It’s been quite some time since we last covered news on Airbnb as the company has gone silent in recent months. But now the short-term rental aggregator has announced a big update focused on flexibility.
More specifically, the startup has announced over 100 new changes and updates to its platform. After huge loss from debt repayment and a drastic decline in travel, the company is bouncing back with more vigor than ever as travel begins its slow incline post-2020.
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said:
“We are seeing three fundamental shifts in travel as people become less tethered and more flexible.
"People can travel anytime, they are traveling to more places and they are staying longer. The lines between travel, living and working are blurring and we are upgrading our service to make it easier for people to integrate travel into their lives, and for more people to become Hosts."
The changes, according to the company, will allow users to become hosts more easily. What used to have over 24 steps, now only has 10 in order to join Airbnb as a host.
Its new browsing and booking features are focused on ‘flexibility’ with three new ways to search: Flexible Dates, Flexible Matching and Flexible Destinations.
There are a number of new search filters that adapt depending on the season or location to allow people to search properties near points of interest. For example, if someone was looking to spend a weekend at a specific beach or national park, they just input the location of the park and a list of rentals in the area shows up in the search. People can search for listings with even less specific search criteria, like ocean view.
Languages available through customer service have expanded from 11 to 42. The checkout process has few steps for new guests and the review section is more robust.
The company is hoping that with these changes, it can offer travelers a higher incentive to go on vacation again, as the process through its website is easier now more than ever.
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