On the other side of the world, Qantas has taken a different view and is partnering with Airbnb. The airline’s frequent flyers will earn points for every Airbnb booking, equating to one point earned for every dollar spent on an Airbnb.

"We know many of our customers are just as likely to arrange an Airbnb as they are to book a hotel, and we wanted to recognize and reward them for that," said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce."Qantas has always looked for ways to reinvent airline travel, just like Airbnb has done for accommodation," he added.However the tie-up has not gone down well with the traditional hotel industry in Australia.Tourism Accommodation Australia, which represents major global chains and independent hoteliers, expressed surprise that Qantas would partner with an 'unregulated' operator. CEO Carol Giuseppi said, "We find it extremely concerning that an airline with a strong safety record would partner with an organization that cannot guarantee the safety of its guests."These unregulated short-term accommodation operators do not have in place the consumer safety and community amenity regulations and insurances that apply to regulated operators, nor do they pay the requisite fees and taxes."