July is the most expensive month for summer travel and it makes perfect sense – you have the perfect storm of a holiday with firework action (yay, Independence Day!) and the kids have been out of school for a month, making it high time for a little diversion action.
Read more »
Dear Travelers,
A couple of months ago, I wrote to you about some challenges we were facing finding a replacement for our processor Coinbase, who had informed us they would be shutting down their merchant platform. Since 2013, we had relied on Coinbase to facilitate our acceptance of Bitcoin, and we were in unfamiliar territory to be suddenly scrambling for an alternative.
I cannot tell you how grateful I am for the overwhelming amount of thoughtful feedback we received. We went into the process thinking we were on a desperate quest to find a new processor. But thanks to many of you, we came out of it realizing we don’t need a processor at all.
For about a month now, we have been testing an open source Bitcoin payment processor, BTCPayServer, which, admittedly, I had never heard of before several of you suggested I take a look at it. Although there was a slight learning curve at first, and some engineering work to create the flow to turn crypto from you into dollars for airlines and hotels, we are thrilled with the end result. Not only does BTCPayServer enable us to circumvent BitPay’s controversial BIP-70 wallet requirement, but, after the Coinbase situation, we find it really liberating to no longer be dependent on a third party. We now have much more control of the process, which has made possible faster, more efficient order processing. We can also do a much better job of gracefully handling the occasional anomalies that are still inherent in crypto commerce. Many, many thanks to Nicolas Dorier, Predrag T, and the other BTCPayServer contributors; you’ve built a truly great product.
We know we’re not the only retailer affected by the Coinbase action that had to find new solutions or make a difficult decision. We believe that accepting digital currency has been a win-win for both CheapAir and our customers. So we decided to double down without reservation.
Besides moving to BTCPayServer, we have also set up a dedicated support team just for crypto customers, so if you need help you can reach someone who is familiar with and understands how crypto works:
Escalated, dedicated email support:
BTCSupport@cheapair.com
Priority crypto phone number:
1-800-619-6999
We have also begun accepting Bitcoin Cash, Dash, and Litecoin. (We use GoCoin for that and they’ve been great).
Thanks again for your continued support of CheapAir.com. As always, we welcome your feedback. We’ll continue to do everything we can to make it easy to book travel with digital currency. Please continue to let us know how we’re doing!
We’re in prime backpacking/student travel season as we speak, with Europe being arguably the most popular destination for backpackers. Here are a few of our best insider hacks on the best way to stretch those dollars when you’re on a serious budget in high season in Europe.
Read more »
Nearly nine months after the U.S. government tightened regulations around travel to Cuba, there is still confusion and misinformation circulating about who can go. Here’s what you need to know.
Read more »
The world is still reeling from the loss of Anthony Bourdain, the well-respected chef, author and television personality. We’ve always been fan of his travel shows here at CheapAir.com, mainly because he offered such a positive, unique approach to travel.
Read more »
Ok, so we’re partial to the 4th of July festivities here at home, but this year we thought we’d share some of the cool, fun and downright offbeat ways other countries celebrate their independence!
Read more »
Looking for a magic bullet to guarantee you’ll get the best flight price on your next vacation or business trip? We, like you, wish there was one foolproof way to assure a rock bottom price. Now before you throw in the towel altogether, we do have some very good news.
Read more »
With wedding season in full swing, we thought it the perfect time to offer our picks for the best honeymoon destinations the world over. Each of these spots was handpicked for maximum romance, relaxation and fun!
Read more »
If you’re flying on one of United’s new international business class flights, and passing through Newark International Airport, there’s a new luxe lounge that just opened for your comfort and convenience.
Read more »
There are many beaches around the world that claim to be the most picturesque, but you won’t see many of your standard picks on our list – we aimed to get a little creative on you and offer our readers something a bit more unique.
Read more »