Airbnb Is Offering a “Flexible Dates” Feature for Last-Minute Travelers

Within the short span of a year, many people have had their way of life altered for the foreseeable future. Now, instead of going to the office everyday, working from home or remotely is the new norm, which means travel can happen, well, whenever and wherever there’s an internet connection. To accommodate “off-peak” travelers, Airbnb will now offer “Flexible Dates,” a new feature allowing travelers to fit a vacation into their schedule rather than the other way around.

“According to our new travel trends report, one-quarter of Americans would consider traveling during off-peak times of the year or the week. And in 2021 to date, more than one-third of people searching our platform have been flexible in terms of the date or location of their stay,” a Feb. 24 Airbnb blog post reads. “At Airbnb, we believe these shifts will continue even after the pandemic fades, and that for those with new flexibility to choose their dates, travel will increasingly become a way of life.”

The platform’s “Flexible Dates” search option will allow users to see open rentals available for weekend getaways, months-long stays, week-long vacations, and more, without having to set a solid date. Therefore, Airbnb users will be able to see what’s open within their general time frame and go from there.

When using the search engine in-app, simply slide over to “Flexible dates” next to the “Calendar” option and plug in the type of vacation you’re thinking about and in what month(s). The app will then source available options in the area you choose and you can book your stay as usual once you find an appealing rental.

The world as we know it has gone into “let’s play it by ear” mode, so Airbnb is doing the same.