Airbnb launches more business-friendly features

Airbnb launches more business-friendly features

Airbnb for Business has unveiled a raft of changes to make its service better suited for business travellers.

Launched in 2014, the program aims to make it easier to travel for work without sacrificing the comforts of home. Now, 10 per cent of trips on Airbnb are for work, and in 2016, the number of business trips on Airbnb tripled.

The company has now announced that more than 250,000 companies are using Airbnb for business travel.

The company is launching a business travel ready filter/search function – available on both desktop and mobile – which makes it easier and faster to find and book the perfect Airbnb for work.

Listings that are Business Travel Ready will be identified by hosts as having business-friendly amenities, including Wi-Fi, a designated workspace, iron, hair dryer, hangers, as well as 24-hour check-in and a policy of no host cancellations within seven days.

There are currently more than 150,000 business-travel-ready listings globally.

Some other changes for the Airbnb for Business program includes Third Party Booking, which allows business partners like travel managers and executive assistants to be able to book Airbnb listings on behalf of other employees.

Before launching third party booking, users were unable to designate other travellers in the checkout flow.

The new third-party booking feature adds a whole new dimension to the way companies are able to book listings for all of their business travel.

Airbnb has partnerships in place with Concur to enable business travellers who use Concur’s TripLink service to book directly on Airbnb while having their expense reports and itineraries automatically pre-populated in Concur.

In July 2016, Airbnb announced partnerships with the three leading travel management companies including American Express Global Business Travel, BCD, and Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT).

Airbnb for Business Statistics:

  • The average stay on Airbnb for Business is more than one full business week – nearly six days – which often includes at least one weekend day.
  • Almost 15 per cent of stays in our business travel program are for over 10 days.
  • Nearly 10 per cent of Airbnb customers travel for business and 250,000 companies are now using Airbnb for business travel.
  • More than a third of Airbnb business trips have more than one guest
  • Over 10 per cent of our bookings are for groups, which includes three or more business travellers in the same listing.
  • In 2016, Airbnb for Business growth tripled.
  • Nearly 18,000 new companies sign up every week.
  • Business travellers on Airbnb come from more than 230 countries and have travelled to over 210 countries – our Business Travel product is translated into 26 languages to better support a global audience

 

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Latest News