Brian Chesky travel tips

Airbnb’s summer releases are highly watched in the short-term rental world, and after May’s rollout, CEO Brian Chesky promised more updates to come – he posted on some of them early Wednesday.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, September 21. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Earlier this year, Airbnb shook things up by rolling out 53 new features based on user feedback, including fee transparency and lower fees for monthly stays. Now, some four months later, the home-sharing platform is back with additional updates — and even more overhauls in the pipeline.

As we eagerly anticipate the upcoming Skift Global Forum 2023 in two weeks, it’s the perfect time to take a trip down memory lane and revisit the incredible moments from previous forums. With the power of social media, the Skift community has come together to share their most cherished memories using the hashtag #SkiftRewind. These posts are a testament to the lasting impact of Skift Global Forums over the years and a reminder of the unparalleled experience that awaits us this year.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, September 13. 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.

Ongoing demand for experiences points to a potential market worth hundreds of millions of dollars. With 70% of tours and activities still offline, companies are investing in tech that reduces booking friction and also enhancing the in-person experience.

Casino operator MGM Resorts International is finding Formula One’s inaugural stop in Las Vegas is as much of a draw as its slot machines this year, and it is not the only company realizing that travelers are increasingly seeking out experiences beyond the traditional draws for tourists.

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.

The most important story I wrote about online travel and short-term rentals in 2022 was my massive, three-part .

Airbnb has an answer for all those skeptics who claimed for years that it was a typical Silicon Valley unicorn with a penchant for growth at the expense of black ink — the short-term rental giant in 2022 recorded its first profitable year.

Five years ago, Airbnb toyed with the idea of launching a a “superguest” loyalty program, but CEO Brian Chesky seemed to shoot down the notion of a rewards program a couple of weeks ago.

Good morning from Skift. It’s Wednesday, March 8. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Booking.com does it and so do Amazon, Etsy and Alibaba, so why not Airbnb?

What’s next for Airbnb? Among the possibilities are a new array of services for hosts and guests, some for free and some for sale, and an advertising platform that might include sponsored listings.

What can we expect from Airbnb? While there’s no timeframe, a marketplace is in the works where hosts might pay to contract cleaning services and the company may implement tax-inclusive pricing in places where it doesn’t do so already.

In an about-face, Airbnb has put all new experiences submissions on hold, with no date set for new experiences applications to resume, Skift has learned.