If your planning on traveling with Southwest Airlines anytime soon, you will no longer need cash in your pockets for alcoholic beverages. As of Sept 9th, Southwest will not accept cash for drinks. They will accept major credit cards, debit cards, their Rapid Rewards Card and drink coupons!
Some may love this and others may not….but don’t worry if you don’t have a credit card, you can still get a FREE soft drink! Don’t forget, Southwest is one of the few airlines still offering free drinks and snacks and that is why we love Southwest! In my opinion it actually makes it a little easier since you don’t have to worry about having exact change for your beverage, you can just put it on your card!
Source photo by Cubbie_n_Vegas
by Dana Walsh Director of Marketing & Recruiting · September 12th, 2008 
3 responses so far ↓
I like using cash for flights. I travel a decent amount and I’ve noticed just how easy it is to lose track of spending between leaving from one airport to arriving at another. I set my budget by bringing just enough cash to get a drink on the plane and maybe a magazine and candy before I get to the gate. When I use a card it doesn’t feel like I’m spending money, which could end up cutting into the money saved for the trip itself.
As an avid consumerist reader, I have to say that I agree that spending cash is the best way to watch what you spend… but honestly, since non-alcoholic beverages are still free w/ SW, I don’t mind so much.
The following is printed on every US currency note:
“This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private.”
SWA’s appears to be a violation of Federal law.
SWA will say that it is too much trouble to make change. Maybe so. But, there is no law that says they have to make change. There is just a law that says they have to accept US currency.
Anyone who has ever purchased a drink on an airplane knows that they need to have the correct change. If they do not, they deserve to pay ten or twenty dollars for a drink.
Leave a Comment