So, Emirates (airliner) will accept Bitcoin for flight reservations, but am I the only one who is mildly annoyed at the fine print?

I may be reading it wrong (and happy to be corrected), but apparently, you must open an account on crypto.com and somehow top up their wallet to pay from your account, instead of using your wallet. I never bothered to actually check crypto.com, so not sure about the details, but does not seem very encouraging.

To me, it seems like adding another gatekeeping service (like Amex or Paypal) to the payment option, not really adding Bitcoin. And this is a pattern I have seen repeatedly which call themselves Bitcoin friendly. It may even be some kind of regulatory capture by crypto.com (to place themselves as the gatekeeper) or ease of adoption.

So, what does the community think? Do you guys think this is what we have to accept as Bitcoin adoption by merchants? Or this is a step towards real Bitcoin adoption without intermediaries?

To make it clear, what I am pointing is not related to the distinction between

which is a choice that does not matter to the customer. In this instance, it seems crypto.com comes between you and merchant and they gatekeep the Sats, deciding whether the payment goes through or not.