The Airline Changing The Game With Venmo Flight Payments

Budget airliner JetBlue (also one of the most eco-friendly airlines in America) is upping its appeal by embracing Venmo, a popular mobile payment app. On January 21, the company began accepting Venmo payments at checkout — a move sure to resonate with younger flyers already familiar with using Venmo for everyday transactions. Venmo links bank accounts, debit cards, and credit cards to its payment platform, allowing users to easily make payments or transfer money from one digital wallet, mostly with no fees (there is a 3% fee to transfer payments from credit cards).

For now, Venmo is only available when booking travel directly on JetBlue's website. However, the company plans to expand the Venmo payment option to its mobile app sometime in the next few months.

Some other airlines have embraced alternative payment methods online and in their mobile apps. For example, Southwest Airlines accepts PayPal, Apple Pay, and Flex Pay (which allows travelers to pay the balance in increments). American Airlines also offers PayPal, Citi Flex Pay, and Affirm. But JetBlue is the first airliner to jump on the Venmo bandwagon, giving it a particular edge over competitors.

If you've ever planned a group trip, you know it tends to go smoother if one person is in charge of booking flights, accommodations, and tours. Venmo initially gained success as a way for people to split payments or easily pay each other, so having this as a payment option through JetBlue will make traveling with a group a breeze. That's because Venmo has a feature called Groups, which allows users to track and split expenses among everyone in the group.

On top of that, mobile payments have soared in popularity over the years, so accepting Venmo and similar payment systems is a smart move for any airliner. While there may be some upsetting reasons budget airlines might be endangered, embracing tech trends like mobile payment apps can increase their appeal to travelers looking for more versatility. 

Venmo costs less for businesses to use than other payment methods like Stripe and many major credit cards. Plus, the companies get exposure in a whole new market — as of 2023, there were 83 million Venmo users, according to a Business of Apps report. Generally speaking, higher revenue and lower costs for businesses can ultimately benefit consumers. So, in the long run, embracing Venmo could help JetBlue offer more convenience and potentially lower prices for travelers while keeping the company competitive (and relevant) in the travel industry.