Airbnb Updates Mobile Apps to Allow ‘Last-Minute Bookings’ in San Francisco and L.A.

Airbnb has updated its iOS and Android mobile apps to allow last-minute bookings in San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The company announced its new service, which gives travelers to those cities a chance to make impromptu bookings, on Tuesday. To access the feature, customers click a button that has been added to the search area of the updated apps labeled, "Need a place for tonight or tomorrow." Selecting this filter will bring up a list of local places that are available for immediate booking.

Airbnb announced the update in a blog entry, saying: "We've seen more and more travelers seeking spontaneity and the ability to book a trip for tonight or tomorrow. Some travelers want to be able to take that last minute weekend getaway and some suffer from last-minute-itus, which can affect the best of us. We want to make it easier to book an experience anytime, anywhere."

Hosts can now have listings set up to automatically approve guests based on certain standards, unlike the regular method of having to contact the host first to snag a room. Guests can now skip the pre-approval process and go straight to booking.

Last-minute travelers are assured of the same Airbnb experience of living like a local, with listings offered at different price points. Places will range from private rooms to luxury and high-end properties.

The feature seems to have tapped into quite a market. The company stated in its announcement that instant bookable listings from hosts have more than doubled from 35,000 at the end of 2013, to over 90,000.

Airbnb has also rolled out another new feature called "Weekend Getaways" that will show up as "This Weekend" in the app. This allows users to find listings designed to provide a uniquely local and inspirational experience. The getaways will list areas around San Francisco, in addition to destinations that only require a short airplane ride, such as Los Angeles or Portland.