Flying High With Cheapair.com

It is wonderful to travel. To take in the environment of another country, the sites, the sounds.  Foreign languages lilting majestically, turning your realization to the fact that you’re not at home. To get here, to this wonderful point, it has to be booked. Whether it’s using a travel agent and their expertise, with lengthy contracts that must be signed. Or online, with demands of your home address, credit card details, mobile phone, gender and sexual preferences.It is time to test out the highly talked about cheapair.com for their crypto currency leaning tendencies. The unknown can be nerve racking when it comes to finances, and hesitancy may come for some. Well I wasn’t joining that group today. Today I am going to experience what Roger Ver raves about.

“Just booked another flight on http://www.cheapair.com  w/ bitcoin, I’m waiting for @Expedia @priceline to catch up with @cheapair “ Tweeted by Roger Ver, 17th August 2014.

Cheapair.com surpassed 3000 BTC (1.5M USD) in July, so surely they are doing something right? A happy little caricature beams at me from the screen. The site is clean, tidy and user friendly. It operates quickly, and really does have great deals. I pop in my destination, talking myself through the dates.  Chewing on my nail, I click on ‘check flights’, a reassuring blurb jumps out.

“We welcome global travelers, but for some flights outside of North America we can only accept U.S. or Canadian credit cards or payment by Bitcoin, Dogecoin, or Litecoin. Would you like to continue to view your flight options?” YES! I would love to continue! With a choice of cryptocurrency? Exceptional! “They must be doing well,” I say to myself with glee, staring at the additional cryptocurrencies added. “I thought I could only use Bitcoin!” Which one to use? I consider this and continue to click.The next pop up window pleasantly surprises me, “Only CheapAir.com offers Price Drop Payback. If the price goes down after you buy a ticket, we’ll give you a travel credit for the difference, up to $100. Terms and conditions apply.” Does this include crypto, you ask? Why yes, indeed it does!

A boost of confidence pushes me forward and I select the flight that suits my needs, I am getting closer to novelty. I imagine the white sandy beaches and singing the pina colada song under a thatched roof. On the next screen I see them, Bitcoin, Litecoin, and Dogecoin, three happy crypto amigos gathered together neatly in a row, begging to be clicked. Eeny, meeny, miny, moe. I open my eyes, and bitcoin winks at me, happy to be chosen. “Sorry boys, I’ll get you next time,” I pinkie promise proceeding to the following screen. The QR code is ready and their wallet address is offered for a copy and paste. The exact Bitcoin amount is advised, (to those new to the industry, please, always use the Bitcoin amount on Cheapair.com, not the USD, as it could add complication to the process). With ten whole minutes to make the payment, I open my wallet in another tab, and reflect on the scrambled days on other sites.

Credit card details, security code, full address, home number, mobile number, passport information. (Where is my passport!?) Embarking on a panicked ransacking of my flat, and finding it hidden beneath my travel guide. Inputting my information, ensuring that the details are correct. Clicking the ‘make payment’ button, biting my lip as the surly circle twists and turns doubting my funds. The profanities exude from my lungs when the payment doesn’t  go through. I forgot to notify my bank I was overseas! Calling the bank, internationally at only a few dollars a minute. Trying again, the flights gone up by $50. More stress, more sweat, nervously retyping and rechecking my details, hating giving over so much information for a payment to process. The screen timing out…

I return from my daydream. There’s my booking number, its been there a while. I should expect an email with my itinerary shortly.

“Huh?” I think, is it really that easy? Yes, yes it really is.

A note from the writer: The team at cheapair.com are fantastic, friendly and honest. If you ever have any difficulties, give them a bell, or call to tell them they are doing a great job. I know I did

B.Holmes

B.Holmes, author of The Range of Illusion and The Private Key instalments, is currently located in Thailand, researching and writing about crypto. You can follow B.Holmes on twitter @BanteringB, or contact via email: [email protected] B.Holmes will accept tips via: