Can I pay for flights with Lightning or Monero? (No)

Why can't I pay for flights with Lightning at SatFares?

Because every SatFares top-up is checked as a transaction on a public blockchain, and a Lightning payment does not create one. Our system reads the transaction, the address it pays, the amount and the number of confirmations. It then credits your balance.

The Lightning Network works differently. Its own site says that security is enforced by blockchain smart contracts without an on-chain transaction for each payment. Two users open a channel, exchange signed balance updates, and only the final state reaches the Bitcoin blockchain. There is nothing for our check to read, so Lightning is not offered at checkout.

Why don't you accept Monero (XMR) for flights?

Because Monero hides exactly what our payment check needs to read. The Monero project states that the sender, receiver and amount of every transaction are hidden. It uses stealth addresses, ring signatures and RingCT to do this.

Our top-ups are matched by an exact amount, unique in its last digits, sent to a known address on a public chain. That method works on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tron, Solana and Litecoin. It does not work on a chain where amounts and addresses are hidden by design.

What can I use instead of Lightning?

Use Bitcoin on-chain. It is the same BTC, sent as a normal transaction instead of through a channel. Your balance is credited after 2 confirmations.

• If your Lightning wallet can send to a regular Bitcoin address, use that option.
• If you hold your BTC on an exchange, choose the Bitcoin network for the withdrawal, not Lightning.
• If you want a coin that keeps its dollar value, use USDT on Tron or USDC on Ethereum.

Because you pay from a prepaid balance, you can top up with BTC before you search. At checkout, the fare is then held from your balance without waiting for confirmations. See how to pay with BTC.

What can I use instead of Monero?

Any coin we accept: Bitcoin (BTC), Tether (USDT), USD Coin (USDC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL), Litecoin (LTC). None of them hides amounts or addresses. This is a private checkout, not anonymity: blockchain payments are public.

What SatFares keeps private is the checkout. There is no ID upload and no selfie. Airlines still need each traveller's names exactly as in the passport, date of birth and gender, plus passport details for international trips. We pass these details to the airline only. See what data airlines require and will my bank see it.

Who accepts Lightning or Monero for travel?

We sell airline tickets paid in crypto. Our offer is included and marked. These facts come from the sellers' pages and the press, as of October 2026:

• Travala lists BTC Lightning among its payment options. It refunds crypto payments as Travel Credits, which can't be converted to cash or crypto.
• Bitrefill accepts Lightning for travel gift cards, such as Delta gift cards at face value and Southwest gift cards at face value plus $0.25.
• Lift and FlySafair, in South Africa: on March 15, 2026, Daily Maverick reported that Lift accepts bitcoin through Ozow and MoneyBadger. It also reported that FlySafair is live on MoneyBadger through Zapper. The article describes Lightning as the checkout method behind these payments. See FlySafair and crypto.
• Alternative Airlines lists about 60 coins on its crypto page; Monero is not among them.
• Cryptorefills excludes on-chain BTC for flights, because its payment deadline is too short.

On SatFares, Delta and Southwest flights can be booked on request and paid from a balance topped up in on-chain BTC. Airlines and their direct crypto status: airlines that accept crypto.