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Is pay later travel legit?


What is pay later travel?

Pay Later travel is when you book your travel without paying for your tickets all upfront. There are two main methods of this:

  • Buy Now Pay Later
  • Deposit
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Is Buy Now Pay Later legit?


What is Buy Now Pay Later?

Buy Now Pay Later is where you book your tickets now but pay them back over time. This can be over a few weeks, months, or even a year.

Many Buy Now Pay Later plans are interest-free as long as payments are made on time. This means you'll have paid the same total that you would have upfront, just in smaller instalments.

By paying in instalments over a short or long-term period, financing expensive travel, such as flights, becomes much more manageable, as less money is leaving your account at any given time.

Buy Now Pay Later is becoming increasingly popular, with people using it to more and more to help finance costly items like flights. In fact, 42% of all UK adults have used a Buy Now Pay Later. That's around 22.6 million people!


What are some examples of a Buy Now Pay Later?

Klarna - With around 150 million users, Klarna is the world's most popular Buy Now Pay Later. When you use Klarna at Alternative Airlines, you can pay in 3 or 4 interest-free instalments, depending on where you live. Klarna is available to specific countries in Europe, North America, and Oceania.

Tabby - Over 15 million people use Tabby, making it Dubai's most-used Buy Now Pay Later. Users can pay for their flights over 4 interest-free instalments that span 3 months. Tabby is available to specific countries in the Middle East.

Atome - With over 30 million users, Atome is one of Southeast Asia's most widespread Buy Now Pay Later lenders. Atome lets you split the cost of your flights into 3 interest-free instalments. Atome is available to specific countries in Southeast Asia.

Person taking card out of wallet


An assessment of Buy Now Pay Later travel:

There are 20+ Buy Now Pay Later lenders available with Alternative Airlines, and every single one is an accredited, trusted corporation.

At Alternative Airlines, we ensure that all the businesses we partner with are reliable and serious organisations.

Different Buy Now Pay Later lenders will have different T&Cs. While all the ones mentioned above offer interest-free options, not all will. When you pay later at Alternative Airlines, you'll be given information on what the Buy Now Pay Later you've selected involves. This means no crafty additional fees. You'll know exactly what you're going to get at checkout. The only instance where additional fees may apply is if a payment is missed and even this depends on the lender you've selected.


Buy Now Pay Later reviews:

You don't just have to take our word for it. These are some reviews from our recent customers who flew and paid with a Buy Now Pay Later.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐It was great and nice alternative

It was great and nice alternative giving us opportunity to have ticket and pay in 4 instalment. - Samsher Tasadduque, 30th May 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Quick and easy to buy flights

Quick and easy to buy flights, I was able to pay over time using affirm, great option if you want to split the cost over a couple of months - Hector Ramirez, 17th May 2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Easy to book, lots of options for payment

If you're looking for a flight booking platform that prioritises flexibility and convenience, Alternative Airlines stands out — especially when it comes to Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options.

✅ Booking Experience

The booking process is smooth and intuitive:

Search is fast and filters are detailed (e.g., luggage, stopovers, eco-friendly).

Flight details are clear with real-time price updates.

Booking confirmation is typically instant.

Multiple currencies and languages are supported.

Whether you're flying with a low-cost carrier like Ryanair or a long-haul airline like Emirates, it's easy

to find and compare options.

⭐ Rating: 5/5 for ease of booking - Chriszl Salindo, 15th May 2025


So is Buy Now Pay Later travel legit... Yes! ✔️

Buy Now Pay Later is a popular means of financing expensive items. It makes costly flights more affordable and travel more accessible. Different Buy Now Pay Later lenders have different policies. Interest rates and late fees will be made clear to you at checkout. It's an honest and reliable financing solution.

Person on suitcase in front of water


Is it legit to pay for flights with a deposit?


What are deposit flights?

A deposit is where you secure your ticket fare with a small upfront payment. You then pay the rest of the amount over time.

If you put a deposit on your flight, it's officially yours. The price, airline, and amenities won't change, just like if you paid in full upfront.

You may have heard people refer to this concept by other names, such as a layaway or lay-by. However, it all means the same thing - you put an initial payment on your flights and then pay the rest later.

While a deposit secures your flight, all payments must be made in full before departure. This is different from a Buy Now Pay Later, where you can continue payments after flying.


What are some examples of a deposit?

Slice Pay - An up-and-coming travel-specific layaway. Put a 5% deposit on your flights (10% US customers) and then pay the rest of the cost in up to 26 weekly instalments. It's all interest-free and involves no credit checks!

Money plant


An assessment of deposit travel:

While it may sound similar Slice Pay is not a Buy Now Pay Later. However, it's still just as trustworthy.

With Slice Pay, you'll have paid for your tickets in full before departure, whereas with a Buy Now Pay Later, depending on your instalment plan, you may still have payments to make after you've finished your vacation.

Slice Pay conducts zero credit checks, meaning you can pay later no matter how good or bad your credit is. There's no interest involved either, including for late payments. Instead, if you haven't paid your flight total before departure, your ticket will be cancelled. This ensures debt-free travel.

All the details about your deposit with Slice Pay will be made clear to you at checkout so you don't find yourself at a loose ends.

Slice Pay is currently only available in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. It's also coming to Canada, so keep your eyes peeled if you're a Canadian.


Slice Pay reviews:

If you're still unsure about using a deposit for your pay later travel, check out Slice Pay's reviews - Alternative Airlines' sole layaway.

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Very helpful and reliable for booking

Very helpful and reliable for booking tickets✅ - Umesh Sharma, 18th April 2025

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ It's my first time to use Slice Pay

It's my first time to use Slice Pay and my payment was up to date and no problem. Next time I will use them again, thank you. - 6th April 2025

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Best way to buy a ticket

First of all thanks to slicepay making my trip easy. Very genuine and easy installments. If you miss they remind in very friendly way loved it. Thanks - 24th December 2024


So, is deposit travel legit... Yes! ✔️

Deposit travel is another legitimate form of pay later. Thanks to Slice Pay, you can put a small deposit on your flights and then finish paying for them in weekly instalments that end before your travel date. This means no lingering costs to worry about!

Family taking a selfie at the beach


Are Alternative Airlines legit?

It's all well and good having us tell you that pay later travel is legit, but that's not going to mean anything unless you know that we at Alternative Airlines are a legitimate company.

The answer is that, yes, we are a real business and a popular one. We have a 4.9-star score on Trustpilot, with daily new customers and many returning ones, too! With the 600+ airlines we ticket and 40+ ways to pay, our customers can travel how and when they want on a plan that best suits their travel and budget needs!

If you want to learn more about Alternative Airlines, we have an About Us page dedicated to what we offer and who we are as a company. You can also check our press releases for the latest company statements and announcements.

If you ever have a concern our expert customer service team is always ready to help during or after the booking process!

To keep up to date on all of the latest news, follow us on social media!

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