OTA offers vacations for digital dollars

Wednesday, 07 Feb, 2014 0

Cheapair.com has become the first online travel agency to accept virtual currency bitcoin for hotel reservations made online.

This follows last November’s launch of a bitcoin payment option for flight only bookings through the California based OTA.

The company can now offer digital payment processing for all mix and match airfares and hotel stays at any of the 200,000 properties listed on the website, providing a complete vacation package in a single transaction.

CheapAir CEO Jeff Klee said the adoption of the virtual currency has been good for business.

"We’ve been really pleasantly surprised by the response, making a lot more bitcoin sales than we expected to make," he said.

Launched in 2009, Bitcoin is a peer-to-peer digital currency that operates without a central authority with all transactions processed by a network of private computers.

The bitcoin craze is gaining momentum due in part to typically lower transaction fees but has yet to be fully embraced by the travel industry.

Notable companies already accepting digital dollars include Virgin Galactic and the Golden Gate Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas.

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