<span style="font-weight: 400">In March 2021, Simple Flying investigated the possibilities for cryptocurrency use in commercial air travel for the first time. Back in 2014, AirBaltic was the first airline to accept Bitcoin as a means of payment. It has now sold its </span><a href="https://simpleflying.com/airbaltic-nft-issue-planies/amp/"><span style="font-weight: 400">trading platform for NFT collectibles, called planie</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">s. The trading of NFTs is becoming a craze in the aviation industry. Qantas and Air Europa are just two instances of airlines that have recently unveiled their own NFT trading platforms.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Tickets using blockchain technology are not totally new. For example, S7, a Russian airline, began selling tickets on the Ethereum blockchain in 2017. However, in a world where aviation sustainability is aiming for the center stage, blockchain and cryptocurrency, which require an extravagant amount of energy, do not fit the burgeoning net-zero narrative.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Emirates is the flag airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). </span><a href="https://www.cryptoknowmics.com/news/uaes-emirates-airline-set-to-accept-bitcoin-as-a-payment-method"><span style="font-weight: 400">They recently announced intentions to incorporate bitcoin as a payment option</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> and offer NFT collectibles for trade on the company's websites. The adoption of Bitcoin as a payment method by Emirates would be a massive milestone for the airline industry. It would make Emirates the biggest global airline directly accepting cryptocurrencies. While some airlines have begun to accept cryptocurrency as payment, the practice is still uncommon among big carriers.</span>

<img class="aligncenter" src="https://bitpay.com/blog/content/images/2022/02/card-preview.png" alt="Airlines Accepting Bitcoin as Payment Method - The Future of Aviation" width="544" height="306" />
<h2><strong>Why Should Airlines Accept Crypto As Payment?</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Why should the aviation sector care about Bitcoin? Part of its allure stems from its expanding popularity. The aviation industry, like any other, will seek to accept as many payment methods as possible. However, there are other benefits.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">According to a Morning Consult research and analysis, air travelers are substantially more likely than the general population to hold Bitcoin. Interestingly, there appears to be a link between Bitcoin ownership and how frequently one travels. Those who travel at least five times each year are more than twice as likely as the general population to hold Bitcoin.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">The adoption of crypto payments should result in cheaper transaction costs. Taking credit card payments, for example, adds costs ranging from 1.3 percent to 3.4 percent. There will also be a faster transfer of funds. Cryptocurrencies also come with benefits in a global context. Exchange rates increase costs and, in some instances, difficulties for travelers. Cross-border movement and exchange is also an important factor for airlines.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Airports can gain from using cryptocurrencies as well as airlines. Adding more payment options can only be a good thing for retailers. There are the same benefits of lower transaction costs and exchange concerns to consider. </span><a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/brisbane-becomes-worlds-first-airport-to-accept-bitcoin/"><span style="font-weight: 400">Brisbane Airport in Australia was the first to accept Bitcoin payments</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400"> at retail outlets, establishing a partnership with TravelbyBit in 2018.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">However, airport use has been negligible thus far. No other airports appear to have implemented widespread Bitcoin use. Some, such as Bitcoin ATMs at airports like Amsterdam Schiphol and Miami International, have made a limited introduction.</span>
<h2><strong>What Will The Future Of Air Travel Look Like In The Digital Age?</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">The aviation sector is not immune to the effects of the digital tsunami, which has spread across industries and organizations. However, it is not one of the digital revolution's forerunners. Instead, it is merely adapting to new technology and following trends to meet the needs and expectations of modern passengers.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Low-cost carriers have become the preferred option for travellers in recent years. Travelers today demand a tailored experience from when they book their trip until they return home. The aviation sector can use Sentiment Analysis to understand the demands of its consumers. Then they can now tailor their customer approach appropriately.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">In its latest research on the "</span><a href="https://www.iata.org/contentassets/690df4ddf39b47b5a075bb5dff30e1d8/iata-future-airline-industry-pdf.pdf"><span style="font-weight: 400">Future of the Airline Industry 2035</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400">," the International Air Transport Association (IATA) identified the technologies and factors that will affect how the aviation industry will evolve. According to the report, cybersecurity, automation, and robotics augmented reality, virtual reality, 3D printing, IoT, new manufacturing techniques, big data, alternative fuels and energy sources, alternative modes of rapid transit, new aircraft designs, and geospatial technology will be the order of the day in the aviation sector in the future.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Economy, Environment, Politics, Society, and Technology are the five key drivers of change in the aviation industry. While political, environmental, societal, and economic factors are difficult to manage, technology is quickly becoming the aviation industry's primary focus. As a result, the aviation industry is dynamic, with futuristic, alternative travel modes like the Hyperloop and the rising popularity of extremely advanced AR/VR technologies. Air travel is currently the preferred means of long-distance travel. However, if the industry fails to adapt and align with the latest technologies, the tables may shift.</span>
<h2><strong>Travel Agencies That Accept Crypto</strong></h2>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Airlines, alongside online travel agencies, began using Bitcoin as a payment method in 2013. Prices back then were around $900 per BTC (Bitcoin), and values in recent months have been ranging between $28,000 and $40,000 per BTC. With this background, the shift toward bitcoin as a payment alternative looks to be just getting started. Let’s take a look at the airlines and online travel agencies that currently accept cryptocurrency as payment.</span>
<h3><strong>AirBaltic</strong></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400">airBaltic, Latvia's flag carrier, was the world's first airline to accept bitcoin payments in 2014. As a result, when purchasing airBaltic Green tickets, you can pay using cryptocurrency. AirBaltic payments are free of transaction fees. They are available for flights booked at least five days in advance before departure. The Baltic countries' main airline connects Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius airports to destinations across the Middle East, Europe, and Russia.</span>
<h3><strong>LOT Polish Airlines</strong></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400">LOT Polish Airlines, like airBaltic, revealed in 2015 that it will accept Bitcoin as a means of payment for flights. Despite the passage of six years since its announcement, LOT remains one of the few European airlines that accept cryptocurrencies as payment.</span>
<h3><strong>Travala</strong></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Travala was developed as a blockchain-based travel booking platform. So, it's no surprise that it has the most cryptocurrency payment options alongside accepting traditional debit and credit cards. It allows you to use practically any digital currency to book from a global variety of over two million hotels, flights, and other travel accommodations.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Travala differentiates itself by hosting a native cryptocurrency, the AVA token, on its site. To encourage a healthy internal economy, it incentivizes the token use with perks like additional awards, discounts on bookings, and a loyalty program. AVA can also be used to pay for phone bills, car registration, rent, and other expenses in Australia.</span>

<span style="font-weight: 400">Expedia's service has grown from a modest initiative within Microsoft to a dominant position in the internet booking business. The company is the world leader in online booking of hotels, tickets, and automobiles, with annual sales in 2020 exceeding $5.2 billion and 24 million active users, across 32 countries. Expedia has over 1 million+ properties, 1,400 +VIP AccessTM hotels worldwide, and 1.8 million+ vacation rentals. In addition, 300 airlines have partnerships with the service.</span>
<h3><strong>Booking.com</strong></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Like Expedia, Booking.com formed a collaboration with Travala.com in 2019 to offer users access to 90,000 properties that can all be booked using cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. Booking.com also announced a relationship with Crypto.com in January 2021, offering users up to 25% savings when making reservations with the Crypto.com Visa card. This collaboration also allows for more complex modalities for extra benefits such as cashback of up to 8%.</span>
<h3><strong>Surf Air</strong></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Surf Air has transformed the travel industry by enabling members to book flights and pay in Bitcoin. This one-of-a-kind airline runs through membership services and personalized memberships, and for a little monthly charge, you can fly across New Jersey, Texas, California, and Florida. Instead of buying a single ticket at a time, users can enjoy the ease of booking many flights throughout the month, making it easy and hassle-free and an ideal way to spend that cryptocurrency.</span>
<h3><strong>Bitcoin Travel</strong></h3>
<span style="font-weight: 400">Bitcoin Travel is a community-driven website that allows you to book flights and accommodations with Bitcoin. It's become a go-to site for cryptocurrency newcomers, allowing them to get their first taste of the world of Bitcoin travel. This website can search for hotel and flight options from all major global airlines and hotel companies, including Expedia and Orbitz. In addition, the website dispels the idea that Bitcoin is solely useful in the cryptocurrency market.</span>

Airlines Accepting Bitcoin as Payment Method - The Future of Aviation

Airlines, alongside online travel agencies, began using Bitcoin as a payment method in 2013. Are they in the right steps in the right direction?

Oluwademilade Afolabi is a freelance writer and editor passionate about blockchain technology and the health industry. He is a 6th year medical student, and has worked with various companies and blogs since the blockchain revolution began.

Airlines Accepting Bitcoin as Payment Method - The Future of Aviation

Top Picks