CheapOair Is Now Accepting Apple Pay

CheapOair, a concierge travel service consisting of a traditional travel agency with a digital front end, announced on Thursday (Sept. 15) customers who book via their iPhone or iPad will have the option to pay using Apple Pay.

“We are always looking for ways to improve customer experience on our mobile apps, and Apple Pay is a great fit for on-the-go users,” said Daniel Lizio-Katzen, SVP of product and revenue at Fareportal, in a press release. “It adds a safe, quick and convenient way for our customers with Apple devices to pay for their travel without needing to reach for their wallet.”

According to the company, Apple Pay is attractive because it is a simple and convenient platform that gives Apple customers a secure payment option for mobile transactions. Once customers have chosen their desired itinerary, they can select Apple Pay at checkout, and with a single touch, the payment is safely initiated, the company said. CheapOair also accepts all major credit cards, PayPal and Android Pay.

While CheapOair has embraced Apple Pay, the payment service by Apple has been slow to take off. According to PYMNTS’ Apple Pay Adoption Tracker, the percentage of people who use the service more than once has fallen from its peak a year ago and is now sharply lower than what had been seen at launch. After you take into account both who has adopted the service and how often people who have adopted it use it, the numbers have barely moved over 20 months. Roughly speaking, only one person in 20 who have the service use it when they can; 19 out of 20 people who have the service don’t even bother. What’s more, some users love it, but many say that they don’t use the service because they have — and use — alternatives that they consider just as easy and convenient to use. The general sentiment is more like “Why bother changing?” or “I like what I’m already using better,” said PYMNTS’ Karen Webster.