Improved protections for Hosts and guests

Airbnb
Official Account

Improved protections for Hosts and guests

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The strength of Airbnb is built on your commitment to ensuring guests have great stays. In the rare event that something happens outside your control, and you aren’t able to resolve the issue, we want your guests to know Airbnb is there to help.

 

Last November, we introduced AirCover for Hosts.** We’re now adding AirCover for guests, offering industry-leading free protections for our whole community. This will ensure that everyone has the confidence to host and stay on Airbnb.

 

We also have new info about AirCover for Hosts that will allow you to escalate a reimbursement request faster, and updates about security deposits, travel insurance for guests, and removing COVID-19 as an extenuating circumstance. 


Head to the Resource Center to get all the details, and tell us: What has your experience been with AirCover for Hosts since we introduced it last year?

36 Replies 36
Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mark116 

 

No, none of it is new really. I just got excited when I first started reading thinking it was the insurance option finally coming in to place. I quickly realised it was not...

@Huma0 I've wished and wondered for a long time why Airbnb didn't buy a travel insurance company and wrap that into their offerings, it seems like a perfect match and a badly needed addition.

 

It would have to be an existing company because we know that Airbnb could never in a million years develop and manage an insurance company that depends on the consistent application of clear rules, where apples are always compared with apples and no one announces they are taking a three day break.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Mark116 

 

Yes, I believe you are completely right there. They need another, competent company with trained employees to handle that. 

 

The standard, "Your case has just been handed to me and I really want to help you but just so happen to be out of the office for the next three or four days.." response just doesn't cut it.

Emilie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

@Huma0 @Mark116 We're working on bringing you more information on Guest Travel Insurance soon, and it'll be available in several countries. Sit tight, more to follow! 🙂

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Merci de jeter un oeil aux Principes du Community Center/ Please follow the Community Guidelines

Mike-And-Jane0
Level 10
England, United Kingdom

@Till-and-Jutta0 This is a very positive change. As soon as a guest turns down a proper insurance policy it should be a lot easier for Customer Services to hold them to the hosts cancellation policy etc.

@Mike-And-Jane0 @Till-and-Jutta0 @Huma0 

Note the text "in some areas." This likely will not be available to all.

Huma0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

@Emilia42 

 

Ah okay. I wasn't paying enough attention and didn't notice that. I wonder how expansive this will be. Will it be for the US only? I guess we'll just have to wait and see...

Till-and-Jutta0
Host Advisory Board Alumni
Stuttgart, Germany

Well, I can imagine the huge challenge to adapt the terms to all local regulations.

@Till-and-Jutta0 

 

Are there not travel insurance companies that offer worldwide travel insurance? I'm pretty sure those have been around for decades. How do they mange local regulations?

 

These cover most key travel issues and seem to fall into two categories: those that cover the USA, Canada and Caribbean (because those are the countries where medical treatment is most expensive) and those that don't. Otherwise, they cover most of the world.

 

So, it's not a new thing. It exists already.

Till-and-Jutta0
Host Advisory Board Alumni
Stuttgart, Germany

I can’t imagine the rates would differ in a discriminating way.

@Till-and-Jutta0 

 

Sorry, not sure if you were replying to me here or someone else? I'm not sure I said anything about rates (other than insurance companies normally charge more to include North America in worldwide policies, much like they charge extra if you're going skiing or doing adventure sports).

 

I did write "expansive" above, not "expensive"! I was wondering how many countries would be included but it sounds like quite a few...

Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Thanks for sharing that @Till-and-Jutta0 ! Yes, we are all very excited to launch that function in coming months!

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Please follow the Community Guidelines 

Stephanie365
Level 10
Fredericksburg, VA

@Stephanie   The new categories clearly weren't well thought out or beta tested.  The current selection of Waterfront categories are too specific and exclude a significant portion of the waterfront listings. 

If you have a home on the ocean, hopefully the Bots will figure out your category as Beach Front.

Stephanie365_2-1652416784566.png

 


If you have a home on a Lake, hopefully the Bots will figure out your category as Lake Front. 

Stephanie365_3-1652416809471.png

But what if your home is neither Lakefront nor Beachfront? The bots don't acknowledge you.
This is why going with AI machines picking categories instead of letting the Hosts themselves pick their categories is a Really Stupid Idea.


In the middle of the map above, the one with NO search results, is a large body of water called the Pamlico River that feeds into the Pamlico Sound of North Carolina.  Just below it is another large body of water; the Neuse River.  But based on the AirBNB Bot categories, one would think there are no waterfront homes in this area because neither the Lakefront nor the Beach searches recognize RIVERS, SOUNDS or BAYS.

Yet when I switch to "All Homes", look how many WATERFRONT listings there are on the Pamlico River? There are many more than just the ones shown; they pop up as the map is moved.

Stephanie365_4-1652417242570.png

There are another 2-3 dozen on the Neuse River which is just below Pamlico River...

Stephanie365_5-1652417334601.png


Your "AI Machines" aka Bots, missed every single one of these waterfront homes.

This really needs to be addressed.

 




 

 

Emilie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi @Stephanie365,

 

Appreciate how detailed your feedback is here, thank you for testing the Categories so thoroughly! We're in touch with the product team and passing on all your comments to them, as they are so, so valuable. I'll update you here as and when I get more clarifications!

 

Emilie

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Merci de jeter un oeil aux Principes du Community Center/ Please follow the Community Guidelines

Eszter34
Level 2
Budapest, Hungary

I have just a case with a moldy flat (I am allergic incl. asthma and did get serious problems to properly breath after staying only 30 minutes in that apartment - with open windows.) where AirBnB has closed my case without even giving an answer on my escalation. As the case got closed I opened already several new ones, but those got closed after the initial default response... 

I mean, if the AirBnB support will behave the same it won't make a difference if there is any "insurance" on a booking, as long as support just doesn't care about guests...