Key facts
- Airbnb now expects 2026 revenue growth in the "high teens," up from its earlier "at least mid-teens" forecast.
- Airbnb authorized a new repurchase program of up to an additional $12 billion of its Class A common stock.
- Airbnb said nights and seats booked rose 16% to 155 million in the third quarter.
- Airbnb reported third-quarter revenue rose about 19% to $4.87 billion.
- Airbnb said customer support cost per booking fell more than 17% year over year in the reported quarter.
Airbnb raised its full-year 2026 revenue growth forecast on Thursday, saying it now expects growth in the "high teens" compared with its earlier "at least mid-teens" forecast. The San Francisco-based vacation rental platform also authorized a new repurchase program of up to an additional $12 billion of its Class A common stock.
The company said underlying global travel demand remains healthy, even as it closely monitors developments in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Globally, nights and seats booked, a metric that includes both room stays and service bookings, rose 16% to 155 million in the third quarter. Quarterly bookings in North America grew by "low-double digit" year over year, and in the "mid-teens" in EMEA.
Airbnb reported third-quarter revenue rose about 19% to $4.87 billion and diluted earnings per share of $3.16 for the quarter ended September 30, compared with $2.21 a year ago. The company said its customer support cost per booking fell more than 17% year over year in the reported quarter, as about 40% of all customer support issues were resolved without a human agent, up from one-third in the second quarter. About 35% of guests whose first Airbnb booking is a hotel return to book a home, it said.
Hotel operators such as Hilton and Marriott and online agencies like Expedia and Booking Holdings have been cautious about their fourth-quarter forecasts due to elevated airfares linked to the Iran war, as well as unrest in certain parts of Europe.