Lufthansa is putting the air into Airbnb
One high-flying Airbnb booking may not have a washer, dryer or a kitchen, but it comes with dozens of cabin mates.
Lufthansa, the German airline, is turning to Airbnb to sell premium economy seats. The listing notes, "Our cabin isn't in the woods, but in the sky!," and is asking $790 for round-trip travel between Frankfurt and New York City.
It's unclear if Lufthansa's Airbnb listing represents a new strategy for the airline, but it comes at a time when the German airline has been struggling with lower demand for international travel. Last week, the airline said it was expecting "significantly weaker" sales at its passenger airline business segment. The stronger dollar is likely keeping European travelers closer to home, while some Americans may be wary of international travel in the wake of terror attacks in Nice, France, Wuerzberg, Germany and other locations.
"Advance bookings, especially on long-haul routes to Europe, have declined significantly, in particular due to repeated terrorist attacks in Europe and to greater political and economic uncertainty since the original forecast was made in March," the company said in the statement.
Average demand for flights between New York and Frankfurt has fallen 14 percent, as judged by daily flight searches, according to travel data site Hopper.
Premium economy is a step up from regular economy class, and so that $790 may provide a good deal for travelers willing to pay a little more for extra legroom. The best deal on a regular economy seat is about $650, according to Hopper, which says that fare is available on Delta, Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa. Aside from more legroom, premium economy also includes charging ports for laptops and on-demand entertainment.
The offer is available for travel between August 23 and December 15, with a minimum stay of four nights and a maximum stay of one month. Lufthansa said it's covering the Airbnb host fee of 3 percent, while the traveler must pay the Airbnb service charge of $95. Including the service fee, the total cost of the trip is $885.
In an email to CBS, Airbnb said the listing is the first time that an airline has sold seats through its site.