What would you wish on your Airbnb shooting stars?

[Debra300]

I read a great conversation started by @Cassandra176, where she requested that search filters for the nightly rate include all fees and taxes, and the total price be displayed in all search results (app, desktop and mobile browser, map display).  https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Feature-Request-Filter-and-sort-by-TOTAL-price-including....

I think she has a legitimate gripe and request, and it made me think about the things I'd like to see implemented as a traveler and host.  

1.  Most guests and hosts are unaware that the only way a special offer can be sent to a guest is in response to a booking request.  Let's give guests the ability to submit a formal special offer as an inquiry or request to book. Also, allow hosts to send a special offer in response to an inquiry similar to how they can send special offers as a response to booking requests.  With these features, the reservation is automatically confirmed when the offer is accepted by the propositioned party.  Right now, a guest can send an inquiry message with a suggested special offer, and the host can pre-approve/decline the inquirer to make a reservation at the listed rate.  

2.  If there is an agreement on a special offer, the host can only change the nightly rate in the reservation, and has to do extra calculations to reduce/eliminate any fees to determine the final price.  For example, they agree upon a 10% discount on a $60 nightly rate for a three night stay, and elimination of the $20 cleaning fee.  The host has to calculate the nightly discount ($60 x .10 = $6), then divide the cleaning fee among the number of nights of the stay ($20 + 3 = $6.67), add the two discounts ($6 + $6.67 = $12.67), reduce the nightly rate by the total nightly discount ($60 - $12.67 = $47.33), and then multiple the reduced rate by the number of nights and enter that that number as the new nightly rate ($47.33 x 3 = $141.99).  It would be clearer and easier if the host could adjust the nightly rate and fees separately, and have fields for discount amount or discount percentage.

3.  Another item is enable guests and hosts to extend a reservation within X hours after checkout ends, if the extension doesn't conflict with the booking buffer of the next reservation.  For example, guests send a message to the host that they want to stay two additional nights.  The host updates the reservation dates, but the guest doesn't see the message before checkout ends.  The reservation preference is set up with a two day booking buffer before and after each reservation, and the next reservation is scheduled a week away.  The guest are unable to reserve the two days immediately after their initial reservation unless the host temporarily removes the booking buffer.  During this time other guests would be able to make reservations that require a turn over faster than the host can support.

What would you wish for other than not having your bookings canceled due to bogus EC claims, and being able to get CS before your phone battery dies?

[Sally221]

I was one of the guilty parties sometimes using the better suited to a hotel people & I abjectly apologize- how about "would be happier in a setting with 24 concierge  & industrial laundry services"?

 Wouldn't it be fine if someone actually took in this excellent feedback & improved the platform?

I would add  to the wish list that those between 18 & 21 could only book a listing with special approval from the host. It  supposedly is a bit discriminatory  but it's common practice for car rentals & having the special approval clause would allow responsible kids to book.

 Because I am an on site host I haven't had  those party problems but I've had folks cancel (good on them) when they realized that fact & I worried about the host who ended up hosting the partiers, having raised my share of kids, I can catch the vibe.

[Yadira22]

I also wish Airbnb released information regarding their coding and actions needed on our side as to pull our listing up. 

More realistic nightly rates being recommended.

An FYI for when they update a policy/ToS

A quarterly listen sessions  between developers and hosts and guests (held separately), who better than the people who use it daily as to critic it.  As a collective of individuals we are actually quite interesting and so varied in terms of education, profession, politics etc so would at least be an interesting approach. 

Finally when you hold a listening session- even if you decide to ignore it, at least acknowledge it first. 

Policies which are written more specifically and not so ambiguous that they read more like « we hear you but this is open to interpretation » . 

[Anonymous]

@Yadira22 What I dislike about the Listening Session format is that it's rigorously engineered to eliminate any possibility that a rogue staffer might veer off-script and be accidentally candid. How nice it would be if the people working on features relevant to users were permitted to actually engage directly with the community, ask questions, and respond to feedback in a human voice rather than blowing sunshine up our holes. Hosts would be perfectly happy to do away with all the touchy-feely kindergarten nonsense and be addressed as adults.

[Yadira22]

@Anonymous  Have never been part of one but could already imagine it being as you explained. Only if it were fully candid would it work but again my brain says « dream on Yadi » 😉

[Debra300]

I forgot to list an Airbnb stars wish that I had posted on the conversation where we were asked if we used the guest email feature.

On the Airbnb message system I wish that there were indicators that a message has been received and read.  Expedia has this, and it's quite helpful.  I have a very experienced guest arriving today, and had sent him three messages during the past two weeks, but received no response.  I finally called him, and let him a voice message that he needs to confirm receipt of the messages before I send him the door code.  That got his attention, but I had to do the same thing for a first time Airbnb guest earlier this month.  

This wish kind of falls in line with @Huma0's wish for automated confirmation that the guest has read the house rules.