This week, Airbnb announced more than 100 new changes and updates to its platform with a focus on flexibility. The changes and updates come on the tail of the company’s first-quarter earnings. Its net loss tripled due to debt repayments as well as restructuring costs.
The company reported 64.4 million nights and experiences booked, up 39% from the previous quarter and up 13% year over year. Airbnb’s CEO Brian Chesky said the company was going to work to direct demand from customers to where it knows it has the supply from hosts. Recent changes and updates may help the company do that.
Airbnb is also making the updates because people are less tied to home and work. They are traveling more frequently and are staying at their travel destinations longer.
Airbnb and its approach
The company is adding three new search options, including flexible dates, destinations, and listings. For instance, the flexible matching feature will show options that fall just outside a user’s search parameters.
With flexible destinations, the company’s app or website might recommend unique types of homes such as castles, in search.
The flexible dates feature began to roll out several months ago. It allows customers to search for a destination without a specific time constraint. So, it is easier to search if customers just want to travel and they are ready to explore various options.
Airbnb is also launching a faster checkout process, clear cancellation policies, and updated review systems. Users will receive a new arrival guide, which provides information such as door codes, etc.
The company also did not forget about hosts. It is making changes for hosts that may help attract more people to list their homes. People who want to create a listing, now have to complete just 10 steps instead of dozens to get started. Airbnb created a new Today tab. The purpose of this novelty is to allow hosts to manage bookings, requests, and current guests. It will provide quick access to the most popular Host tools.
