Airbnb’s latest venture into the car rental sector is revealing promising activity through its recent alliance with Ireland-based CarTrawler. This collaboration, which became public knowledge a month ago, facilitates car rentals through a network built by CarTrawler and connects directly to rental agencies. This strategy mirrors Uber’s previous model prior to establishing its own direct relationships with rental companies.
High-Volume Bookings
The partnership between Airbnb and CarTrawler is currently seeing an impressive traffic of around 500 bookings daily. Operating in five regions — the United States, France, Italy, Spain, and Australia — the service predominantly accommodates lower-tier rentals. Budget Rent a Car stands out as a frequent choice among these bookings, serving as one of Airbnb’s preferred suppliers.
Consumer Options
Airbnb customers browsing the CarTrawler-hosted rental platform are presented with a selection of three to six car rental options prominently displayed. These options include choices from Airbnb’s roster of preferred partners, streamlining the selection process for users seeking car rentals via Airbnb’s interface.
Reporting based on coverage first published by skift.com.