Feature Request: Airbnb Super Guests

Brian Chesky, Airbnb’s CEO, tweeted this tonight:

The thread is worth a read! If Brian’s responses are any indicator, Airbnb has an exciting year ahead.

One of the most popular requests seems to be some type of “loyalty program”. Though the described feature often starts and stops with those two words, the assumed program would reward frequent stays on the Airbnb platform, regardless of location, duration, or other attributes.

This is all fine, and as someone who almost always begins and ends his lodging-search experience on the platform, is something that would benefit me. That said, it feels a little vanilla for Airbnb. These users want a loyalty program because they want to be rewarded for their existing loyalty to Airbnb. It’s not changing consumer behavior, so Airbnb doesn’t really have an incentive to run with it.

Instead of incentivizing platform loyalty, Airbnb could use the Superguest program to reward users that shine through their behavior. If I, a frequenter of Airbnbs, also happen to score highly in the “cleanliness” category, maybe my host can offer me a 20% discount on the cleaning fee. If I score highly on communication, maybe certain hosts choose to let me book last minute at a discounted rate.

A program of this nature is interesting because it incentivizes good guest behavior, but also because it allows hosts to place a value on certain attributes. Some hosts may not care too much about receiving check-in updates, but I know some care a lot! If hosts can reward certain customers with a discount, then ideally the program would reward them with guests that they want to house.

We have a rating system — let’s make it worth a little something.

That’s the post! I like brainstorming, though, so a few rapid bullet points for the invested:

Superguest Program

• Guests are rated on attributes like cleanliness, timeliness, communication, and perhaps an x-factor.
• Hosts can choose to reward any or all of these attributes with discounts, late check-outs, amenities, or perhaps airport pickups (for VIPs, of course).
• Hosts can choose to reward repeat customers with a similar set of rewards, creating a sort of annual traveler base. (I’m typing this from the same Airbnb I was in this time last year, so it feels fitting.)
• Guests can see where they are shining and where they are not.
• Hosts could nominate a “guest of the year” or something to signify a really good guest. (Guests could do the same!)
• The above set of criteria rewards good, authentic behavior, without punishing new customers. Instead of raising prices for everyone, we’re discounting customers that provide peace of mind.