CO sued over cashless cabin...

[Dont call me Shirley]

http://redtape.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/18/7408962-isnt-money-good-for-anything-any-more-airline-sued-over-cashless-cabin-policy

Isn't money good for anything any more? Airline sued over cashless cabin policy
By Bob Sullivan
Being jammed into a plane for 10 hours can certainly feel like being stuck in a foreign country. But that's not the reason Michael Rosen's U.S. dollars were rejected on a recent flight from Hawaii to New York. As many travelers know, dollars — the physical kind — are useless once you board an airplane in most cases. You'll need plastic to buy a headset, a drink or a snack. Rosen, a New Jersey lawyer, thinks that's discrimination, so he's filed a lawsuit aimed at forcing airlines to treat greenbacks, and consumers who carry them, with more respect.


His credit cards were in his checked luggage? And he was smart enough to get into law school?

 

[jimntx]

What many of them don't realize is that the Federal Currency Act of 1967(??? I think the year is right), added the statement that the dollar bill (or whatever) is legal tender for all debts public and private; however, the law did not specify that anyone had to take the bill in payment. The same statement is on all U.S. paper currency. However, how many movie theaters or mom and pop grocery stores have you been to that have a sign that says "No bills larger than $20."

Also, there is the fine point that if I don't hand you the drink or the sandwich until you produce a credit or debit card, no debt has been incurred.

 

[WorldTraveler]

Not sure how long this has been on CO's website but it is just one click away from their home page.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-US/content/travel/inflight/default.aspx

In-Flight Purchases

We only accept credit and debit cards for in-flight purchases on most Continental-operated flights.



I think CO/UA will have no problem defending its actions.... there is no law that any company is required to do business with everyone. There may be people who don't carry credit cards and can't buy what CO sells onboard but that isn't really CO's problem if it has decided it will accept only credit cards and notified the public of that policy.

It would seem that if a headset was the issue, - and the article says the guy had a previous CO headset which wouldn't work on that aircraft type, then it would have been decent at best to have just swapped out the guys headset for a new one that works on the 764. I have had airlines swap out defective headsets that I purchased on other flights... not sure if that is CO's policy but it would have avoided an upset customer.

 

[rampster]

Guess it's startiing to become that paperless society envisioned so many many years ago afterall. Here's another example:

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/52185031-79/bonds-savings-electronic-treasury.html.csp

I'm still waiting for the monorail and domed city tho.

 

[robbedagain]

id have to question why the credit cards were inchecked baggage in the cargo hold? smart place to put them in!

 

[Calpilot]

Have a "Snickers Bar"! Your sounding like a diva!

 

[jimntx]

id have to question why the credit cards were inchecked baggage in the cargo hold? smart place to put them in!

Same people who act like turning off their cell phone will cause the collapse of Western civilization as we know it. You know...the cell phone that is so friggin' important that they leave it in the seat pocket when they get off the a/c.