Airbnb lifts 2026 revenue growth forecast to high teens after 19% third-quarter increase
Key Facts
Airbnb said on November 5, 2026, that revenue rose 19% year over year to $4.9 billion in the third quarter, and raised its full-year revenue growth forecast to the high teens. Strong travel demand lifted gross booking value, while booked nights and seats grew at a double-digit rate year over year, the company said in its earnings statement. The announcement came with a fourth-quarter revenue forecast of $3.22 billion to $3.28 billion, representing year-over-year growth of 16% to 18%. This reflects stronger full-year guidance alongside a specific quarterly range for the coming period. The company also announced a new authorization to repurchase up to $12 billion of Class A shares.
Gross booking value rose 21% to $27.7 billion in the third quarter, Airbnb said, attributing the increase to strong demand and a modest rise in average daily rates. Booked nights and seats increased 16% from the same period a year earlier, indicating that volume growth as well as pricing contributed to the increase in booking value. Net income was $1.9 billion for the quarter. Adjusted EBITDA rose 22% to $2.5 billion, with a margin of 52%. The figures reported by the company show revenue and bookings growth alongside an increase in adjusted earnings.
Growth in bookings from first-time users accelerated to 13% year over year in the third quarter, its highest level since early 2022, the company said. Gen Z was the fastest-growing generation among the groups cited by Airbnb. By region, the company said quarterly bookings grew at a low-teens rate in North America, while Europe, the Middle East and Africa posted mid-teens growth. The figures show different growth paces across regions, with increases in both areas remaining in the double digits. Chief Financial Officer Ellie Mertz said the company does not expect a material impact in the current quarter from disruption in Europe, particularly France, or from the conflict in the Middle East, but is monitoring developments in both regions.
Airbnb forecast fourth-quarter revenue of $3.22 billion to $3.28 billion, with year-over-year growth of 16% to 18%, including a positive foreign-exchange impact of about two percentage points after hedging. The company expects gross booking value to grow at a mid-teens rate, driven by an increase of at least a low-teens rate in booked nights and seats and a modest rise in average daily rates. It also expects adjusted EBITDA to increase year over year in the fourth quarter, with a slight decline in margin compared with the same quarter of 2025. The company attributed part of the expected decline to the timing of marketing expenses. For the full year, it expects adjusted EBITDA margin to rise to about 36%.
On operational efficiency, the company said about 40% of customer support issues were resolved without an employee’s involvement in the third quarter, up from about one-third in the second quarter. It added that customer support cost per booking fell by more than 17% year over year in the third quarter. Airbnb has also expanded its listings of independent and small hotels, saying its platform includes thousands of them in more than 60 major destinations worldwide. Hotels, however, still account for a single-digit share of total nights booked on the platform. On October 22, the company announced an exclusive partnership with American Express to make more than one million lodging listings available on the Amex Travel platform.
ABNB shares fell from a November 4 close of $176.37 to $170.13 on November 5, the day results were announced, according to EL7 data. Reuters, meanwhile, reported that the stock rose 11% in extended trading after the results were released. Reuters, citing LSEG data, said third-quarter revenue of $4.87 billion exceeded the average analyst estimate of $4.75 billion. Diluted earnings per share were $3.16 for the quarter ended September 30, compared with $2.21 a year earlier. The company plans to begin rolling out its trip-planning and booking assistant to guests in the first half of 2027.