Good morning from Skift. It’s Thursday, August 7. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

Airbnb shared early trends and updates on its relaunched Experiences product and new Services segment, writes Executive Editor Dennis Schaal. 

The company said it processed 60,000 host applications for Experiences and Airbnb Services, where guests can order everything from private chefs to hair styling at a property. In addition, people who have booked Airbnb Experiences and Services gave those products higher reviews on average than stays. 

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Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz said Airbnb will be marketing stays, Services, and Experiences as one brand. 

Next, Southwest Airlines will now be available to book on Priceline, making it the second online travel agency to partner with the carrier, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi.

Maharishi reports that Southwest flights will also be available across other Booking Holdings platforms, including Booking.com and Agoda. Southwest’s deal with Priceline comes after it announced a partnership with Expedia in February to host the carrier’s flights.

Southwest had previously resisted online travel agencies and encouraged direct bookings as a way to build loyalty and reduce distribution costs. 

Finally, Choice Hotels said it’s focusing on global growth as business in the U.S. softens, writes Hospitality Reporter Luke Martin.

Choice executives said the company opened 15% more rooms internationally during the second quarter than it did last year, a higher figure than in the U.S. And Choice recently reached deals that would see the company grow in France and China.  

Choice’s revenue per available room in the U.S. fell nearly 3%, and the company lowered its 2025 forecast. It now expects growth to land between flat and a decline of 3%. 

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky said during the company’s second-quarter earnings call Wednesday that it is still “feeling out” the possibility of working with the big AI chatbots like ChatGPT, which he called “an incredibly compelling product.”

“We’re certainly open to” integrating with major AI Chatbots, which could be a source of lead generation for Airbnb, Chesky said.

Unlike Booking.com, which has partnerships with OpenAI, Amazon Web Services and Microsoft and sees generative AI chatbots as a new distribution channel, Airbnb has made no decisions yet about selling stays, Services or Experiences through major AI assistants.

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Key Points

• Airbnb relaunched its Experiences and introduced new Services, showing promising early results with 60,000 host applications.
• The company reported strong Q2 financials, including 13% revenue growth (to $13.1 billion) and a 16% rise in net income, outpacing expectations.
• AI-powered customer service has been expanded to all U.S. users, reducing the need for human agents by 15%, with plans for further global rollout.

Summary

Airbnb reported strong second-quarter financial results, highlighted by the positive early performance of its relaunched Experiences and new Services segment, which allow guests to book additional amenities. The company saw a 7% year-over-year increase in nights and seats booked, significant revenue and net income growth, and notable international expansion, particularly in markets like Japan. Additionally, Airbnb expanded AI-powered customer service to all U.S. users, reducing human support needs, with global rollout planned.