[2014-06-11] Washingtonpost: Expedia Accepting Bitcoin (HUGE!)

[dave111223]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/wp/2014/06/11/expedia-wants-you-to-book-your-next-hotel-stay-with-bitcoin/

Starting today, users who choose to pay in Bitcoin will see a new payment option when they're checking out online.

EDIT: Checking out their website and I do not see any Bitcoin option at the checkout?  Can anyone find it?

[1714041941]

1714041941

[1714041941]

1714041941

[cr1776]

The link is to the Washington Post vs WSJ. Just FYI.

Edit: I see it is fixed.  I don't see the option yet either.

[bryant.coleman]

Shit! I was over the moon when I read the headline... Would have been really really huge. Still.. couldn't believe that some of the Washington Post journalists could be fooled with fake news. 

[_smudger_]

It's not fake news, it's real

Goliath online travel agency/booking website Expedia announced Wednesday that they are going to become the first major website in the travel industry to accept bitcoin for hotel bookings.

“This is one of those ideas that seemed to have sprung from three different places all at once,” said Michael Gulmann, vice president of global product at Expedia.

Company engineers and business developers were beginning to consider acceptance of the digital currency, as were customers requesting the website implement support for bitcoin payments.

For now, Expedia will be running a trial with bitcoin payments for hotels only.

“We want to start at a reasonable, small place,” says Gulmann to the Wall Street Journal. What happens with the hotel bookings will ultimately determined whether or not the company expands bitcoin payments to pay for flights and other types of bookings.

Expedia has teamed up with Coinbase for the acceptance, a San Francisco-based firm that allows businesses to instantly convert their bitcoin payments into fiat.

And that’s exactly what Expedia is planning to do. The company says they will not hold any bitcoin, but according to Gulmann, it’s not “a statement on bitcoin, pro or con.”

Expedia is just the latest company to turn to bitcoin payments — something they say has been done as another way to serve customers. Other big names include Overstock.com (who keeps 10 percent of bitcoin revenue in bitcoin and also has a partnership with Coinbase), DISH Network (who will start acceptance later this year, also working with Coinbase), and TigerDirect.

[Mayuyu48]

HUGE News
expedia is one of the biggest travel website
when they announce that they will accept bitcoin as payment options tomorrow, that will be good news for bitcoin
i hope expedia's competitors like agoda will follow them to accept BTC
 

[Dusty]

It seems legit!

Pics taken from a facebook user that checked it himself.

[GenTarkin]

Yep, confirmed, I just tried it, Bitcoin tab is indeed real! FUCK YES!!!!

[Mayuyu48]

It seems legit!

Pics taken from a facebook user that checked it himself.

nice, now we have proof that expedia really accept BTC
spread this news, hope it become huge news
panic buying mode : ON

[cr1776]

Glad to see it enabled now!

It seems legit!

Pics taken from a facebook user that checked it himself.

[LiteCoinGuy]

huge baby, love it 

[bryant.coleman]

This is huge news, and still the Bitcoin exchange rate is going down. 

After DISH, Expedia is the biggest company (in terms of revenue as well as market capitalization) to accept Bitcoin. I am really sad about most of the Bitcoiners ignoring this news.

[howardb]

This is huge news, and still the Bitcoin exchange rate is going down. 

After DISH, Expedia is the biggest company (in terms of revenue as well as market capitalization) to accept Bitcoin. I am really sad about most of the Bitcoiners ignoring this news.

Whilst I agree this is huge, I don't think BTC is that news driven to the upside, it's more the EFFECT of those big retailers that will move market mid term.