Airbnb once more had a milestone year of inroads into the
corporate travel space. In early June, the company enabled third-party bookings
on its Airbnb for Business platform, allowing users to book stays on behalf of
colleagues. The capability allows travel managers to see every aspect of the
transaction. "With our growth comes the need for us to continue to cater
both to the traveler and to the travel manager," said Bayer. "Third-party
bookings are a good example of that."
In July, Airbnb inked deals with American Express Global
Business Travel, BCD Travel and Carlson Wagonlit Travel so the mega travel
management companies can capture Airbnb data. Each is building out its
relationship with Airbnb in different ways and at different paces. For example,
CWT allows agents to book on behalf of travelers, while BCD is integrating
Airbnb data into its Decision Source reporting and analytics platform. "We're
working with big companies, so things take time, especially when it comes to
that kind of data integration," Bayer said. "We've made a lot of
headway, and I think all three of them will be ready in Q1, and some of them
are already working with private customers."
While leaders in the hotel industry maintain that Airbnb is
nabbing only a small portion of the business travel audience, the company means
to continue to enhance its offerings for corporates. In November, Airbnb hired
industry veteran and former president of Travel Leaders Corporate David Holyoke
as director of business travel.
The company still faces regulatory headwinds. During the
past year, Airbnb filed separate lawsuits against New York City and Los Angeles
after each passed legislation to enforce local short-term rental laws. Airbnb
dropped both lawsuits during the final months of this year and pledged to
cooperate with both municipalities, something it has done in other locales by
agreeing to collect and remit occupancy taxes on behalf of hosts.