American Airlines continues cashless push at ticket counters
American Airlines is going cashless at Miami International Airport. This means that any fees paid at check-in — say, for a checked bag — will have to be charged to a debit or credit card.
Miami International joins airports in a number of other major cities — including Dallas, Los Angeles and New York — where American has implemented the same policy, according to a report in The Gazette.
For travelers who use only cash, this effectually means that costs for items such as overweight bags will rise also. Through an agreement with ReadyCredit, American has onsite kiosks that load cash onto a prepaid debit card — with a transaction fee of $5.
Foreign travelers will face a similar hike, as they will have to pay either the $5 prepaid card fee or whatever their home bank charges for foreign transactions.
According to the report, the new policy speeds up counter transactions and increases agent efficiency. United Airlines has a similar policy in place at the Miami airport.