LOT Polish Airlines Now Accepts Bitcoin

LOT Polish Airlines is now accepting bitcoin payments, meaning the digital currency can be used to pay for flights to more than 60 global destinations.

Tickets can be purchased on LOT's desktop and mobile websites. LOT does not accept directly, but exchanges the digital currency for fiat using an unnamed payment service provider, the media outlet said.

LOT now accepts bitcoin alongside payment methods including American Express, PayPal, MasterCard and Visa.

Jiri Marek, executive director of sales and distribution for the company, said the decision demonstrates how LOT is open to "every client need" as well as innovations in the travel industry.

Marek said:

"Many of our customers are shopping online, including flights. It is only a matter of time before virtual currency payments will become as popular as credit card use nowadays. We saw this potential."

With the decision, LOT becomes the latest eastern European air carrier to accept bitcoin, following airBaltic in July 2014 and Air Lituanica in August of last year. Mexico's TAR later became the first air carrier in Latin America to accept bitcoin in June.

In more developed markets, Bitnet recently inked a partnership with UATP aimed at encouraging airlines to accept bitcoin, though no integrations have been announced as a result of that deal.

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