Cathay Pacific Accepts Malaysian Ringgit For Inflight Purchases

By Zairina Zainudin & Christine Lim May Yu KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 23 (Bernama) -- Cathay Pacific Wednesday said that the Malaysian ringgit can be used by passengers to settle inflight transactions. "Passengers who wish to purchase inflight sales items can always settle their transactions by credit card or in Malaysian ringgit cash too," Cathay Pacific spokesperson said in a response to a query by Bernama. The spokesperson was asked to clarify a social media report Tuesday that the airline had given notice to its crew not to accept the ringgit for its inflight transactions. Providing a background, the Hong Kong national carrier said it was informed by its currency exchange vendor on Nov 11 that the ringgit in cash would not be accepted for exchange. "(Then), on Nov 14, we received a new notification that the Malaysian ringgit in cash would be accepted, effective immediately. "We apologise for the inconvenience caused," the airline said. Social media also reported that the currency was not accepted by foreign money changers. However, a check by Bernama revealed that the ringgit was still widely accepted by money changers in overseas markets, contrary to the social media reports. In neighbouring Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, money changers reported brisk transactions in the local currency with some reporting a lack of supply of the ringgit due to heavy demand for it. -- BERNAMA