Las Vegas Monorail offers virtual ticketing for Android users
Android smartphone users no longer need to reach for their wallets when traveling on the Las Vegas Monorail. Monorail officials Monday announced the launch of what’s being described as the world’s first “virtual transit ticketing.”
The privately funded transportation company, with seven stations along the Strip, now accepts Google Pay. Using MIFARE “contactless technology,” riders who pre-purchase tickets using the app can simply tap their Android phones at the gate to access the trains.
Rafael Sotomayor, an executive with technology developer NXP, said in a prepared statement that he believes the monorail will serve “as a model for other public transportation systems to follow, not just in the United States but around the world.”
To celebrate the new service, Google Pay users who buy unlimited ride passes can save 20%. The offer, available for a limited time, drops the price of a 48-hour pass from $23 to $18.40.
Those who don’t use Google Play can pre-pay with the Monorail’s Scan and Go mobile ticketing. Users receive QR-coded tickets by email or text for scanning at the gates.
Officials said the new technology reduces waste through the elimination of paper tickets. The electric trains already provide zero-emission transportation.
Nearly 5 million people rode the Las Vegas Monorail in 2016. It links the SLS at the north end of the Strip with the MGM Grand more than three miles south along Las Vegas Boulevard. Plans are underway to extend the line farther south to Luxor and Mandalay Bay.
Info: Las Vegas Monorail, (702) 699-8222
Twitter: @latimestravel
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