Amex GBT, Airbnb Announce Partnership

TORONTO — American Express Global Business Travel (GBT) has reached a commercial agreement with Airbnb, it was announced mid-July. The new referral partnership will make Airbnb for Business more accessible to GBT customers and allow data transfer and traveler tracking.

During the first phase of the program, once GBT refers a customer to Airbnb, individual travellers can book accommodations directly on Airbnb.com using a corporate email address.

In the coming weeks, GBT and Airbnb will integrate Airbnb booking information into GBT’s reporting platform so that GBT’s customers can track their travellers’ Airbnb bookings. Once that integration is complete, the reservation details for each business trip will automatically be shared with GBT.

Travel managers can then access the data through corporate reporting and duty-of-care platforms. Travellers will then be able to access that booking information through GBT’s corporate reporting and duty-of-care platforms. Travellers will also have the ability to view their booking details in their regular corporate itineraries and on mobile devices.

“Business travellers want the freedom to choose accommodations that align with their personal and professional tastes,” said Wes Bergstrom, vice-president, global supplier relations, American Express Global Business Travel. “At the same time, traveller safety and security are a top priority for companies. As the first travel management company to partner with Airbnb, our customers can further evolve their travel policies and offer their travellers the ability to book preferred accommodations.”

The first phase of this partnership is expected to go live in the U.S. in the next few weeks, and to expand to additional countries later this year. GBT and Airbnb will continue to develop additional phases of this program, which will enable greater integration throughout the booking process.

Since being founded in 2008, Airbnb hosts have welcomed more than 100 million guest arrivals at Airbnb listings worldwide. Approximately 10 per cent of all guests on Airbnb are business travellers.