LOS ANGELES, Nov 24 — Low-budget reservations site CheapAir.com has snagged bragging rights to becoming the world’s first online travel agency to accept bitcoins for flight purchases.

The US-based site said it will begin accepting bitcoins for plane tickets first, before expanding the service for hotel reservations and other services booked through its mobile app.

Described as the world’s first peer-to-peer open-source digital currency that takes banks out of the equation, bitcoins are accepted by vendors like WordPress, Reddit, and Baidu.

Sir Richard Branson also announced on CNBC Friday that his commercial space travel line Virgin Galactic will likewise accept bitcoins as payment. The carrier has already accepted its first bitcoin purchase from a flight attendant in Hawaii who paid for her ticket to space with the virtual currency, he said. — AFP/Relaxnews