CheapAir.com Adds Litecoin and Dash, Opens Up Payment Options for Travellers

CheapAir founder Jeff Klee sees blockchain playing a larger role in travel payments. "We're in the early stages," Klee told MiningPool. "But we see a future where travellers and travel companies accept digital currencies more, and where blockchain matters more in payments between consumers and our business partners."

Bitcoin holds the top position but faces constraints. Transaction speeds lag and the network can't scale. CheapAir selected these three alternatives because they offer faster confirmations or lower fees.

Crypto customers pushed the company to expand beyond bitcoin. "They tell us what they want, and we appreciate that," Klee said. "Over the last six months, requests for alternative currencies spiked. We integrated the three that customers requested most."

CheapAir accepts digital payment but must pay suppliers in dollars. The company built infrastructure to handle this arrangement. "We had the plumbing in place to make digital currency payments work for our customers and suppliers," Klee said. "That made adding Litecoin, bitcoin cash and Dash a minor development task, but a major benefit for our crypto customers."

In April, CheapAir announced a processor switch. Coinbase was ending merchant custodial support and removing tools CheapAir relied on for bitcoin payments. The company moved to BitPay. Integration was almost complete, but BitPay won't accept non-BIP-70 compliant wallets. CheapAir warned that customers without compatible wallets need to set one up as an intermediate step for bitcoin purchases.