cheapair.com

What CheapAir.com is

  • CheapAir.com is an American online travel agency. (Wikipedia)

  • It was founded in 1989 (initially under the name “1-800-Cheap-Air”) and later launched as a website. (Wikipedia)

  • The company is based in Agoura Hills, California (with an additional office in Chicago). (Wikipedia)

  • Through CheapAir.com, you can search and book flights, hotels, car rentals and vacation-package-type travel deals. (CheapAir)

What CheapAir.com Offers

  • Aggregated access to many airlines — letting you compare prices across them. (CheapAir)

  • Flexible payment options: in the past CheapAir accepted cryptocurrencies (e.g. Bitcoin) as payment for flights or hotels. (Wikipedia)

  • “Buy Now, Pay Later” / installment-type payment (via a financing partner) for some bookings — useful if you don’t want to pay full price upfront. (Wikipedia)

  • Tools to help you find better fares: for example, they recommend flexibility with dates, airports, routing — things like flying mid-week or being open to alternate airports can make a big difference. (CheapAir)

  • Alerts or “fare trackers” to monitor price changes, which can help when you’re hunting for the lowest fare. (CheapAir)

Brief History & Milestones

  • Founded in 1989 by someone working from a university dorm, originally as a phone-based service. (Wikipedia)

  • The web version (CheapAir.com) was launched in the early 2000s. (Wikipedia)

  • Over the years, they added features: price-drop refund guarantees, more amenities and a more intuitive search interface, including semantic-search and voice-search. (Wikipedia)

  • For a time they accepted Bitcoin (and perhaps other cryptocurrencies), making them notable among travel agencies for that payment flexibility. (Wikipedia)

  • They also were among the first U.S. travel agencies to offer certain services — e.g. direct flights from the U.S. to Cuba around 2015. (Wikipedia)

What People Say (Reviews & Criticism)

  • On one hand, many users highlight convenience: browsing many airlines at once, sometimes getting cheaper fares than booking directly. (Tripadvisor)

  • On the other hand, there are complaints: some customers report difficulty with refunds or cancellations. (Trustpilot)

  • Overall score on a major review-aggregator site is roughly 4.5/5 based on thousands of reviews — not perfect, but respectable within travel-agency norms. (Trustpilot)

  • Importantly: many of the cheapest fares tend to come with restrictions — non-refundable tickets, stricter change/cancellation rules — so there’s a trade-off between cost and flexibility. (Trustpilot)

What It Means for You (Pros & Cons)

Pros

  • If you’re price-sensitive and relatively certain about travel dates and times, CheapAir.com can help you find good deals.

  • The ability to compare many airlines at once saves time.

  • Flexible payment options and financing make travel more accessible without large upfront cost.

  • Tools like fare-tracking or flexible date/airport search can lead to cost savings.

Cons / What to Watch Out For

  • Low fares often come with restrictions: limited flexibility, difficult or costly cancellations/changes.

  • Customer service and refund issues — some users report struggles if their travel plans change.

  • Because you’re not booking directly with an airline, there’s sometimes added complexity if flights are changed or disrupted.

  • Payment options like “pay later” may carry extra terms or require careful review of conditions.

Key Takeaways

  • CheapAir.com is one of the older and more established online travel agencies — been around since 1989, and evolved with the web.

  • It offers a broad set of travel services: flights, hotels, cars, packages — and tools aimed at saving you money.

  • It’s useful if you’re looking to get the lowest fare and don’t need a lot of flexibility.

  • But when using it: read the fine print (refundability, change policies), and compare with booking directly or using other platforms, especially if your plans may change.

FAQ

Is CheapAir.com legit or a scam?
Yes — CheapAir.com is a real company, in business since 1989, and widely used as an online travel agency. (Wikipedia)

Can I book hotels and rental cars, or only flights?
You can book flights, hotels, and rental cars — and even packaged travel deals. (CheapAir)

Do they accept different payment methods?
Yes — over time CheapAir accepted credit/debit cards. They also accepted cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin in the past. (Wikipedia)

Will I always get the cheapest price on CheapAir?
Not necessarily. While they aggregate many airlines and often offer competitive deals, “cheapest” depends on timing, route, how flexible you are. Cheapest fares often come with restrictions.

What if I need to cancel or change my booking?
You’ll want to check fare rules. Some bookings may be non-refundable or have strict change fees. Several past users have cited difficulties or extra costs when modifying travel plans. (Trustpilot)

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