JetBlue accepting Venmo for flights
JetBlue Airways is now accepting Venmo as a payment option for its flights. It marks an industry first, according to the carrier.
On Tuesday, the airline began accepting the payment option when booking flights directly with JetBlue online, and it plans to start rolling out the feature on its app "in the coming months," the airline said in a statement.
U.S. customers can purchase flights using their Venmo balance as well as any linked bank accounts, debit cards, or credit cards when booking travel.
Carol Clements, JetBlue's chief digital and technology officer, said the company is leveraging the payment platform to make it easier to book a flight on its website or app.
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JetBlue marks the latest in a growing number of companies, including online merchants like Amazon and eBay and brick-and-mortar stores like CVS, that have started accepting Venmo as a payment method.
In 2017, the company, owned by PayPal, said its vision for Venmo was "not only be the go-to app for payments between friends, but also a ubiquitous digital wallet that helps consumers spend wherever and however they want to pay, regardless of device."
JetBlue announced that the move is "the latest example of how JetBlue is using digital technology to help customers customize and simplify their travel journey."
It can be seen as a way to entice more customers to choose the airline, which is working to return to profitability under CEO Joanna Geraghty.
JetBlue's proposed merger with Spirit Airlines was blocked by a federal judge in January after the court found that the merger would hurt consumers by combining two low-cost airlines that would otherwise compete for passengers.
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In the wake of the ruling, JetBlue and Spirit officially terminated the proposed merger and have looked to restructure their operations to improve their financial performance.