Airbnb targets business travelers with hair dryers, ironing boards

Business travelers in the U.S. last year spent $292 billion while on the road, a 6.7% increase over 2013, according to a study by the Global Business Travel Assn.

That total is expected to jump an additional 6.2% to $310 billion this year, according to the trade group.

So it’s no surprise that home-sharing company Airbnb is trying to get a bigger chunk of that revenue by pushing business travelers to book a short-term home rental instead of checking into a hotel. Airbnb says that 10% of its guests already are traveling for business.

The San Francisco-based company this week announced a new feature to distinguish those short-term rentals offering the extras that business travelers need, such as wireless Internet, an ironing board and a hair dryer.

Also, an Airbnb host of a business traveler cannot cancel within seven days of the check-in date.

But business travel experts say corporate travel managers worried about potential risks and liabilities may be reluctant to turn to home-sharing businesses.

Mike McCormick, executive director and chief operating officer of the Global Business Travel Assn., said travel managers for big companies are comfortable that a major hotel chain can be held responsible if a business traveler staying in its hotel suffers a mishap or injury.

But it is not clear how much protection businesses can expect if a traveling worker is hurt at a home booked through a home-sharing business, he said.

“When you are traveling for pleasure with your own personal funds, that’s your business,” McCormick said. “But it’s a different situation when the company is paying the bill.”

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.