Help With BTC Proposal to Air Asia

[seafarer124]

I sent an email to Tony Fernandes the head of Air Asia, I did not expect a response.  Tony Fernandes is the Richard Branson of Asia.

Surprisingly, I received a reply from Tony and two other executives.

I live in Thailand and have used Air Asia many, many times.  I know they are are a very progressive company and their market share is expanding each year.  Asia is a huge market.

In their replies they have requested more information.  They would like the adoption rate and which companies are using BTC as a form of payment around the world.  In my original email I inserted a link to BitPay.

Could anyone please offer suggestions with any figures, or, is there somebody that could make a good proposal. 

If a company, like Air Asia, were to adopt BTC as a form of payment it would be a great boost for the airline and Bitcoin.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[bigasic]

Bitcoin is growing rapidly. Amagimetals, alone converts close to 1 million dollars worth of bitcoin a month and they are growing. if you need a source, its on their website. But, Im sure someone here is in the marketing  biz and can help you. I wish you luck, sounds like they are receptive. The more businesses accepting bitcoin the better. Im working on getting some small, family owned, websites to take bitcoin...

But, I would give them the bullet points. which im sure you probably have done already.

1. the cost to take bitcoin is almost zero (1 percent, i think)
2. no chargebacks
3 no regulations that credit card companies have to go do that really hurts their bottom line...
4. Could pay with your smart phone at the airport, when you find out your CC limits have been reached...
5. many other reasons...

With a company like bitpay, there is no reason not to accept bitcoin.. They get their money in dollars/Euro whatever, so they never even have to touch it. They just have to have in interface, which wouldn't cost them that much. Sounds like you got them off to a great start...

[niko]

Btc is big with the expats in thailand but not so much the thais.

Id love to see btc accepted but think its too soon for asia. 1 year maybe.

What do you wish to see happen in that one year?

@seafarer124: the airline would gain immediately from the buzz created in the world media. That's pretty much it. However, that's a lot. Free advertising that portrays you as forward-looking, open to innovative tech...

If these executives have personal stake in btc, they would stand to profit, too. Not something to point out directly in an email, of course.

In reality, airlines are not quite an ideal target for Bitcoin adoption: most customers will still choose the pay with the cc, as they typically get some form of travel insurance that way. Furthermore, the airline needs to collect customer data anyway, so in this case bitcoin does not eliminate the need for costly security measures to protect data from theft.

What percent of their income comes from cash-paying customers? I'd bet it's negligible. Now, bitcoin would today be a small fraction of that negligible part.

A real success would be to simultaneously get travel agents to start sending payments from abroad to the airline via bitcoin - likely cheaper than banking, faster, and irreversible. A travel agent from SG paying with bitcoins for a block of seats in a Thai-based flight... 

Whatever you suggest to them, make sure it really works, that is - you could set everything up and get it running, with all the details.

[franky1]

i would send a copy of the correspondence between you and air asia to bitpay, and get them to use their PR expertise to talk to air asia direct. allowing bitpay to see what yo said allows them to prepare a good meeting with air asia as they can grasp from the correspondence the tone of the enquiry aswell as get the questions air asia has asked.

i know you want the fame and glory of bringing air asia to bitcoin, but preparing bitpay with a future merchant also helps them to give a professional sales pitch should air asia contact them or vice versa, as they are more prepared.

good luck, this would be a great thing to happen. especially for the 'life on bitcoins' couple that want to do a world trip using bitcoins

[seafarer124]

i would send a copy of the correspondence between you and air asia to bitpay, and get them to use their PR expertise to talk to air asia direct. allowing bitpay to see what yo said allows them to prepare a good meeting with air asia as they can grasp from the correspondence the tone of the enquiry aswell as get the questions air asia has asked.

i know you want the fame and glory of bringing air asia to bitcoin, but preparing bitpay with a future merchant also helps them to give a professional sales pitch should air asia contact them or vice versa, as they are more prepared.

good luck, this would be a great thing to happen. especially for the 'life on bitcoins' couple that want to do a world trip using bitcoins

You must be psychic, lol.

I have just sent an email to BitPay.

I am not concerned about fame and fortune, just would like BTC to be promoted and grow.

[ninjaboon]

i would send a copy of the correspondence between you and air asia to bitpay, and get them to use their PR expertise to talk to air asia direct. allowing bitpay to see what yo said allows them to prepare a good meeting with air asia as they can grasp from the correspondence the tone of the enquiry aswell as get the questions air asia has asked.

i know you want the fame and glory of bringing air asia to bitcoin, but preparing bitpay with a future merchant also helps them to give a professional sales pitch should air asia contact them or vice versa, as they are more prepared.

good luck, this would be a great thing to happen. especially for the 'life on bitcoins' couple that want to do a world trip using bitcoins

You must be psychic, lol.

I have just sent an email to BitPay.

I am not concerned about fame and fortune, just would like BTC to be promoted and grow.

Hi seafarer124, I can help you out on this proposal, so let's talk via PM or email:

1. I know Tony from Bitpay. We are one of the local integration partners in Malaysia.
2. Tony from Airasia; he used to be my friend's former boss back before Year 2000.
3. I'm planning to start a BTC exchange/merchant system for Malaysia and Asia side with some partners.

My email is in my profile.
Let's get AirAsia accepting Bitcoin before end of Yr 2013.

[ninjaboon]

I just tried to make a booking at  https://btctrip.com/results/roundtrip/KUL/SIN/2013-10-24/2013-10-31/1/0/0

Could only find flights via Malaysia Airlines and Jetstar.

You might want to send Tony that link to show that his competitors are already on-board the Bitcoin payment system.

[ninjaboon]

Here's a list of merchants accepting BTC:
http://www.greencoins.org/articles.html

[seafarer124]

i would send a copy of the correspondence between you and air asia to bitpay, and get them to use their PR expertise to talk to air asia direct. allowing bitpay to see what yo said allows them to prepare a good meeting with air asia as they can grasp from the correspondence the tone of the enquiry aswell as get the questions air asia has asked.

i know you want the fame and glory of bringing air asia to bitcoin, but preparing bitpay with a future merchant also helps them to give a professional sales pitch should air asia contact them or vice versa, as they are more prepared.

good luck, this would be a great thing to happen. especially for the 'life on bitcoins' couple that want to do a world trip using bitcoins

You must be psychic, lol.

I have just sent an email to BitPay.

I am not concerned about fame and fortune, just would like BTC to be promoted and grow.

Hi seafarer124, I can help you out on this proposal, so let's talk via PM or email:

1. I know Tony from Bitpay. We are one of the local integration partners in Malaysia.
2. Tony from Airasia; he used to be my friend's formers boss back before Year 2000.
3. I'm planning to start a BTC exchange/merchant system for Malaysia and Asia side with some partners.

My email is in my profile.
Let's get AirAsia accepting Bitcoin before end of Yr 2013.

Your email is hidden in your profile, can you send a message.

[ninjaboon]

sent.
 

i would send a copy of the correspondence between you and air asia to bitpay, and get them to use their PR expertise to talk to air asia direct. allowing bitpay to see what yo said allows them to prepare a good meeting with air asia as they can grasp from the correspondence the tone of the enquiry aswell as get the questions air asia has asked.

i know you want the fame and glory of bringing air asia to bitcoin, but preparing bitpay with a future merchant also helps them to give a professional sales pitch should air asia contact them or vice versa, as they are more prepared.

good luck, this would be a great thing to happen. especially for the 'life on bitcoins' couple that want to do a world trip using bitcoins

You must be psychic, lol.

I have just sent an email to BitPay.

I am not concerned about fame and fortune, just would like BTC to be promoted and grow.

Hi seafarer124, I can help you out on this proposal, so let's talk via PM or email:

1. I know Tony from Bitpay. We are one of the local integration partners in Malaysia.
2. Tony from Airasia; he used to be my friend's formers boss back before Year 2000.
3. I'm planning to start a BTC exchange/merchant system for Malaysia and Asia side with some partners.

My email is in my profile.
Let's get AirAsia accepting Bitcoin before end of Yr 2013.

Your email is hidden in your profile, can you send a message.

[polarhei]

The simple statement is, How to ensure the loyal customers can be protected first. I used to hear about something like AsiaMiles.

AsiaMiles is a program which benefits who frequent use aero-transport with specified alliance. The program looks good, but is it stable?

There is a group of people, known as satoshi. Suggested how to protect the loyal customers or how to ensure the transaction today is safe as some parties still keep tapping data even it is RSA 2048-bit encrypted due to closed nature.

Although it may not be completely as bitcoin, but your highness may use the concept of bitcoin, or just use Bitcoin to construct your own program which provides the followings.

1. Denial of amendment
2. Denial of Backdoors
3. All people can participate, monitor, checking flaws, and etc.
4. Denial of double-spending
5. Low-cost, high security due to the peer-to-peer nature and the basic concept of Digital signal processing: Infinity copies ensures safety.
6. Supply is limited to ensure the quality and the description of wealth.
7. Widely usable, can be transferred if interested with no hassles.

[marcotheminer]

Bitcoin is growing rapidly. Amagimetals, alone converts close to 1 million dollars worth of bitcoin a month and they are growing. if you need a source, its on their website. But, Im sure someone here is in the marketing  biz and can help you. I wish you luck, sounds like they are receptive. The more businesses accepting bitcoin the better. Im working on getting some small, family owned, websites to take bitcoin...

But, I would give them the bullet points. which im sure you probably have done already.

1. the cost to take bitcoin is almost zero (1 percent, i think)
2. no chargebacks
3 no regulations that credit card companies have to go do that really hurts their bottom line...
4. Could pay with your smart phone at the airport, when you find out your CC limits have been reached...
5. many other reasons...

With a company like bitpay, there is no reason not to accept bitcoin.. They get their money in dollars/Euro whatever, so they never even have to touch it. They just have to have in interface, which wouldn't cost them that much. Sounds like you got them off to a great start...

Use that and their sure to agree!

Make it short, simple and easy to understand as well as showing the positive stats of bitcoins!

[FNG]

Nice one. You can say some random guy named FNG will fly Air Asia and use BTC for his next flight if they decide to accept it.   

Flew with them recently BKK to Phnom Pehn and had a good experience.

[mtbitcoin]

I can see it now... ordering my Pak Naser Nasi Lemak or Chicken rice and paying with BTC 

[seafarer124]

I am sure the BitPay guys are working their little tails off, it must be a mamoth task trying to promote Bitcoin/BitPay.

My feelings are to target companies/businesses that have a world market exposure, which is the case with Air Asia.

There are many more I could think of, maybe start another thread.

 

[LiteCoinGuy]

I sent an email to Tony Fernandes the head of Air Asia, I did not expect a response.  Tony Fernandes is the Richard Branson of Asia.

Surprisingly, I received a reply from Tony and two other executives.

...

Could anyone please offer suggestions with any figures, or, is there somebody that could make a good proposal.  

If a company, like Air Asia, were to adopt BTC as a form of payment it would be a great boost for the airline and Bitcoin.

Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

great step, thank you! every email can move bitcoin a little bit forward 

[saif313]

you can give email address here on this thread so more peoples can send emails for this and hope they adopt bitcoin in payment system 

[malevolent]

In their replies they have requested more information.  They would like the adoption rate and which companies are using BTC as a form of payment around the world.  In my original email I inserted a link to BitPay.
Could anyone please offer suggestions with any figures, or, is there somebody that could make a good proposal.  

List of some of the companies that are accepting BTC:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmatonis/2013/05/24/top-10-bitcoin-merchant-sites/
https://www.spendbitcoins.com/places/
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Trade

Bitcoin payment processing services (BitPay has a 0.99% fee, the alternatives are cheaper):
https://en.bitcoin.it/wiki/How_to_accept_Bitcoin,_for_small_businesses#Merchant_Services

[faiza1990]

I was reading one online magazine many big companies accepting bitcoins we hope this will happen to this Air Asia also soon 

[ninjaboon]

I can see it now... ordering my Pak Naser Nasi Lemak or Chicken rice and paying with BTC 

good one. or Burger Ramly too