[Edaily Kang Gyeong-rok Travel Reporter] Global lodging booking platform Airbnb has reportedly used artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically handle 4 out of every 10 customer inquiries without human agents. Customer support costs per booking have fallen by more than 17% compared to a year ago. As the automation of customer service leads to reduced operating costs, Airbnb has decided to expand the scope of AI application from simple inquiries to travel product searches and bookings.

According to Airbnb’s third-quarter earnings report released on the 6th, approximately 40% of all customer support inquiries were resolved without agent intervention. This represents an increase of about 7 percentage points in just one quarter compared to the second quarter (approximately 33%). The AI support service is currently available in more than 50 languages, and in the U.S., it is expanding to include voice-based support.
Customer support costs per reservation decreased by more than 17% compared to the same period last year. Airbnb stated that improvements to its AI support features contributed significantly to these cost savings. However, the company did not disclose the specific amount saved solely through the adoption of AI out of the total cost reduction.
Customer support is a major operating expense for accommodation platforms. This is because handling reservation changes, cancellations, refunds, and disputes related to listings requires a large number of support staff and systems. As the types of inquiries that AI can handle increase, the burden of labor and operating costs associated with rising reservation volumes can be reduced.
Financial performance also showed an upward trend. Airbnb’s third-quarter revenue reached $4.87 billion (approximately 6.7 trillion won), a 19% increase compared to the same period last year. This marks the highest revenue growth rate in over three years. Gross Booked Value (GBV) reached $27.7 billion, up 21%, while the total number of bookings—combining overnight stays and experiences—rose 16% to 155 million.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) rose 22% to $2.5 billion, and the adjusted EBITDA margin climbed 2 percentage points year-over-year to 52%. Net income totaled $1.9 billion. The company raised its full-year revenue growth forecast for this year from “the mid-10% range” to “the high-10% range.”
Airbnb is expanding its business scope beyond its traditional focus on home-sharing to include independent and boutique hotels, as well as travel services. It currently offers thousands of independent hotels in more than 60 major travel destinations worldwide. Although hotel bookings account for only a single-digit percentage of total accommodations, they are serving as a channel for attracting new customers.
According to the company’s analysis, approximately 35% of customers who booked a hotel for the first time on the platform subsequently stayed in private homes as well. However, this figure is based on a tracking survey of customers who used the hotel service for the first time during a specific period and does not represent the repeat booking rate for all hotel guests.
Skift, a global travel industry publication, highlighted the expansion of non-residential accommodations and the streamlining of AI-based customer support in its analysis of Airbnb’s third-quarter earnings. Airbnb’s revenue growth rate (19%) outpaced that of its competitor, Expedia Group (12%).
Airbnb plans to officially launch an AI-based travel planning and booking service in the first half of next year. The service will allow users to enter their desired travel criteria, after which it will automatically search for and compare accommodations and experiences, guiding them through the booking process.
Brian Chesky, CEO of Airbnb, emphasized during the earnings call, “Unlike general-purpose AI services, our unique advantage as a travel-specific platform is that we can directly handle everything from booking and payment to customer support.”