Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
25.08.2023 - 13:41 / skift.com / Brian Chesky / Edward Russell / Rashaad Jorden / Carsten Spohr
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, May 4. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
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Airbnb is on the cusp of an artificial intelligence-driven revolution, with the technology poised to radically transform the company’s operations, it says. So what might change at the short-term rental giant by next year? CEO Brian Chesky explains Airbnb’s plans in an interview with Skift founder and CEO Rafat Ali.
Despite recently unveiling a series of launches yesterday at its annual May product update event, Ali writes Airbnb hasn’t yet announced exactly how it plans to use AI. But Chesky said the technology will be the driving force behind a totally new Airbnb, adding the company would use AI to rebuild its app. Chesky also said that Airbnb would eventually have more AI-augmented customer service.
Next, cruise line Lindblad Expeditions saw its occupancy rate soar in the first quarter — in large part due to its savvy marketing strategy, writes Global Tourism Reporter Dawit Habtemariam.
Lindblad’s occupancy rate hit 81 percent during the quarter, a 15-percentage point jump from a year ago. Company executives expect the figure to continue its rise this year but not fully recover to pre-Covid levels in 2023. Habtemariam cites Lindblad’s substantial investment in digital marketing as a factor in the company attracting more first-time guests. Lindblad’s marketing in the past primarily included brochures and direct mail to prospective guests.
Lindblad generated roughly $143 million in revenue in the first quarter, a significant year-over-year jump. The company did record a net loss of about $400,000 during the period.
Finally, the Lufthansa Group, Europe’s largest network carrier, is optimistic about a banner 2023. The company expects to achieve record summer revenue this year, reports Edward Russell, editor of Airline Weekly, a Skift publication.
Russell writes travel demand remains robust, Lufthansa expects to get a boost from the rise in premium leisure travel. Although the airline posted a more than $500 million net loss during the first quarter, CEO Carsten Spohr said it’s on the verge of its strongest summer in terms of passenger revenue. Russell writes Lufthansa’s bumper summer forecast isn’t solely the result of torrid demand. Decreased aircraft availability will result in carriers flying less, helping increase airfares.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 14. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Artificial intelligence has been a major discussion in travel over the last year, and that’s why the theme of the Skift Global Forum is Connection in the Age of AI.
Airbnb and New York City have often had a tough relationship, one marked by lawsuits and other disputes. Airbnb has argued that New York City’s regulations have hurt its ability to do business, which the company believes will become more challenging when the city starts enforcing its host registration law regarding short-term rentals on September 5.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, August 31. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
HotelTonight co-founder and CEO Sam Shank, who steered the hotel booking app even after it was acquired by Airbnb in 2019, recently announced he would be leaving the short-term rental giant. Shank wrote on his LinkedIn account that he would take some time before making plans for a future outside of the travel industry.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, November 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.
Among the options that Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is mulling to remedy what he said is a “huge problem,” namely cleaning fees, is giving hosts the ability to levy “variable” cleaning fees.
Bowing to criticism about surprise fees that potential guests encounter late in the booking process, Airbnb announced Monday that starting next month it will begin displaying the total price of a stay before taxes, but including its own fees and hosts’ cleaning charges, at the very beginning of the search process.
Airbnb said that the flexible search features it has rolled out since early 2021 have so far diverted bookings from destinations coping with overtourism and peak travel times, according to data it shared on Friday.
Airbnb Posts Best Quarter Yet on Relentless Travel Demand: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky says his company can thrive in boom and bust cycles if it keeps innovating. To meet that promise, his company will have to boost its pricing competitiveness and makes it easier for individuals to list properties. And make the case to Wall Street on unfair comparisons to 2021.
Airbnb Mulls Removing Cleaning Fees as a Separate Charge: Hosts may be sabotaging their own bookings by levying excessively high cleaning fees. It is turning off many people to Airbnb, which is a concern for the company.
Good morning from Skift. It’s Friday, December 2. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.