CheapAir.com Bitcoin Sales Top $1.5 Million

In Celebration, CheapAir Sends a College Bitcoin Pioneer to London's Inside Bitcoin Conference

News provided by

Jul 29, 2014, 09:04 ET

CALABASAS, Calif., July 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- CheapAir.com ® announced today that the online travel agency has surpassed the $1.5 million mark for sales of flights and hotels in bitcoin.

In November 2013, CheapAir.com became the first U.S. online travel agency to accept bitcoin after being introduced to the crypto-currency by an intrepid customer who asked if he could use it to pay for a flight. Seven months later, the company has processed over $1.5M in bitcoin payments for flights, hotels and Amtrak fares and continues to see new adopters paying with it every day.

"If our customers have a need, we'll go to great lengths to come up with a solution," said Jeff Klee, CEO of CheapAir. "In this case, that meant finding a way to accept bitcoin payments for airline and hotel transactions that traditionally were only done with cash or credit card. We appreciate how easy Coinbase made it for us to do so. In retrospect, it was one of the best decisions we've made for our business and our customers."

Thanks to Coinbase's convenient and simple to use two-click payment process, accepting bitcoin has connected CheapAir.com with thousands of new travelers who live and breathe the digital currency. In terms of ease, security and low transaction fees, it has been a win for customers, CheapAir and Coinbase.

To celebrate this milestone and to honor bitcoin customers, CheapAir held a contest for a free trip to London, including airfare, accommodations and a pass to Inside Bitcoins: The Business of the Cryptocurrency World, a conference set to take place September 15-16 in London. To win the trip, contestants had to tweet @CheapAir with the hashtag #LondonBTC on why they would like to go. CheapAir.com judged the entries on July 23.

The winner was Patrick Cines, a student at Penn State University. Cines is President of his campus Bitcoin club, and Director of Mid-Atlantic Relations for the College Cryptocurrency Network. Although CheapAir received many compelling tweets during the contest, Patrick's dedication to the global bitcoin cause and leadership in the community stood out.

"I entered the contest because I want to help UK students set up bitcoin clubs at their schools," said Cines. "I am going to use this trip to expand the College Cryptocurrency Network's international presence. Our goal is to help promote bitcoin awareness and use on college and university campuses worldwide. Additionally, we provide a platform for students to collaborate on startups and innovations and we even provide students with a platform to apply directly to companies in the bitcoin industry for internships and full time jobs. I'm so thankful to CheapAir that I can represent!"

To learn more about Coinbase, visit www.Coinbase.com

To book your travel using bitcoin, visit www.CheapAir.com

About CheapAir ®

Headquartered in Calabasas, CA, CheapAir is powered by a team of 50 travel enthusiasts who use cutting edge technology and superior customer service to radically simplify the way people shop for travel deals. Our proprietary airfare shopping engine does all the work for you, using a patented algorithm that scours the web for the lowest prices on the planet. We show you fares and flight options in a simple, easy to navigate site with all the best flight amenities to bring some joy to your trip planning. For expert travel advice, deals and inspiration connect with CheapAir on Facebook, CheapAir on Google+ or CheapAir on Twitter.

CEO Jeff Klee started CheapAir in 1989 from his college dorm room after getting a crash course in the airline industry while planning a backpacking trip through Europe on a student's budget. CheapAir.com still takes a creative approach to fare finding and, along with its sister company, Amtrav for Business Travelers, has helped over three million people buy plane tickets with confidence.

SOURCE CheapAir.com