Skift Daily Travel Briefing

Airbnb Battles Price Gouging, Airlines Hit New Highs and a Lux Cruise Deal

Jan 17, 2025

Airbnb is cracking down on price gouging with a new policy limiting price increases in wildfire-affected areas. Meanwhile, the airline industry is celebrating a record-breaking year, with heightened passenger capacity and fewer scheduled flights. Also, luxury cruising gets a boost as Ponant Explorations acquires Aqua Expeditions, expanding its high-end offerings and planning new itineraries in East Africa.

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Quick takeaways

Airbnb has implemented a new policy to prevent price increases by hosts in wildfire-affected areas, addressing illegal price gouging concerns.

The airline industry reached record passenger capacity in 2024, highlighting U.S. airlines' dominance despite fewer scheduled flights and increased aircraft size.

Deep dives

Airbnb's Price Gouging Measures

Airbnb has implemented restrictions to combat price gouging in the aftermath of wildfires in Los Angeles. Hosts in Los Angeles and Ventura counties are prohibited from increasing their prices by more than 10 percent from pre-fire levels, with attempts to do so resulting in an error message. This policy follows a warning from California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who highlighted the illegality of price gouging during a state of emergency and noted numerous complaints regarding significant rent increases. These measures aim to protect consumers during a challenging recovery period in the affected areas.

Airbnb Price Gouging Measures and Airline Industry Breakthroughs

3min

Airbnb has introduced a policy preventing hosts in Los Angeles and Ventura counties from increasing prices by more than 10% after wildfires, following warnings from California’s attorney general about illegal price gouging. In the airline industry, 2024 saw record-breaking passenger capacity despite fewer scheduled flights, with U.S. airlines dominating the global market and Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson ranking as the busiest airport. Meanwhile, luxury cruise company Ponant Explorations Group acquired Aqua Expeditions, expanding its presence in the high-end, small-ship cruising sector, with plans for new itineraries in East Africa.

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