Vueling S.A., a Spanish low-cost airline based
in Greater Barcelona, says it will start accepting 13 different
cryptocurrencies as payment for its flight service starting from 2023.
The airline listed the cryptocurrencies to include Bitcoin (BTC), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Dogecoin (DOGE), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Shiba Inu (SHIB) and Wrapped Bitcoin (WBTC), among others.
Tickets prices will be in Euros and customers
will be able to pay for flights from more than 100 wallets, the airline further said,
adding that the service will be available for individuals only.
Vueling, a part of the International
Airlines Group, an Anglo-Spanish multinational airline holding company,
announced the decision on Thursday in a statement.
The company explained that it has entered into
an agreement with BitPay, the world’s largest provider of Bitcoin and
cryptocurrency payment services, to see to the move.
Vueling also intends to use the global payment
solution of UATP, a platform operated by the global airlines to connect to alternative forms of payment.
Future of Payment
In the statement, Jesús Monzó, Manager of Distribution
Strategy and Alliances at Vueling, noted the airline’s agreement with BitPay
reaffirms its position as a digital airline.
“We are very pleased to have found in BitPay the
best partner to offer our customers the possibility of making transactions with
cryptocurrencies with the greatest security and reliability,” Monzó said.
On his part, Merrick Theobald, Vice President of
Marketing at BitPay, explained that Vueling recognizes the potential of
cryptocurrencies to transform the airline industry by making payments faster,
more secure and less expensive on a global scale.
“Our goal at BitPay is to make the acceptance of
cryptocurrencies a seamless process and increase its adoption, as we believe
that cryptocurrencies are the future of payments,” Theobald added.
Rachel Morowitz, UATP’s SVP
Partner, Processing, noted that offering cryptocurrency as a form of payment to
the public is “a must in this digital age of payments.”
“UATP and BitPay partnered to bring this option
to the airline industry and is fulfilling the rising demand of Vueling’s
customers to pay with cryptocurrency,” Morowitz added.
Vueling S.A., a Spanish low-cost airline based
in…
