Airbnb 2022 Summer Release: What you need to know

[Airbnb]

Our 2022 Summer Release represents the biggest change to Airbnb in a decade. We’re introducing:

• Airbnb Categories: A new way to search that makes it easy for guests to discover millions of homes they never knew existed

• Split Stays: An innovative feature that pairs two listings when a guest searches for a longer stay

• AirCover: The most comprehensive protection in travel, included for free with every stay

Get all the details on the Resource Center, and tell us: Will you be updating your listing for Airbnb Categories and Split Stays? How will you update it?

[Summit-View0]

@Airbnb @James2743 @Rhonda45 @Kimberly718 @Jeff1719 

Instead of doing a 'summer release' how about releasing to me and to thousands of other hosts delayed payments?

I am a.disillusioned and disappointed host.

My $300,000 villa for 15 guests and swimming pool had its first guests on a 28 night stay COMPLETED SUCCESSFULLY in March 2022 but the thousands of dollars owed to me were never sent to me.

I am in touch with 19 (nineteen, not a typo) Airbnb support team members and they are all clueless and not willing or unable to help.

I wasted 85 hours messaging, calling, writing about my ordeal on the Community Center... In my desperation I even wrote to high ranking individuals on the corporate ladder at Airbnb but the result is zero.

Airbnb 'support' (oh, the irony!) keeps apologising to me and 'reassures' me their 'engineers' are working on the supposed 'technical glitch' (what technical glitch can prevent funds for a 28 night stay the guests stayed until the very last day and even got a late check out on the 28th day from being sent to a verified payout method?!?).

The bottom line is Airbnb is failing hosts and guests alike and I recommend all avoid this fraudulent company like the plague.

I have not one, not two but THREE verified payout methods 

[Rhonda45]

I would report this lack of payment to your states attorney general as well as the AG of California.  

[Stephanie365]

And the media....

[Huma0]

@Molly396

Well, that is just nonsense really. First, the rep tells you that listings are chosen for categories 'manually' and then goes on to list how they are actually chosen by AI. Total contradiction.

As for the second part, it also doesn't make sense, because what has self check in or a flexible cancellation policy got to do with being beachfront or a tiny home or having a grand piano or whatever else?

As for the suggestions I got from CS to improve my views after this summer release, they were:

1. Lower your prices (nope, my are already too low)

2. Shorten your minimum stay (nope, I host long term guests for a reason and anyway, Airbnb report that long term bookings are at an all time high, so why should that suddenly be necessary? It should be the opposite).

3. Open up dates on your calendar (nope, those dates are blocked either because they don't meet the minimum stay requirement or, more commonly, because I have direct bookings, which I would fold without because Airbnb has screwed me since this Summer Release).

[Jeff1719]

I like the new changes as well.  One addition I'd love to see is a high speed internet amenity.  I typically just see WiFi.  At a recent trip to Italy I measured 5Mb or less throughput in 2 Airbnb's that we stayed in.  They were lovely places and they did have WiFi service.  But occassionally I'd get errors just trying to open certain websites (banking for example) as the throughput was so low.  For people working remotely this is a requirement.  Maybe have a category for "working remotely" which includes high speed internet, a working desk or space, generally quiet apartment, good lighting, etc...

[Emilie]

@Jeff1719 We introduced last year a feature for Hosts to verify their listing's WiFi speed, but that is a great suggestion, thank you! I'll share it with the team. 🙂

[Kevin129]

I agree with @Jeff1719. Most of my guests are remote working or studying and connectivity is super important to them. I have 1Gb ethernet sockets in all my rooms and I have guests who are games developers etc who connect their desktops and work here in the house. 

I have this on my listing titles but these are no longer displayed when the guests do a search which is quite a disadvantage to guests and to me really (I really don't like that change)

Also it would be better if Airbnb wifi test could be run through the web front end. At the moment it's only available on the mobile apps. But I can't connect my phone to an ethernet socket. Also my old iphone 6s can't measure 1G wifi speeds - it can't measure more than about 500M. I can measure both with my macbook which is newer but I can't install the mobile apps on a laptop. 

Emile - maybe you could pass these comments to the product managers? 

[Emilie]

@Kevin129 Of course, I've shared your comments with them as well! 🙂

[Louise1097]

We use it, but it does not work for many folks on our local Air group.

[Gillian166]

@Jeff1719 they have this in amenities and hosts could provide a wifi test speed. For the reason you mention I tell my guests the internet is dodgy. Expectations set! 😉

[Louise1097]

The ability to verify speed was introduced some time ago. We use it. It does not work for many people though, including most on my local Air group.

[Kimberly718]

All, Make sure you submit a ticket and feedback, the only way Airbnb will hear us is if we are loud. I spoke to someone today who of course couldn't do a darn thing so write, submit multiple tickets and inundate Airbnb with feedback. The squeaky wheel gets the oil. : 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/feedback?_ga=2.224747418.1252609813.1652530773-2103335467.1649787412

[Rhonda45]

[Rhonda45]

The arbitrary random 7 day dates in the future are extremely confusing to guests trying to book as they have to believe this is the only date available.  The guest has to click reserve, clear the dates that come up on the calendar and then edit.  I think I am losing bookings because of this hot and unnecessary insertion of some day in the future.  

When I plan a trip I like to look at the listing and check availability rather than put in number of guests and dates of travel.  

Also, AIRBnB has put the discount price for a 7 day stay under each listing which guests will believe this is the cost of the rental and not the 7 day discount.  I had to go in and manually change my discounts to 0 so I won’t be blamed for baiting and switching.  All hosts should be made aware of this.

airbnb has no right to put arbitrary future dates under a listing as well as a deceiving cost based on a 7 day stay discount.  I will give the discount now through a refund rather than be blamed for having a lower price for a stay.

I am very upset.  AIRBnB should check with hosts on changes because we do know what guests want and we do not want to cheat them. 

[Nancy1633]

@Rhonda45  @Sybe @Airbnb  In total agreement-- and thanks for the tip re: setting discounts to 0%.  Posting arbitrary and discounted rates on listings is confusing and misleading, as you say. Guests are led to falsely believe the property isn't available until the distant future, and the nightly booking rate is artificially low. THIS MAKES NO SENSE. Folks booking vacations want to CHOOSE their own dates on the calendar, and SEE for themselves what the availabilities are.  Needless to say, no bookings at all since this unprovoked confusion foisted upon Hosts and Guests.  Pissed