Ok, so just to clarify here - in many instances, refunds absolutely were being given in the form of travel vouchers, right up until Airbnb President of Homes, Greg Greeley's email was hastily despatched to hosts this weekend. It appears that public pressure from guests has forced a sudden U-turn on that slithery little practice now though. I posted the comment below on another thread, but will repost in full, as it's also relevant to this one.
Airbnb had already stated that they were doing this, in the More Flexible Reservations policy..
3. 100% Airbnb Guest Service Fee Refund
We will also do our part to provide guests more peace of mind. For bookings made now through June 1, 2020, if guests need to cancel and are not due a refund of the Airbnb guest service fee, we will refund that fee as a travel coupon which can be used on a future trip
https://news.airbnb.com/more-flexible-reservations-in-times-of-uncertainty/
However, in the latest policy update of March 15, it appears they may now have been compelled to bow to a furious backlash from guests, dropped any reference to "travel coupons as refunds", and felt the need to publicly state that Airbnb will not be benefitting from any cancelled reservations...
Susan,
New information is coming out about the coronavirus (COVID-19) every day, and we’ve talked with thousands of you who have been impacted personally or professionally. Many of us are hosts ourselves, and we understand this is a challenging time for members of our community.
On March 11th, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a global pandemic, and our customer support specialists have been overwhelmed with calls from people with flight cancellations, travel restrictions, and questions about whether it’s safe to open their homes or travel abroad. The world is worried, and we know that many of you are too.
We’ve worked hard to find a balance between supporting your hosting business and protecting the well-being of our collective community. This is a difficult time, and millions aren’t able to make their trips or welcome their guests. For the rest, it’s clear that no one should feel obligated to host or travel if they don’t feel comfortable right now.
For that reason, our extenuating circumstances policy will now apply globally* to eligible reservations booked on or before March 14th, and with at least one night between March 14th and April 14th.
In simple terms, this means that for eligible reservations:
You can cancel reservations without worrying about cancellation charges or impact to your Superhost status
Guests have the option to cancel reservations for a full refund
Our service fees will be refunded in full for every cancellation
This was a difficult decision, but the declaration of a global pandemic made it clear. Many of you may have cancellations that affect your earnings, but this is the right thing to do to prioritize our community’s health—and we believe it’s the right decision for your hosting business in the long term. *We also want to clarify that Airbnb won’t benefit from any reservations canceled under this policy* We're in this together.
We want you to know that we’re working on more ways to support you, and we’re committed to helping your business recover as quickly as possible. We’ll continue to reach out with new ways we’re fulfilling that commitment, and you can check Airbnb.com/COVID19 for regular updates.
Lastly, lean on this community. We’ve seen the way you’ve supported one another in the last few weeks, and in isolating moments like these, we need those connections even more.
We hope you and your families are staying healthy, and we’ll check in later this week.
With gratitude,
Greg Greeley
President, Airbnb
