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Airbnb eyes flights in bid to offer end-to-end travel

20 Feb 2019 - by Tessa Reed
Comments | 0

ONCE merely a

platform linking

travellers to home

owners keen to rent out

their accommodation to

holiday-makers, Airbnb has

just moved one step closer

to establishing itself as an

end-to-end travel platform.

The company has

appointed an aviation

industry heavyweight, Fred

Reid, as global head of

transportation.

“We are focused on

reimagining travel by

building an end-to-end

travel platform that

combines where you stay,

what you do, and how you

get there, all in one place,”

the company said in a

February statement.

While the company hasn’t

given details of its future

plans, flights are on the

horizon.

“There was a time when

getting on a plane was a

magical trip of its own, but

over the years, how you

get to where you’re going

has become an experience

we endure, not enjoy.

We believe that needs

to change,” said Airbnb

co-founder, Brian Chesky.

Fred commented:

“Whether in the air or

on the ground, there are

tremendous opportunities

to create products and

forge partnerships with

other companies that

make travel easier and

even fun.”

Last year, senior

industry manager

Hospitality at Google,

Paul Godman, said at the

Deloitte European Hotel

Investment Conference in

London that Airbnb was

the most searched-for

accommodations brand

online, replacing Booking.

com.

While this development

could help position Airbnb

as an OTA with an end-toend travel offering, it is

not a new threat to travel

agents, who already face

competition on the OTA

space, says XL Travel ceo,

Marco Ciocchetti.

“It might be additional

competition, but it won’t

concern agents more

than the likes of Expedia

or Trivago,” he says.

Moreover, Marco expects

that there will be a limited

market attracted to the

new offering, largely from

people already using the

platform. 

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