There has been a long quest for that one name in travel that caters to the need of a traveller from beginning to end. That is the dream!
With the recent move of Airbnb developing its transportation arm after it appointed Fred Reid as head of global transportation. Since its commercial success for the last decade, the start-up is no longer content with properties and experiences.
Jenny Arden, Airbnb’s director of transportation, plays a galvanising force in shaping Airbnb’s latest ambition: to revolutionise the air travel and transportation aspects of travelling, as was revealed publicly last month. The company aspires to become a one-stop shop for all aspects of the travel experience.
With this recent development, Airbnb will cater to transportation, accommodation, and activities – everything you need for your trip.
While the exact focus on what transportation may entail for the company is still being kept under wraps, Arden stated: “Our mission at Airbnb is to provide a world where anyone can belong anywhere. This really means you can travel to a community you’ve never seen before and feel like you’re a welcome member there, even if it’s just temporarily. My hope is that all that mission and vision can be achieved in all stages of the trip. There should be no lack of thought that went into the end-to-end experience.”
That one name in travel
Airbnb is not alone in this quest, a lot of companies aspire to be that one name in travel that is a one-stop-shop as none has a solid ground as a single platform that the majority of consumers use. Some travel management companies claim that they can provide a single solution for travel managers and corporate travellers, but many travel managers still use multiple tools.
Travel and expense management provider KDS conducted a survey and revealed that 74% of the respondents would prefer one platform that would take care of all their travel needs from flights to hotels to tours.
Some companies are vying to be that single platform and they invest in various technologies or acquire smaller companies to fuel its expansion. Booking Holdings CEO Glenn Fogel has a brand new vision – for the company to be synonymous with “travel” as it aims to widen its reach and strengthen its brand. The ultimate goal is for consumers to think of Booking.com when they think of travel and cater to the customers’ needs from beginning to end. Booking Holdings are investing in various technologies to augment its current offering.
