Have you heard of Travala.com? If you want to spend Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies on travel — this might be an excellent option. In this review, I’ll tell you about the advantages, disadvantages, AVA token, and much more.
What is Travala.com?
Travala is an online travel booking platform that combines decentralized technologies and token incentive schemes. Currently, the platform offers more than 2.2 million accommodation properties in 90,124 destinations across 230 countries, with prices up to 40% lower than on traditional booking sites.
Travala was founded in 2017. In March 2020, a merger with Travelbybit occurred, which was supported by Binance. At the time of writing this review, Juan Otero is the platform’s CEO.
Main Travala Features
Website Usability
If you’ve already used hotel or flight booking sites, Travala’s interface will seem intuitive and understandable. The site responds quickly and provides convenient filters and options.
Mobile Application
Travala has a mobile application that allows you to book hotels directly from your phone. However, flight booking functions in the app are not yet available.
Booking Accommodation and Flights with Cryptocurrency
Travala’s main advantage is the ability to book hotels and flights with cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin, AVA, Ethereum, ADA, BNB, XRP, LTC, and many others are supported. Even if you pay with cryptocurrency, you can get a refund when canceling bookings.
Booking Cancellation and Refunds
Despite the fact that cryptocurrency transactions are irreversible, Travala provides refunds when canceling bookings.
Here are approximate refund terms:
- When paying with credit/debit card — up to 30 days, depending on the bank.
- When paying with cryptocurrency — within 7 days (in BUSD, to Travala’s internal wallet).
- When using Crypto.com Pay — up to 10 days with refund in the same cryptocurrency, though the amount may differ slightly due to exchange rate changes.
- If Travel Credits were used — refund goes to the Travel Credits account.
Loyalty Program (Smart Member)
The AVA token allows participation in the Smart program — holders receive up to 10% discounts and bonuses. The program works based on holding a certain amount of AVA.
By activating Smart status, you get up to 5% discount on price and up to 5% loyalty reward after completing the trip. Annual bonuses (up to 12% annually) for holding AVA are also provided.
There are five levels of the Smart program — each next level brings additional benefits.
Travel Credits
In your profile, you can purchase Travel Credits, which can be used to pay for bookings. If credits are insufficient, part of the amount can be covered with cryptocurrency or card. These credits are valid indefinitely.
Gift Cards
Travala allows you to buy gift cards that recipients can use for bookings.
AVA Token — Features and Application
AVA is Travala’s internal token. It’s used for:
- paying for trips (when paying with AVA, you get an additional 3% discount),
- accruing rewards (2% cashback even if you didn’t pay with AVA directly),
- participating in the Smart program,
- refunds,
- staking and receiving bonuses.
General AVA characteristics:
- Total supply: 61,125,269 AVA
- In circulation: 50,998,000 AVA
- Token implemented as BEP2 (Binance Chain) and BEP20 (Binance Smart Chain)
- Travala conducts quarterly buybacks of AVA until 40,000,000 AVA remains in circulation (i.e., about 35% will be destroyed)
Where to Buy and Store AVA
AVA is traded on exchanges such as Binance (AVA/USDT, AVA/BTC, AVA/BUSD, AVA/BNB), MXC, Binance DEX, and others.
You can store AVA:
- directly on the Travala platform (with staking capability),
- in wallets like Trust Wallet, Ledger, SafePal, and others.
Summary: Is It Worth Using Travala?
Travala is an interesting solution for those who want to use cryptocurrency for booking travel. The platform combines traditional payment methods (cards) and cryptocurrencies, making it flexible for different users.
If you actively use cryptocurrency and want to find a way to spend it on real trips — Travala might be a good choice.
