Etihad becomes an Apple Pay Airliner

Etihad Airways is now providing its customers Apple Pay, transforming mobile payments with a fast, secure and convenient way to pay for flights and travel.

Available on the Etihad Airways mobile app, Apple Pay allows customers, for the first time in the UAE, to pay securely with just a touch of a finger. Etihad Airways’ customers can now buy flights and other products such as ‘Extra Legroom Seats’, ‘Preferred Seats’ and excess baggage with their iPhone or iPad by simply touching a button.

Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay. When a customer uses a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the secure element of the device. Each transaction is authorised with a one-time unique dynamic security code.

Etihad Airways Vice President Digital Strategy and Innovation Justin Warby, said: “We are proud to partner with Apple Pay to bring the latest mobile payment and technology innovations to our guests in the UAE and around the world. We were able to quickly adjust the release cycle of our mobile app to ensure we coincided our launch with Apple in the UAE. This agile approach to innovation is now embedded within Etihad’s technology design and delivery culture as a result of setting up our Digital Transformation & Innovation organisation earlier this year.”

Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by credit and debit cards.

Purchasing flights through Apple Pay on the Etihad Airways mobile app can be completed by simply activating the Touch ID, so there is no need to manually fill out payment details or billing information. When paying for goods and services on the go in apps, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 and later, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad (5th Generation), iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3.

The Etihad Airways app is available for download on the App Store. Launched in April 2016, the app has been downloaded over one million times and won the Best Travel App of the Year award at the 2016 ShortList Mobile App Awards. The app has also been updated to enable easy and quick enrolment to Etihad Guest, the airline’s award-winning loyalty programme, which boasts over five million members. Through the multi-lingual app, guests can book flights, purchase ancillary services, check-in online, scan their passports, and even view a map of Abu Dhabi International Airport.