Card payment sucharges banned in Australia from 2026

[Cruiser Elite]

Just departed DPS on VA92 - WiFi onboard does work slowly - announced that Crew will shortly becoming through cabin with a range of food and drinks that may be purchased with payment by ‘Credit Card or other electronic payment*’

*Other electronic payment equals Apple Pay or Google Pay

 

[serfty]

Just departed DPS on VA92 - WiFi onboard does work slowly - announced that Crew will shortly becoming through cabin with a range of food and drinks that may be purchased with payment by ‘Credit Card or other electronic payment*’

*Other electronic payment equals Apple Pay or Google Pay

Is there a surcharge?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Is there a surcharge?

Response from Crew is no - response from Grok below:



Of course no charge at all for F & B in J but you have already been skun for CC surcharge at time of booking - they’ll get you anyway they can



But they are a business and they have an obligation to maximise their profits for shareholders - don’t like any businesses model - your choice to shop elsewhere - simple

 

[MEL_Traveller]

lol, no payment surcharge on board, just a ‘triple the retail price’ surcharge!

 

[dajop]

lol, no payment surcharge on board, just a ‘triple the retail price’ surcharge!

But probably a 20% discount compared to airport prices, at least for international.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I think this is ONBOARD MENU on VA92 today - but again this ain’t Russia - don’t want to pay the prices don’t buy anything

 

[dajop]

I think this is ONBOARD MENU on VA92 today - but again this ain’t Russia - don’t want to pay the prices don’t buy anything

If you take a standard item like a Coca Cola it’s totally consistent with cafe pricing , or maybe even less? Only $2 more than Colesworth charge for a cold can of coke, and VA has to expend fuel carrying it through the air and has someone that will serve it you. Hard to see that as unreasonable.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

If you take a standard item like a Coca Cola it’s totally consistent with cafe pricing , or maybe even less? Only $2 more than Colesworth charge for a cold can of coke, and VA has to expend fuel carrying it through the air and has someone that will serve it you. Hard to see that as unreasonable.

The coke can on JQ is 250ml… compared to 375ml at the supey.

At the supey it’s $1 a can, less on special. Although not refrigerated.

The crew are there, nothing else to do, so that component of wages doesn’t factor in.

A Kit Kat on board is $6… four times the regularly available price of $1.50 at the supermarket.

The prices are very high, given the airlines would get these at wholesale pricing, in bulk.

I don’t like being taken for a ride. So I choose not to purchase on board.

 

[Aussie_flyer]

Yes those are coke mini 250ml. Barely enough to quench your thirst. I do think they're making a mistake with these prices both jq and VA as I wont pay that either anymore. I'll pay $4-$5 for 375 ml with a cup of ice.

 

[Jacques Vert]

The coke can on JQ is 250ml… compared to 375ml at the supey.

At the supey it’s $1 a can, less on special. Although not refrigerated.

The crew are there, nothing else to do, so that component of wages doesn’t factor in.

A Kit Kat on board is $6… four times the regularly available price of $1.50 at the supermarket.

The prices are very high, given the airlines would get these at wholesale pricing, in bulk.

I don’t like being taken for a ride. So I choose not to purchase on board.

Wrong comparison IMHO.

Should be comparing it to being served in a cafe or restaurant.

Supermarket: you go find it yourself; cafe or airline: someone gets it for you and may provide a glass as well. And as you say, you won't get a cold one for $1 at a supermarket.

But I agree that the prices should be lower although that's true about everything I buy.

 

[piec]

The coke can on JQ is 250ml… compared to 375ml at the supey.

At the supey it’s $1 a can, less on special. Although not refrigerated.

In the supermarket they're slightly above $1 per can on special, and only if you buy them in bulk.

And the 250ml are usually the same price as the 375ml per can: the smaller the volume in the package the more you pay per litre.

 

[Zero]

There are many here who fly D on QF, VA, JQ regularly - when was last time you could pay cash onboard if you can remember? Years in my memory but I do little D flying

Cash was accepted on a JQ domestic flight in 2018. I can't remember if cards were also accepted but I think they were not.

I do recall the cabin crew being extremely efficient in accepting cash and counting out the change. Perhaps even faster than using a card machine.

After that flight, the next time I flew JQ was in 2023 and it was card only.

 

[dajop]

The coke can on JQ is 250ml… compared to 375ml at the supey.

At the supey it’s $1 a can, less on special. Although not refrigerated.

Nobody is forcing you to buy anything though. I’d say Colesworth is more unreasonable - they sell the same 250ml cans for $3 . Don’t sell 375’lml refrigerated. Don’t sell 250ml in bulk. Deliberate to make more off refrigerated. And Kit Kat list price is $3 which is what you pay every other week (and $1.50 for the rest of the time). Kit Kat pricing who cares - just BYO if you really want one.


Anyway valid point though re cc fees, well and truly factored into airline pricing for buy on board food.