Non-fungible tokens are unique pieces of art, whether pictures or videos, that exist digitally within a blockchain.

The airline plans to offer its first NFTs later this year, but it won’t be the first airline to do so. airBaltic started selling their own NFTs in 2022.

When members of Qantas’s frequent flyer program purchase NFTs, they’ll receive loyalty points in return. The airline has also stated that additional ‘exciting future benefits’ will come with the NFTs.

Buyers will be able to resell the NFTs if they wish.

Blockchain technology concerns some environmentalists because of the tremendous amount of energy necessary to maintain it. The airline has addressed such concerns with a promise that its NFTs will use low-carbon platforms.

Qantas hasn’t yet explained why it’s chosen to release NFTs, but it might be a way to honor its history with the Boeing 747. The airline ended its 50-year use of 747s in 2020.

For now, interested individuals can request updates on Qantas’s website.

The post Qantas Joins The Hype And Launching Airline NFTs appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

Northern Pacific looks to offer pricing at 10 to 25 percent below current fares, in order to attract customers who would not normally pay a premium for a flight to Asia.

It will “serve cities in the states of New York, Florida, California, Texas and Nevada with direct flights to cities in Japan and Korea via Anchorage on the northern route.”

According to Rob McKinney, Chief Executive Officer of Northern Pacific and sister airline Ravn Alaska, his airline will be able to provide a more streamlined entry into the U.S. than airlines flying directly into the always overcrowded West Coast hubs in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

FlyCoin, a bold crypto-based loyalty program that allows travelers to earn crypto to invest, trade, or buy associated services such as travel vouchers or items at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, is the centerpiece of its marketing campaign.

“The traditional world of travel rewards programs is ripe for change,” claims Lenny Moon, CEO of FlyCoin and CFO at Northern Pacific. “A cryptocurrency is the medium to reward our loyal customers for traveler participation, but not force their loyalty by constraining how they choose to redeem those rewards.”

Northern Pacific will have a fleet of 757-200 narrow-body planes, which are famed for their fuel efficiency and range.

Each aircraft will transport 200 passengers and offer “cutting-edge” inflight entertainment, such as the option for customers to stream using their personal Netflix accounts on their devices.

The airline also wants to make the Anchorage stop more than merely a stopover.

“The goal is to encourage people to spend a day or two here and go fishing for salmon, or take a sled dog ride on a glacier or just all kinds of things that you can only do here in Alaska,” said McKinney.

Although the intended flights are “subject to government approval,” the airline aims to begin serving customers in the autumn and expects to have at least 12 planes in the air by the end of 2022.

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Earlier in the month, Travala created a “token battle” to choose which cryptocurrency to accept next. It pitted the FLOKI and SHIB cryptocurrencies against each other before asking users to vote on their preferred currency.

Travala allows users to book any of over 3 million travel offerings, such as plane tickets and guided tours, with various currencies. As of Dec. 8, customers can pay with credit cards or one of 77 cryptocurrencies.

The company even offers its own currency, AVA. Travala will give $15,000 worth of AVA to all cryptocurrency battle voters.

Dogecoin was already an accepted currency at Travala. DOGE is known as a meme coin, which makes some observers wonder how well Travala’s methods will work in the long term.

However, accepting cryptocurrency has been effective for the company so far. In November, it had a revenue of $7.2 million. That amount was a massive increase compared to Nov. 2020.

Though Travala is unusual in accepting so many types of cryptocurrency, many other travel companies accept some form of it. CheapAir, Air Canada, and airBaltic all accept Bitcoin.

Meanwhile, numerous cryptocurrency exchanges now support SHIB.

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TheThaiger.com reports that cryptocurrency investors are becoming increasingly active on the Southeast Asian country’s real estate market as more property developers begin to accept digital currency.

Now that Thailand has approved a new visa program for digital nomads, Crypto-based remote workers are soon expected to join this wave.

“Due to the role of cryptocurrencies and their value as gold nowadays, which can be used to exchange goods and services in real life, cryptocurrency investors are considered a group of people with high purchasing power,” said Atanop Phanthukom, the CEO of investment property developer Cissa Group. “Furthermore, cryptocurrency is acknowledged in many countries, while Thailand is in its early stage.”

Thailand’s new visa program, which was approved in September, gives digital nomads the right to live and work in the country for up to 10 years. It also allows recipients to rent and purchase property, which could give a critical boost to the nation’s real estate industry.

To qualify for the visa, applicants must prove they’ve earned at least $80,000 over the last two years and have a minimum of $100,000 in health insurance coverage.

Several countries have created digital nomad visas in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, so Thailand will have a lot of competition as it fights to attract remote workers.

A recent Club Med survey named Thailand the top country for digital nomads based on its cost of living, safety and internet speeds. However, a WorkMotion report only ranked Bangkok 68th out of 80 global cities, docking the destination for factors such as housing access, gender and sexuality issues and political stability.

The post Thailand’s Real Estate Market Bets on Crypto and Digital Nomads appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

The London-based firm is selling the “Azteca,” a 72-meter super yacht, for the equivalent of approximately $75 million USD in Bitcoin.

According to a company statement, the yacht’s owner is a supporter of cryptocurrencies and will only accept Bitcoin as payment for the vessel.

Built by Italian custom shipbuilder CRN, the “Azteca” features eight cabins, a cinema room, a spa, a 100-square-meter beach club, a library, an elevator and two newly rebuilt engines. It is believed to be the largest yacht ever offered for sale in exchange for digital currency.

“This is an exciting prospect for many of our clients and presents a unique opportunity for a yacht of this size to be sold in Bitcoin only,” said Emiston broker Antonio Yturbe Redo.

If the “Azteca” is a bit out of your price range, there are plenty of other ways cryptocurrency can get you where you want to go.

The travel industry is becoming a major market for cryptocurrency holders as more tourism companies start to accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dogecoin and other forms of digital cash.

Airfare website Cheapair.com, activity booking site GetYourGuide and travel app Elude are among a growing list of travel suppliers who allow customers to pay for services with cryptocurrencies.

Blockchain-based booking website Travala.com has gone all in on the concept, offering its own AVA altcoin and accepting 50 other types of digital currency.

CEO Juan Otero told CNBC that the company is doing over $1 million in sales per week, with 70% of bookings completed with cryptocurrency.

An April Travala.com survey found that 71% of Americans plan to spend more money on travel than they did before the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those, around 25% will use digital currency to pay for at least part of it.

“With more people holding cryptocurrencies and more businesses accepting it for real-world things, travel is naturally a desirable experience to use crypto,” Otero said.

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This plan leads to questions about why the TAT is not focusing on well-established cryptocurrencies. Many people are interested in this potential move, particularly in light of Thailand’s recent ban on non-fungible tokens.

Thailand’s SEC banned these tokens because of a growing belief that unregulated NFTs could bring economic instability. Some cryptocurrencies, like Dogecoin, even started as jokes.

According to Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the TAT, tourism authorities are in communication with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Thailand. Both organizations would need to work together to create and regulate TAT Coin.

Despite the SEC’s ban of NFTs, authorities at the TAT recognize that cryptocurrencies are becoming increasingly popular among tourists. Entirely rejecting cryptocurrencies could be financially unwise.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism was one of Thailand’s most profitable industries. Leaders at the TAT wish to revive it.

Making tourism easy and appealing for cryptocurrency users is just one potential solution. Supasorn has conveyed a forward-thinking philosophy, stating that the country’s tourism industry must embrace digital literacy and digital infrastructure.

If it does not, it could be left behind: Many legitimate businesses already accept certain cryptocurrencies, and a tourism industry that moves early to do the same could reap tremendous rewards.

TAT Coin would require transferring vouchers into digital tokens, which authorities in Thailand believe might lessen the speculative nature of other cryptocurrencies.

It remains to be seen whether TAT Coin would entice potential visitors.

Because of the Coronavirus pandemic, very few tourists visited Thailand in the past year. This pause in tourism caused an economic hit to the country.

39.8 million foreign tourists visited Thailand in 2019. In 2020, that number dropped to 6.7 million tourists, almost all of whom visited during the first quarter of the year — before countries worldwide recognized COVID-19 as an international threat.

Recently, however, Thailand has been lifting COVID-19 restrictions. For instance, the country now allows fully vaccinated tourists to skip quarantine upon entering the country.

The post Thailand May Launch Its Own Cryptocurrency Coin for Visitors appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

The luxurious trips offered through Concierge.io include a weekend stay at a castle in Japan, week-long excursions to private islands in the Maldives, and exclusive flights on privately owned jets.

Travala.com experienced a 500% growth in bookings between April and October. The company’s management cites a preference for privacy and the COVID-19 pandemic as two of the primary reasons why it experienced this phenomenal growth.

Elite travelers want to go on trips to unique and out-of-the-way destinations. They don’t want to deal with the hassles of commercial flights, and they prefer privacy in their transactions.

Concierge.io sells its exemplary customer service. Its focus on customized travel packages to clients on every continent allows it to build strong business relationships with people who have plenty of funds to spend on leisure pursuits.

The clients of Concierge.io maintain high expectations. They want every detail attended to, and the company delivers.

The ability to pay for travel with cryptocurrency allows people to fulfill their travel fantasies, explains a company spokesperson. For each client who books a trip, a personal customer assistant handles every aspect of the planning.

If a client decides to book a second vacation through Concierge.io, they have the option to continue working with the same associate, which allows them to develop a personalized relationship with the company. The agent gets to know the customer’s preferences and includes special touches to make the trip one-of-a-kind.

Other businesses in the travel industry now accept cryptocurrency as payment, too. In Hong Kong, consumers may book lodging at five hotels that accept the digital coins as payments.

Using cryptocurrency for travel expenses also benefits cities. The city of Miami collected more than $7 million in taxes on payments made through cryptocurrency for lodging and travel-related expenses.

Miami instituted a higher tax rate on cryptocurrency payments, and the increase has paid off. As adoption of cryptocurrencies spreads, travelers should expect to pay for their lodging, airline flights, travel agencies and tour guides with digital coins.

The post Luxury Travel Platform Concierge.io Launches New Exclusive Packages For Crypto Holders appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

One of the reasons why this development is significant is because travel-related expenses are already amongst the top five types that are paid for with cryptocurrency, and this is expected to continue to improve now that it has become easier to do.

Also of note, a Travala.com survey that was done in April found that 22% of the 1,000 Americans who were polled at that time said that they were planning to pay for at least a portion of their upcoming travel-related expenses with cryptocurrency.

UATP is a payment network that is owned by hundreds of airlines. BitPay is a cryptocurrency payment service provider, which has been involved with billions of dollars in blockchain transactions over the past decade.

According to UATP, this partnership will allow customers to more easily pay for these travel-related expenses in “Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum, Litecoin and six other popular cryptocurrencies.”

Stephen Pair, BitPay’s CEO, added that “cryptocurrency continues to gain momentum as a safe and trusted payment option” and that his company supports all cryptocurrency wallets, meaning that it is irrelevant how customers pay with cryptocurrency.

Ralph Kaiser, UATP’s CEO, said that this partnership is bringing together “the perfect combination of two experts in airline and cryptocurrency payments,” adding that he expects cryptocurrency payments to continue to change the market and to help airlines attract customers that they otherwise would not have.

Amongst the airlines that are included in this agreement are Aeromexico, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, Japan Airlines, Qantas, Southwest Airlines, Sun Country Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and WestJet.

Bitcoin is the world’s leading cryptocurrency and is judged by most to be amongst the five most influential currencies in the world. However, it is far from the only powerful one as others such as Dogecoin, Ethereum and Litecoin have also increased significantly in power over the past several years.

The post UATP and BitPay Partner; Numerous Airlines and Other Travel-Related Vendors Now Accepting Cryptocurrency appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

Most notably, he shared that he tends to be a “slow nomad” in that although he does tend to continuously move from one place to another, those moves are relatively far apart – i.e. “1-2 months and not 2-4 days.” He is far from the only one embracing this as an increasing number of digital nomads are incorporating some stability in their otherwise geographically unstable world.

Of course, travel and border-crossing restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic have played a role as well as many digital nomads have realized that they would rather not cross borders as often as they had been before.

With digital nomads starting to travel more slowly, where they spend that time is of increasing importance, so it is understandable that he was asked what his personal favorite places to be are. He specifically mentioned Singapore, Canada, Mexico and Germany.

His time in Singapore allowed him to be “with my own thoughts for the first time in a decade.” Meanwhile, that country and Canada both offered him an “interesting culture mix and great parks.” As for Mexico, Buterin said that the ease of crossing the border into the country was a significant perk for him and that he also enjoyed Mexico’s food and how friendly the people are there. In Germany, he has appreciated its hacker culture, particularly in its capital city of Berlin.

Buterin has been joined by numerous others over the past year and a half in the digital nomad lifestyle, after so many were forced into remote work and then started fully realizing the numerous benefits that it offers. Some of the most notable include flexibility, both geographical and time-wise, while many companies have appreciated that their remote employees tend to be even more productive.

The post Crypto Billionaire Shares His Favorite Digital Nomad Destinations and Tips appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.

On the one hand is the increasing number of travel-related businesses that are now accepting this form of payment. Examples include Air Canada, airBaltic, the Kessler Collection, the Bobby Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., Travala and CheapAir. Also note that Travala has revealed that 70% of its bookings from April-June 2021 were paid for in cryptocurrency.

Another positive benefit to using cryptocurrency is that you can avoid paying significant fees for changing currency from one to another, a cost that has certainly added up considerably for non-cryptocurrency using travelers. For example, to avoid excessive fees, you could convert euros to bitcoins in Germany and then convert bitcoins to pounds after you arrive in the United Kingdom.

In addition, despite cryptocurrencies not being the most stable form of money, it does provide more stability than currently exists in some countries, such as Indonesia, Venezuela and Iran.

However, it is important to keep some cons to using cryptocurrencies to pay for your travel in mind. One, perhaps the most important, is that cryptocurrencies can be quite volatile. Although it generally will not fluctuate too significantly from one day to the next, you need to be prepared for the times when it does. For example, the value of a Bitcoin dropped 11% from April 17 to April 18.

Of course, the opposite is true as well – i.e. the value of your cryptocurrency will sometimes increase significantly in value in a short time period.

Also keep in mind that you will not enjoy the consumer protections when using cryptocurrency that you do when you pay with a credit card.

An additional negative aspect is that there are still plenty of travel-related businesses that do not accept any form of cryptocurrency as a payment method. However, the more customers who use cryptocurrency elsewhere, the quicker that the businesses that currently do not will start accepting it as payment.

The post More People Are Using Cryptocurrencies To Pay For Travel; Should You? appeared first on Traveling Lifestyle.