Picture this: you’re scrolling through holiday ideas, and instead of wading through a thousand strangers’ reviews, you can see exactly where your best mate stayed in Lisbon, what she’d skip next time, and where she’s heading after that. That’s the idea behind Airbnb’s September update, which rolls out a handful of new ways to find, plan and enjoy a trip.
Your friends are now your travel agents
Airbnb has added a Connect feature that lets you link up with family, friends and people you’ve travelled with. Once you’re connected, you can see each other’s trips on an interactive Travel Map, tap through to the homes they stayed in, read their reviews, save favourites to your wishlist or message them directly.
If the thought of your entire travel history being on show makes you twitch, there are privacy controls. You choose which trips appear and how much detail you share, and you can hide a trip or block a connection any time.
There are also new neighbourhood pages, with an overview of what an area is like, things to do, where to eat and how to get around. They’re starting in Paris, with more to come.
AI joins the planning party
Airbnb is weaving AI through the planning process, starting in the US:
- AI search: type or say what you’re after in your own words.
- Smarter filters: type “baby” and it surfaces cots, playgrounds and kids’ books and toys, so you don’t have to scroll through endless checkboxes.
- AI listing descriptions: search results now highlight a home’s key features.
- Side-by-side comparisons: pit your wishlist favourites against each other with AI summaries.
- AI customer support: chat help is available in more than 50 languages, with voice support on the way.
Pack lighter, do more
Airbnb Services is also expanding, with things that make life easier once you’ve arrived:
- Meal and grocery delivery across Europe
- Laundry pickup and delivery in select US cities, with Rinse
- Baby gear rental (cots, strollers, high chairs and toys) from BabyQuip in over 60 US cities from November
- Local rentals like ski and snowboard gear in the French Alps and boats in South Florida
Hosts get an upgrade too
- Later this year, hosts are getting:
- A multi-listing calendar to update pricing, availability and policies across some or all listings at once
- Dynamic pricing that adjusts rates based on real-time supply and demand
- An AI earnings dashboard that summarises performance and suggests next steps
- Interactive 3D floor plans so guests can see a home’s layout before booking
And for Aussies: car rentals
Finally, Airbnb is bringing car rentals to Australia. You don’t need an Airbnb booking to rent one, but if you have a reservation, you’ll see vehicles near your listing. Book a car for the first time and you’ll get a 20% credit towards your next stay, experience or select service, plus up to 20% off the rental itself with preferred partners.
The common thread is less guesswork. Whether it’s trusting a friend’s recommendation, asking a search bar for exactly what you want, or having laundry collected so you can pack one bag instead of three, the aim is simply to get from “where should we go?” to “we’re here” with fewer steps.
