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Airbnb, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 7 May 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 18%, 15% ex-FX: Revenue reached $2.7 billion, up 18%, or 15% excluding FX. Adjusted EBITDA rose 24% to $519 million, with margin at 19%. Source
  • Conflict-related cancellations reduced nights growth: Management estimated Nights and Seats Booked growth would have been about 10% absent the conflict, an acceleration compared to Q1 2025. Source
  • App bookings reached 63% of nights: Nights booked on the app grew 22% and made up 63% of total nights, up from 58% a year earlier. Source
  • Tax adjustment and sales spend weighed: Net income was offset by a one-time CAMT-related adjustment of about $70 million to deferred tax assets and by higher sales and marketing expense, which rose to $751 million from $563 million. Source
  • AI support resolves over 40% of issues: Over 40% of AI Assistant issues are resolved without a human agent, up from about a third in Q4 2025, and cost per booking fell about 10% year-over-year. Source
  • Middle East conflict raised cancellations: Cancellations rose in EMEA and Asia Pacific, mainly from the Middle East conflict; management said trips shift to other destinations when patterns change. Source
  • Free cash flow of $1.7 billion: Operating cash flow and free cash flow were both $1.7 billion, slightly lower year-over-year on Reserve Now, Pay Later working capital; TTM free cash flow was $4.5 billion. Source

“Last quarter, we talked about the deliberate path we’ve been on to rebuild our foundation and innovate faster.”

Airbnb, Inc., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceQ2 2026$3.54 billion to $3.60 billion (14% to 16% growth)New
Nights and Seats Booked SourceQ2 2026growth to slightly decelerate from Q1 2026; roughly 100bps Middle East headwindNew
Adjusted EBITDA Margin SourceFull-year 2026at least 35%

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Full-year 2026 revenue growth guidance raised to low to mid teens, from at least low double digits in the prior release. Source
  • New guidance: Quarterly guidance for Q2 2026 given for revenue, GBV, Nights and Seats Booked and Adjusted EBITDA; the prior release covered Q1 2026 only. Source
  • New: The company received its first investment-grade ratings, A- from S&P Global Ratings and Baa1 from Moody's, and then completed a senior unsecured offering. Source
  • New: Delta Air Lines partnership expanded: travelers can earn Delta miles on qualifying experiences and services as well as homes. Source
  • New: Boutique and independent hotel pilot is being scaled to more markets around the world. Source
  • New: Single 15.5% service fee structure is being tested in certain other countries beyond the property management software host migration. Source
  • New: Additional forms of insurance products are being piloted for both guests and hosts. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 18%, 15% ex-FX: Revenue reached $2.7 billion, up 18%, or 15% excluding FX. Adjusted EBITDA rose 24% to $519 million, with margin at 19%. Source
  • Booking value growth from volume and price: Gross Booking Value growth came from more Nights and Seats Booked and higher ADR; ex-FX ADR also rose across all regions, mainly from price. Source
  • Conflict-related cancellations reduced nights growth: Management estimated Nights and Seats Booked growth would have been about 10% absent the conflict, an acceleration compared to Q1 2025. Source
  • Net income rose slightly on one-time gain: Net income was $160 million, a 6% margin, helped by a one-time gain of about $70 million from selling a privately-held investment. Source

Regions and expansion markets

  • North America nights grew high-single digits: North America Nights and Seats Booked grew high-single digits, a modest acceleration from Q4 2025, on domestic demand and longer lead times; ADR rose 7%. Source
  • Brazil origin nights rose over 20%: Latin America Nights and Seats Booked grew high-teens. Brazil origin nights rose over 20% for a third quarter, and first-time bookers grew 22%. Source
  • India origin nights grew about 50%: India origin nights rose about 50% for a second quarter, with first-time bookers up over 75%; Asia Pacific Nights and Seats Booked grew high-teens. Source
  • Expansion markets grew about twice core: Origin nights booked in expansion markets grew at roughly twice the rate of core markets over the last twelve months; 16 local marketing programs launched in Q1. Source
  • EMEA nights grew mid-single digits: EMEA Nights and Seats Booked grew mid-single digits; ADR rose 15%, or 4% excluding FX, which management attributed mainly to FX. Source

“At the same time, we’re navigating a period of macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty.”

Airbnb, Inc., press release

Products, services and hotels

  • App bookings reached 63% of nights: Nights booked on the app grew 22% and made up 63% of total nights, up from 58% a year earlier. Source
  • Services and experiences as entry points: Services and experiences pilots continue in select cities; nearly a quarter of new guests who book an experience go on to book a stay or service. Source
  • Hotel guests often return to book homes: About 55% of guests who book a hotel on Airbnb later book a home, the company said. Source
  • Reserve Now, Pay Later share of bookings: Roughly 20% of global GBV came from Reserve Now, Pay Later bookings; management said guests tend to book more when they can pay later. Source
  • Host pricing and sign-up tools improved: Pricing tools now help hosts price dynamically on demand and seasonality, and a redesigned sign-up flow makes listing a home simpler. Source

Monetization and take rate

  • Take rate near prior-year level: Implied take rate was 9.2% against 9.3% a year earlier. Management cited FX and booking-to-stay timing, which Reserve Now, Pay Later has pushed further ahead. Source
  • Guest travel insurance revenue up 45%: Guest travel insurance revenue rose 45% year-over-year; the offering is available in 12 of the company's largest countries. Source
  • Single service fee for software hosts: Property management software hosts moved to a single 15.5% guest service fee; hosts adjust prices to keep the same net earnings. Source

“It’s a core reason we’re able to deliver consistent results, even in challenging environments.”

Airbnb, Inc., press release

Costs, AI and margins

  • Tax adjustment and sales spend weighed: Net income was offset by a one-time CAMT-related adjustment of about $70 million to deferred tax assets and by higher sales and marketing expense, which rose to $751 million from $563 million. Source
  • AI support resolves over 40% of issues: Over 40% of AI Assistant issues are resolved without a human agent, up from about a third in Q4 2025, and cost per booking fell about 10% year-over-year. Source
  • Nearly 60% of code coauthored with AI: Nearly 60% of code produced by engineers is coauthored with AI, which management estimated at roughly twice the industry average. Source
  • Reinvestment stays a priority: Management said it will keep prioritizing reinvestment in efficient marketing, international expansion and AI initiatives. Source

Demand, cancellations and events

  • Middle East conflict raised cancellations: Cancellations rose in EMEA and Asia Pacific, mainly from the Middle East conflict; management said trips shift to other destinations when patterns change. Source
  • Lead times lengthened in every region: Booking lead times lengthened across all regions, partly from Reserve Now, Pay Later, while market type and travel corridor trends stayed consistent year-over-year. Source
  • Listings grew in line with demand: Active listings grew roughly in line with Nights and Seats Booked, most in Latin America and Asia Pacific; acquisition focuses on markets where demand exists. Source
  • World Cup listings from new hosts: Since October, over 100,000 homes across the 16 World Cup host cities have listed on Airbnb for the first time, ahead of the summer event. Source
  • Olympics brought nearly 200,000 guests: Airbnb was an official Olympics and Paralympics partner, and nearly 200,000 guests stayed with Airbnb during the Milano Cortina Winter Games. Source

Cash flow, balance sheet and buybacks

  • Free cash flow of $1.7 billion: Operating cash flow and free cash flow were both $1.7 billion, slightly lower year-over-year on Reserve Now, Pay Later working capital; TTM free cash flow was $4.5 billion. Source
  • Reserve Now, Pay Later shifts unearned fees: Reserve Now, Pay Later moves guest payments nearer the stay, lowering unearned fees in Q1 and Q2 and raising them in Q3; unearned fees were $2.7 billion at March 31. Source
  • Convertible notes repaid with new debt: Net proceeds from the senior unsecured offering partly repaid $2.0 billion of convertible notes that matured in March 2026. Source
  • Share repurchases of $1.1 billion: Repurchased $1.1 billion of Class A stock in Q1 to manage share dilution; remaining authorization was $4.5 billion at March 31, down from $5.6 billion. Source
  • Capital priorities: growth, deals, returns: Management said capital goes first to organic growth, then to strategic acquisitions or partnerships, then to return of capital to shareholders. Source
  • Fully diluted share count down 9%: Since buybacks began in Q3 2022, fully diluted share count fell about 9%, with buybacks and employee tax payments totaling $14.8 billion. Source

Coming up, as management said on 7 May 2026

  • May 20 Summer Release: Management said it will detail the expansion of services, experiences and hotels at the May 20 Summer Release. Source
  • Services and experiences expand this summer: Pilots of new services and experiences in select cities are planned to expand this summer. Source
  • World Cup as largest guest event: Management said it expects to host more guests during the FIFA World Cup 2026 than at any event in Airbnb's history. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Nights and Seats Booked Source156.2 million, up 9% year-over-year
Gross Booking Value Source$29.2 billion, up 19% (13% ex-FX)
ADR Source$187, up 9% (4% ex-FX)
Hosts Sourceover 5.5 million

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management flagged tougher back-half comparisons against the 2025 Reserve Now, Pay Later rollout, plus current Middle East conflict headwinds. Source
  • Financial: Reserve Now, Pay Later defers guest payments, and management said unearned fees and free cash flow would otherwise have grown year-over-year. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said key metrics outperformed the company's own expectations early in 2026. Source
  • Not stated: Prior release guided Q1 2026 Adjusted EBITDA Margin to be approximately flat; this release does not state a status against that guidance.
  • Not stated: Prior release guided Q1 2026 GBV growth to the low teens; this release does not state a status against that guidance.
  • Not stated: Prior release planned to extend Reserve Now, Pay Later to more guests globally in 2026; this release gives no status on that plan.
  • Not stated: Prior release said global rollout was expected later this year; this release says the company will further improve AI customer support this year.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.