Airbnb Approaches a New Milestone

Good morning from Skift. It’s Tuesday, March 5. Here’s what you need to know about the business of travel today.

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Episode Notes

Airbnb said on Monday it’s approaching 1.5 million verified listings, a key part of its strategy to build trust among users, reports Executive Editor Dennis Schaal.

The company added that badges will be pinned to listings that have completed the verification process. Airbnb has long struggled to deal with fake listings and scammers, Airbnb’s verification push is designed to combat those issues. The short-term rental giant said it removed 59,000 fake listings last year. 

Airbnb first pledged to verify all of its listings in November 2019. The company recently said it had 7.7 million active listings at the end of last year. 

Next, JetBlue Airways announced that it has reached an agreement with Spirit Airlines to end their proposed merger, writes Airlines Reporter Meghna Maharishi. 

A federal judge had blocked the merger in January on the grounds that the combined airline would raise fares and hurt consumers. Both airlines said they believed it was unlikely that all the conditions for the merger would be approved by July 24. JetBlue CEO Joanna Geraghty said the company would focus on its strategy to return to profitability while Spirit CEO Ted Christie said he believed it could survive as an independent airline. 

Some Wall Street analysts have speculated that Spirit could either face a potential bankruptcy or have to find another buyer if it couldn’t merge with JetBlue. 

Finally, American Airlines has announced it’s ordering 260 new jets from three different manufacturers. Airlines Editor Gordon Smith delves into what the company is getting.

American has confirmed it ordered 85 Boeing 737 Max 10 jets. It’s the company’s first order of the Max 10, which has yet to be certified to fly commercially. American ordered the exact same number of Airbus A321neos. In addition, the carrier placed an order for 90 Embraer E175s, which will be equipped with high-speed satellite Wi-Fi. 

Producer/Presenter: Jane Alexander