or if it is during the breaks between their service times to get a refill of your drink. The payment can be made by any of the methods listed below.
United Airlines Payment Methods Acceptable payment methods for in-flight drinks include major credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards, and some foreign cash. United flight attendants are prohibited from accepting personal checks or any payments through digital wallets or mobile payment platforms.
The most convenient ways to pay for beverages and other products are by credit card, debit card, or prepaid debit card. It provides a fast way of making a payment without any delays that may come as a result of having to make change from cash.
Here are some tips for using cards to buy drinks inflight:
- Ensure that the credit, debit, or prepaid card you have will be usable for purchases on the flight. It is also important to note that some basic or older cards may not be suitable for these transactions. Some airlines may have restrictions so before you travel, you should check with your bank to ensure your card is enabled for international use.
- Inform your bank in advance that you may be shopping in the skies. Since inflight transactions are sometimes suspicious, the charge may be declined if the bank cannot anticipate it.
- Even if you have a digital copy of the card on your phone, it’ll be best to present the physical copy to the flight attendant. Inflight payment systems can not process mobile payments or digital wallets at present.
In case you do not own a credit, debit, or prepaid card, United flight attendants are also willing to accept cash for international routes in some foreign currencies. In most of the flights, passengers are not allowed to pay with USD cash. Also, during all flights, the flight attendants cannot change money for the cash payments that are required for the purchase of beverages; therefore, ensure that you have the exact amount of money needed for the purchase of the beverages of your choice.
Alcohol consumption and how to order drinks on board
Here are some tips for having the best experience when ordering drinks during your United Airlines flight:
- Choose your drink orders before mid-air. Placing an order at the last moment when the attendant must take the order may see her unable to do so because of turbulence or preparations for landing.
- It’s wise to know what’s available before asking. To get an idea of the normal drinks and their prices, you can visit United’s website and look at the options available based on the cabin class and the flight duration. The flight attendants may not be able to recite all the offerings on the menu when asked.
- The tones to use when communicating are clear and calm. The noise inside the cabin makes it hard to hear; therefore, do not shout but attract the flight attendant’s attention and order your preferred drink politely.
- Make sure you have your cash or check ready. When you have completed an order, flight attendants will stop serving you until you pay with your card or money. Place it where it is visible and within reach to ensure that work does not come to a standstill.
- Do not interrupt and be polite. Seating spaces are limited in airline cabins and flight attendants are handling numerous demands simultaneously. Be polite and do not be tense; you will receive better service.
- Limit alcohol intake. Airlines do not allow passengers to be served more than two servings of alcohol at a given time. And there are harsh penalties possible for rowdy passengers who are intoxicated, so drink and fly safely.
- Get more things like lime wedges, sweeteners, etc Flight attendants can offer more things for certain drinks if you are polite enough while ordering.
The concept of paying for the drinks on United Airlines flights is supposed to be easy for the customer as well as the flight attendant. In other words, by familiarizing themselves with the payment options before the flight and being polite when ordering, passengers can easily buy beverages to make their time on the plane more comfortable and enjoyable.
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