American Express and Airbnb Launch Exclusive Partnership, Bringing Over 1 Million Listings to Amex Travel

American Express and Airbnb Launch Exclusive Partnership, Bringing Over 1 Million Listings to Amex Travel

Amex Travel Adds Over One Million Airbnb Listings

Starting Oct. 22, eligible U.S. American Express cardholders can book Airbnb stays directly through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel app, with more than one million Airbnb listings now searchable from a new "Homes" tab. Cardholders earn Membership Rewards points on prepaid bookings, and the launch marks Airbnb's most integrated loyalty partnership to date.

Official Line: More Choice, Membership Value

"Travel is personal and where our Card Members choose to stay is personal," said Howard Grosfield, Group President, U.S. Consumer Services at American Express. "By partnering with Airbnb, we're giving Card Members more choice while delivering the rewards, service, and exceptional value that define American Express Membership." Airbnb said this is the first time guests can browse more than one million Airbnb listings on AmexTravel.com or in the Amex Travel App.

Deep integration of points and loyalty

Skift reports the tie-up goes further than Airbnb's decade of airline loyalty deals with Qantas, Delta, and British Airways, which mostly amount to tracked links sending members to Airbnb.com. American Express last year raised its premium Platinum card annual fee to $895 and has been investing in cardholder perks such as airport lounges and big-ticket events and experiences to attract more high-paying customers.

Points and credits for stays and experiences

Points: Consumer and Business Platinum cardholders earn 5X Membership Rewards points on prepaid Airbnb bookings through Amex Travel; Consumer Classic Green cardholders earn 3X points on travel booked directly with third-party sites including Airbnb; other eligible rewards members earn 2X points on prepaid Airbnb bookings through Amex Travel. CNBC notes members cannot currently redeem points to pay for Airbnb bookings.

Lodging Credit: Consumer and Business Platinum cardholders can apply the annual $600 Lodging Credit (up to $300 in statement credits semi-annually, formerly the Hotel Credit) to prepaid Airbnb Luxe stays of two nights or more booked through Amex Travel.

Experiences Credit: After a qualifying Luxe booking is confirmed, Platinum cardholders unlock up to $250 in annual statement credits on eligible Airbnb Experiences purchased directly with Airbnb through the remainder of that calendar year. Travel + Leisure notes Luxe stays do not include the extra perks of Fine Hotels + Resorts or The Hotel Collection, such as room upgrades, property credits, and late checkout.

Management limits: cardholders can view trips on Amex Travel after booking but must use the Airbnb platform to manage stays, including messaging hosts and making changes.

Scale to grow, bookings open now

Airbnb now counts more than 5.5 million hosts and has welcomed over 2.5 billion guest arrivals across nearly every country. Amex's Fine Hotels + Resorts and The Hotel Collection together include more than 3,400 properties across 116 countries. Cardholders must connect their American Express and Airbnb accounts to start earning rewards. Whether Amex will eventually allow points redemption for Airbnb stays remains to be seen.