Airbnb May Use Virtual Reality for Previews and Trips
You may not have to rely on staged photos and flattering angles to pick out your next vacation home in the near future. On December 11, Airbnb announced that it is exploring using virtual-reality headsets and smartphones to let you explore rentals before ever setting foot in them.
"Capabilities like 360 photos and 3D scans allow a person to step inside a home or city and understand what to expect and how to orient themselves before they leave the comfort of their own home," the San Francisco-based company said in a press release. "Looking far into the future, virtual reality could allow guests to share more than a spreadsheet or email chain when planning travel together. Instead, they could share a virtual world together, perusing and touring destinations and home options while interacting in a more natural manner."
The company's also looking to incorporate services that would provide real-time information to travelers in augmented-reality displays that would perhaps overlay computer-generated data over real-world environments.
"Just think how welcome, pulling up directions to the coffee mugs on a mobile device will be first thing in the morning," the company said. "Or, instant translations on how to work that German thermostat."
Airbnb offered no concrete rollout dates or promises of specific services, saying only that "we're excited about continuing our work to test use cases, prototype and hack." The company made clear it wasn't promising that anything would come of its experiments at all: "We want to make sure anything we introduce really brings value."
VR has been something of a buzzword this year, with more and more media companies offering movies optimized for VR headsets and VR still a draw in the gaming industry. Still, the hefty price for headsets (the granddaddy of the bunch, the Oculus Rift, only dropped from $599 to $399 this past October), meaning potential Airbnb's VR services would only be practical for a relatively small number of its users, at least at first.
Feature photo by recep-bg / Getty Images
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- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
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Rewards Rate
| 2X miles | 2 miles per dollar on every purchase |
| 5X miles | 5 miles per dollar on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel |
| 10X miles | 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Business Travel |
Intro Offer
Earn 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200K miles when you spend $150K in the first 6 monthsLIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus milesAnnual Fee
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Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.740-850Excellent
Why We Chose It
The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
- The Capital One Venture X business card has a very lucrative welcome offer.
- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month