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.

Southwest Airlines flights will now be available to book on Priceline, making it the second online travel agency to partner with the Dallas-based carrier. 

The two companies announced the partnership on Wednesday, and through the deal, Southwest flights will also be available across Booking Holdings platforms, which include Booking.com and Agoda. 

Southwest customers will be able to compare fare bundles and earn Southwest Rapid Rewards points, along with Pricelin

Trivago issued its second quarter results Wednesday and we interviewed CEO Johannes Thomas via Zoom after the earnings call to learn why it upped its stake to 100% in hotel rate aggregator Holisto for $32 million.

We also asked about Trivago’s new AI filters, its most recent ad campaign, and whether Trivago had “turned the tide.” (The answer: “The tide is not moving in the wrong direction right now.”)

Why is the Holisto deal important? Because the achilles heel of price comparison sites like Trivago, Kayak, Skyscanner and Google Hotels is that travelers seldom book right on their platforms.

Thomas told us during the interview that it acquired all of Holisto faster than anticipated because it handles Trivago Book & Go. A pilot program with partners during the second quarter showed significant increases in actual travel booking on the Trivago platform.