Airbnb Just Made Planning Group Trips So Much Easier
For when the trip makes it out of the group chat.
A crab boil at Cape Lookout State Park on the Oregon Coast. Photo by Thomas J. Story.
Planning group trips can be a big pain. There are a lot of opinions on where to go, where to stay, and what to do. Then there’s always the one type-A friend who ends up taking charge and doing all the work—creating spreadsheets, securing the accomodations, planning the itinerary, et cetera. And of course, there will be some people in the group will inevitably complain about the itinerary when they didn’t even lift a finger.
Airbnb is helping streamline the planning process with new features on its app. Considering that more than 80% of bookings on Airbnb are group trips, this will be a game-change for so many users.
Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky highlighted the new features during the company’s 2024 Summer Release event, which we attended. Here’s what to expect:
Shared Wishlists
Airbnb
You can share wishlists with your group so everyone can add homes, write notes, and even vote on listings. And when you share the listings with others, the app will create a wishlist for you.
A New Messages Tab
Airbnb
Now everyone on the trip can be in a group message thread with the Airbnb host. That means everyone can stay updated with important details and you don’t have to play telephone when asking questions or replying to messages.
Hosts don’t have to worry about getting inundated with questions, Airbnb added an AI-suggested quick reply feature so hosts can instantly answer common questions.
Trip Invitations
Airbnb
For a special touch, Airbnb worked with artists from around the world to illustrate beautiful digital postcards that you can use to invite others on your trip. The postcards will contain all reservation details—the full address, Wi-Fi password, and check-in instructions.
The new features are now available, so it’s time to get that trip planned!
