Airbnb has introduced social features for its Experiences vertical, changes for hosts and other app updates.
Before booking an experience, users will now see information about other guests that have already booked the experience, including where they’re from. Users can message each other in the app and find travelers they met on previous experiences via the “Connections” section of their Airbnb profile.
Users choose what is shared on their profile for each experience and have “clear and simple control” over which guests can message them and how they're displayed in other guests' connections, Airbnb said.
Additionally, Airbnb is introducing “highly requested features” for hosts. Hosts can now set different cancellation policies for certain dates, such as holidays or off-peak seasons, and access price tips for dates a year in advance.
The earnings dashboard is getting an upgrade as well, showing hosts year-over-year trends and seasonal performance in an “all new tab” starting next year.
Guests will see other in-app changes to customer support and search.
Airbnb's artificial intelligence-powered assistant will now be available in English, Spanish and French for users in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. It can also provide “more tailored responses” and take action for users—like canceling a reservation—within a chat.
When searching for a place to say, Airbnb will suggest homes “just outside of your search criteria.”
“For example, we'll show homes with similar prices, different amenities or stays in nearby cities for less, helping you discover great options you might have otherwise missed,” Airbnb said.
Users can also tap on landmarks and attractions to see how far they are from certain properties before or after booking, and Airbnb said that different map views will be available later this year.
Airbnb's Reserve Now, Pay Later option, which was rolled out in the U.S. in August, will be available worldwide next year as well, the company said.
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