New Service Lets You Pay by the Month for Airline Tickets

Paying for expensive airline tickets online is easy – so long as you have enough in your account, or a credit card. What do you do when neither of those things apply, and you really, really need to fly?

Now you have an option, courtesy of CheapAir.com.

CheapAir.com says it is now the first online travel agency to accept monthly payments for flights.

The company has partnered with Affirm, a financial services technology provider, to enable this new checkout option.

CheapAir – citing Bankrate data – found that 67 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds do not have a credit card.

Without a credit card, booking expensive flights and last-minute trips can be difficult for many travelers who find paying the entire trip cost upfront cost-prohibitive.

When customers reach the CheapAir.com checkout page, they can now choose “Monthly Payments.”

With the customer’s name, email address, mobile phone number, date of birth, and the last four digits of the customer’s social security number, Affirm makes a credit decision in real time.

Affirm does not charge late fees, service fees, prepayment fees or any other hidden fees. Customers can make their monthly payments by debit card, ACH transfer, or check.

Of course, not everyone gets approved by Affirm; a decent credit score is needed to qualify for this deal. But those who now have a handy option for obtaining airline tickets.