Apple Pay coming to JetBlue flights

JetBlue is giving new meaning to airplane mode.

Starting in mid-February, the airline will begin accepting Apple Pay for in-flight purchases such as snack boxes, booze and upgraded seats. JetBlue is the first airline to offer the NFC payment option, saving iPhone 6 and 6 Plus owners the awkward contortions required to extract their credit cards from their pockets or carry-ons.

In order to make it happen, JetBlue will arm flight attendants with iPad minis and NFC-enabled cases to replace their current point-of-sale systems.

The iPads will start showing up on select flights from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco starting next week. After that, Apple Pay will roll out to additional flights beginning in March, and to all JetBlue flights by June.

The deal comes just in time for the highly-anticipated release of the Apple Watch, which should hit the market in April.