Airbnb is rolling out more than 100 upgrades to improve its service across its website, app, community support and policies.
The company is launching three new ways to search on Airbnb: flexible dates, flexible matching and flexible destinations.
With flexible dates, instead of searching with fixed dates, you can search for a weekend getaway, a week-long vacation or even a month-long stay. Flexible matching offers users a wider selection of listing results when you search for a new place to stay by displaying homes just outside of their search parameters.
The flexible destinations option helps you discover properties in places you may not have thought to search for. This is good for trips where it’s more important for you to have a unique place to stay rather than a specific destination.
“We are seeing three fundamental shifts in travel as people become less tethered and more flexible,” said Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky, in a statement.
“People can travel anytime, they are travelling 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.”
Airbnb notes that it’s also improving its search capabilities to roll out new filters that will adapt to the season or location.
Additionally, the company has also reduced the number of steps for new guests to confirm their first reservation to allow for a faster checkout process. A new arrival guide will also provide guests with information such as door codes and Wi-Fi details before check-in.
Guests now also have updated review options, such as critiques and compliments when reviewing their stay. Airbnb also launched refreshed cancellation policies to increase clarity for guests and hosts.
