Airbnb dips as slower growth outlook renews fears of travel demand slowdown
The vacation home rental's gloomy outlook came as setback to the industry, which saw a rebound in consumer sentiment in July, and was expecting budget-conscious Americans to return to vacations despite tariffs and inflation.
United Airlines (UAL.O), opens new tab and Hilton Worldwide (HLT.N), opens new tab last month forecast an uptick in bookings and strong fourth-quarter revenue growth. Last week, online travel agency Booking Holdings (BKNG.O), opens new tab also posted upbeat quarterly results.
"The company (Airbnb) sees tariffs having an impact on margins in the third quarter, with the initial tariffs shock in April leading to a big drop in bookings," said Danni Hewson, head of financial analysis at AJ Bell.
Investors will now focus on results from Expedia Group (EXPE.O), opens new tab, due after the bell, to better gauge the health of the travel industry in the United States.
Airbnb attributed its weak growth outlook to tough comparisons with the year-ago period, when strong bookings in Asia and Latin America had helped earnings.
The company expects night bookings growth to moderate year-over-year going into the fourth quarter. It expects the implied take rate, or the ratio of revenue to gross bookings, to remain flat in the third quarter.
So far this year, Airbnb and Expedia shares have both fallen 0.6% each compared with an 11.4% rise in Booking Holdings during the same period.
Airbnb commands a higher forward price-to-earnings multiple of 28.41, compared with Booking that's trading at a more modest 22.69 and Expedia at 11.57.
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14 of the best all-inclusive cruise lines
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All meals, drinks, wi-fi, water sports, use of bicycles, most gym classes and crew tips. Travel and excursions are extra. Price £££ Australian-owned Scenic operates a fleet of state-of-the-art river ships in Europe and Asia, and has two ocean-going ships, the superyachts Scenic Eclipse and Scenic Eclipse II, which launched in 2023. Both have ice-class hulls, which means they can sail in Antarctica and northern polar regions, but they offer warm-weather cruising, too. And while they're small, carrying just 228 each, you'll find a surprisingly impressive range of speciality restaurants on board, from Asian to French, as well as 24-hour room service. Scenic's ethos is to be the most inclusive cruise line out there, so you can put the wallet away the minute you board — unless you want a ride in the helicopter and submarine on the expedition ships, that is. Expect a multinational audience that includes a lot of Australians, and a laid-back vibe on board. What's included? 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All meals, open bar, wi-fi, most classes in the gym, and crew tips. Most prices include flights and transfers. Excursions are extra, apart from on the expedition ships. Price £££ Ponant provides an all-inclusive cruise experience with more than a dash of French panache, thanks to partnerships with Veuve Clicquot and Charles Heidsieck champagne, chef Alain Ducasse, Diptyque and Brittany-based cheesemaker Jean-Yves Bordier. The line operates 13 ships, which vary from smart expedition vessels to the six Ponant Explorers, built for tropical cruising and each featuring a multi-sensory underwater lounge. There's also a hybrid-powered icebreaker, Le Commandant Charcot, which explores deep into Antarctica and offers regular expeditions to the North Pole in summer. The passenger mix is international, with a high proportion of French guests. What's included? All dining, open bar, wi-fi, classes in the gym, kids' clubs on some ships. Flights are included on some cruises, often from Paris, while most activities are covered on polar expeditions. Other excursions cost extra, as do crew tips. Price ££-£££ As well as its popular river fleet, Viking operates a fleet of ten elegant ocean-going ships, and two smart expedition ships, both built for polar expeditions. The ships sail all over the world, from Europe and the Caribbean to Asia and Australia, with cruises varying from the standard seven days to grand world voyages of more than 120 days. What's lovely about Viking's ships is the thoughtful decor, all soothing, Scandi-inspired chic and light-filled lounges, plus touches such as an infinity pool, a cool little nightclub, a lavish suite of saunas, steam and an ice grotto in the spa that's free to use. Every cabin has a balcony, too. What's included? All dining, drinks with meals, crew tips, wi-fi, excursions, flights, transfers, access to the spa thermal suite, some classes in the gym. Some excursions cost extra. Price: ££-£££ Emerald is best known for its smart, contemporary riverboats but has recently launched its first ocean-going ship, Emerald Azzurra, with a second ship, Emerald Sakara, launched in February 2023. Destinations include the Adriatic, Aegean, Middle East, Caribbean and Central America. If you like the idea of a very small ship, carrying just 100, with the feel of a private yacht in its elegant lines, infinity pool, Missoni Home amenities and top-deck cocktail bar, this could be the one. There are no butlers or speciality dining, but pretty well everything is included — and you can't put a price on occupying the best moorings in town alongside other superyachts, rather than in the wilderness of a cruise port, along with the 5,000-passenger ships. What's included? All dining, drinks with meals, crew tips, basic wi-fi, some excursions, flights, transfers, use of water toys and e-bikes. 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All meals (including speciality restaurants) and drinks on board, 24-hour room service, wi-fi, excursions at selected ports, door-to-door transfers and travel insurance. Price ££ The new kid on the sailing block is Explora Journeys, MSC Group's foray into the luxury market. Its first ship, Explora I, made its maiden voyage in August 2023 and Explora II, III and IV are on the way. The experience is inspired by the ocean and, to that end, the public spaces inside and outside are designed to maximise the sea view, with floor-to-ceiling windows. Multigenerational travel is also encouraged by way of 78 connected suites. Elsewhere, there are six restaurants with one featuring a guest chef, and a sumptuous spa with a hydrotherapy pool, Finnish sauna and salt cave. What's included? Food and drinks (with upgrades available), wi-fi, gratuities, wellbeing programme onboard and in destination, and transfers from port to the city. Price ££ • Best Mediterranean cruises• The world's biggest cruise ships• Best cruise lines for solo travellers Additional reporting by Qin Xie and Imogen Lepere
Daily Mail
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United Airlines flyer details rookie mistake that cost them almost $100 instantly
The absence of a simple 'back' button on United Airlines' website cost a Canadian traveler nearly $100 while booking flights for her family. The traveler, who shared her story in a Reddit post, was booking tickets that were due to cost #295 when she realized she needed to modify the seat selection. But without a back button, she had to cancel the cart and start over. The same tickets had jumped $30 within minutes after entering all her flight details again. Still hoping for a fix, she tried searching on another computer — only to see the fare rise again, this time to $362. 'On United's website, there is no 'back' button,' she wrote. 'So I basically had to cancel the cart item and redo all the steps.' She concluded the spike, on July 31, was likely due to demand — a suspicion echoed by fellow Reddit users, many of whom shared similar experiences. 'If it makes you feel any better, I made a $500 mistake similar to that,' one traveler replied. Others chimed in with advice and critiques. 'The system might not have released the inventory you held, back into the pool right away. Why didn't you just change the seats after booking,' a commenter wrote. 'It's a demand issue,' another added. 'If there are multiple searches for the same flight, the prices start increasing.'. One traveler said they nearly made a $1,600 mistake by misunderstanding a change fee. 'I thought it was $320 total to move our family's return flight up by four hours,' they wrote. 'Turns out it was $320 per ticket. Thankfully, I called and got everything refunded.' Others noted that United will often refund the fare difference in credit if the price drops after booking. United has faced growing criticism in 2025 for several unpopular changes that have led some travelers to jump ship. The company faced backlash after quietly reinstating a pricing policy that charges solo passengers more than those traveling in pairs or groups. Reddit user chimedon how a quirk on United's website cost a Canadian traveler nearly $100 while booking flights for her family. Data indicated the airline is applying at least an eight percent price hike for solo travelers on weekdays. It also ignited fury by narrowing its check-in cutoff window. Since June, instead of the 30-minute cutoff, all United flyers must check in for domestic flights at least 45 minutes before takeoff. Meanwhile, United continues pushing luxury on international routes. Its new Polaris Studio suites, launching this year on flights from San Francisco to London and Singapore. The suites will include perks such as Cuvée Rosé and designer hoodie pajamas, and will include Wi-Fi from Starlink, a service developed by the Elon Musk 's SpaceX.
