Airbnb Makes a Play for Direct Bookings

On Monday’s Good Morning Hospitality, A Skift Podcast, Brandreth Canaley, Michael Goldin, and Jamie Lane break down major shifts in travel distribution, pricing, and short-term rental strategy. The crew starts with Airbnb testing lower host fees for bookings generated through hosts’ own links, with some reportedly seeing rates of 6% to 10% versus the standard 15.5%. The booking still happens on Airbnb, raising a bigger question around direct booking economics and channel mix. They also dig into an analyst estimate that Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG) B2B room nights are way higher than Expedia Group’s, Google completing hotel bookings inside AI Mode, and Delta Air Lines using AI-driven pricing to cut some fares by 20 to 40%. This episode is presented by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠StayFi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bilt⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you’re ready to start turning today’s guests into tomorrow’s direct bookings, head to stayfi.com/goodmorninghospitality and use code GOODMORNINGHOSPITALITY to get 50% off your first three months. And for hotels with restaurants and restaurant owners, Bilt Hospitality is finally here. Go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠joinbilt.com/gmh⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more for GMH listeners!