Airbnb launches trip planning app with Apple TV
Earlier this week Airbnb introduced an Apple TV app which allows users to plan trips and preview holiday rentals. "When you&rsquo;re dreaming about your next trip, you can use this app with your family and friends to find the perfect place, and start building your wishlist," Airbnb engineering manager Scott Raymond said. This is an interesting move, and seems a smart one, as according to Mashable, travellers spend a lot of time planning holidays, and there is evidence that planning the trip can bring more happiness than the actual holiday. Furthermore, the idea clearly has appeal for families, who could include the whole family in the trip planning process by having them all help research and decide where to stay.
Airbnb introduced an Apple TV app on Wednesday, which will bring the popular service to a television near you.

Amid the rose gold iPhone and Apple pencil debuts on Wednesday, a television app for previewing vacation rentals may not stand out. But Airbnb is doing something interesting with trip planning here -- it's trying to make it social and entertaining.

"When you’re dreaming about your next trip, you can use this app with your family and friends to find the perfect place, and start building your wishlist," Airbnb engineering manager Scott Raymond said in a company blog post Wednesday. "We think travel is best when it’s shared."

There are a few reasons to focus on building an enjoyable planning experience: Travelers spend a lot of time planning, visiting as many as 38 websites(opens in a new tab) before booking, and there is evidence that planning the trip can bring more happiness than the actual vacation(opens in a new tab).

So even while many travel companies work to speed up the booking process, others might want to consider how people want to spend a lot of time thinking about travel.

Previews of the app show a focus on visuals, stripping much of the text from a typical rental listing and presenting large -- hopefully inviting -- photos that will spark some wanderlust. Airbnb undoubtedly hopes that more time spent browsing (on a bigger screen, the better to imagine yourself there) will lead to more bookings.

Airbnb says its Apple TV app will focus on the most visual parts of early trip planning. Credit: Airbnb

Apple's touch remote will let users swipe through different homes, and pressing 'Play' will save listings to a family list that can sync to iPhone and iPad.

While it's hard to imagine spending a lot of time sitting with friends flipping through pictures of vacation rentals, the idea clearly has some appeal for families, who could include kids in the trip planning process by having them select where they'd want to stay.

"Every aspect of this app is designed to emphasize the elements that are right for the beginning of your journey," said Raymond. "It’s optimized for immersive photos and the fun of discovery.

The Airbnb app will be available with the new Apple TV.