[Updated March 25th] Extending our series of global listening sessions this week

[Airbnb]

We know it’s a really difficult time for our community. Whether it’s disruptions to everyday life, your hosting income, or concerns about the safety of you and your family, the coronavirus has affected us all.

We also know how hard this pandemic has hit Airbnb hosts.  While we have been working behind the scenes to develop programs to help you, we want to open more lines of communication to gather and leverage your feedback and ideas. We’ve hosted over 20 listening sessions in the last three weeks, and we’re scheduling ten more in partnership with our community managers here to listen, ensure your feedback is taken into consideration, and give you ways to connect directly with us.

What you can expect: Our team is working around the clock to find ways we can support you through this time. And we want your feedback as we evaluate what will be most impactful. 

More than anything, we want you to know that you’re not alone. You’re part of a global community with all of us here at Airbnb and tens of thousands of fellow hosts.  So we hope you’ll join us. 

Here’s the schedule:

Please register for the meeting directly in the meeting links below (instructions to join a zoom meeting here).
Due to system limitations, this will be on a first come first serve basis. Registration will close 24 hours before the call.

Wednesday March 25th

Italian language listening session at 5:00PM CET. Meeting link here

Spanish language, hosted from Spain listening session at 5:00PM CET. Meeting link here 

French language listening session at 5:00PM CET. Meeting link here 

English language, hosted from US listening session at 5:00PM EST. Meeting link here

Thursday March 26th

Spanish language, hosted from Mexico listening session at 5:00PM CST. Meeting link here

Portuguese language, hosted from Brazil listening session at 5:00PM BRT. Meeting link here

Korean language listening session at 5:00PM KST. Meeting link here

Japanese language listening session at 5:00PM JST. Meeting link here

Friday March 27th

German language listening session at 5:00PM CET. Meeting link here

English language, hosted from UK listening session at 5:00PM GMT. Meeting link here

Thank you to everyone for sharing your thoughts, ideas, and feedback so far. If you have any other constructive ideas on how we can come together please do share them below. 

If you would like to talk generally about COVID19, please visit our dedicated CC board here, which our task force will continue to monitor. 

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

Posted previously here:

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Hosting/Covid-19-lets-help-each-other/m-p/1264264/highlight/true...

but why not here?

Don't give a 100% refund to guests.

The Extenuating Circumstances policy does NOT specify that a 100% refund will be made.

A tiered refund could be provided based on cancellation policy or a fairer flat level refund could be provided,

Hosts relying on Airbnb income NEED something.

For Hosts who don't really NEED that something, they could have an option to donate all or a portion of their share to more needy Hosts.

The pot then gets shared equally amongst the other Hosts.

66% refund to guests would work. 

To start, thats simple !

Some Hosts might elect to only receive 10- 20% leaving a greater amount for more needy Hosts.

More needy Hosts will survive by getting near 50% and we will prove actually to be a real community.

If you could update your Extenuating Circumstances along those lines then, we would all be grateful. 

Thanks.

[Ute42]

.

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 

Keep on dreaming.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Ute42 

”constructive ideas on how we can come together please do share them below. ”

Just trying to help them out.

Although, to think that any action might result is just folly.

And we want your feedback as we evaluate what will be most impactful. 

[Susan17]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 @Ute42 

Oh yippee!! Yet another exciting "listening" initiative! 

Like the one we heard about during the Airbnb Open in 2015 from Joe Gebbia.. 

Listening To Hosts - Airbnb Open 

https://youtu.be/VEX6g2Qz7ek

Or perhaps the "Celebrate Our Hosts" whistlestop world tour of March 2017, before embarking on which, our Bri declared himself "Not just CEO, but CEO AND Head of Hosts" We were promised that gig was "all about Airbnb listening more" too. 

Brian Chesky's Announcement.

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Community-Center-Updates/Brian-Chesky-s-Announcement/td-p/341738

And then in April 2019, we were treated to another whistlestop world tour (Tokyo, Sydney, London, Rome and Toronto) "to meet hosts in their own hometowns, and find out what's on their minds" - this time with Laura Chambers, then Global Head of Homes Hosts. 

Inside Look: Airbnb World Listening Tour 2019

https://community.withairbnb.com/t5/Airbnb-Updates/Inside-look-April-2019-world-listening-tour/td-p/...

Unfortunately, despite all that "listening", none of these costly initiatives ever resulted in a single positive change or improvement for the host "community". (Maybe just as well that airlines are grounded atm, or they'd probably be blowing the budget on another round-the-world beano) In fact, the more "listening" Airbnb claim to be doing, the worse things have gotten for hosts. It's action we need, not more empty bs words. 

"We’ve hosted over 20 listening sessions in the last three weeks, and we’re scheduling ten more"

Right. Why not add another couple of dozen sessions in too, @Airbnb? That way, you should be able to drag out the pretence of giving a flying fig long enough for this whole inconvenient coronavirus episode to be over, without you actually having to do anything even remotely constructive. 

[Tara249]

Conversely, I have a booked stay in Portugal, with a very rigid host, who refuses to accept my cancellation. With the State Department, asking U.S. citizens not to travel abroad, why hasn't AirBnb stepped in to extend the "extenuating circumstances" clause? Not only that, if I should cancel the stay in Portugal, AirBnb tells me I forfeit the pitiful $100 credit I received for being a Super Host numerous times. How very petty...

I too am a host in Asheville, North Carolina...I do rely on this income, but have accepted the many cancellations I have received. No guest really wants to cancel their stay, why on earth would I NOT refund them? I know, with my response to guests that have had to cancel, that they will book again with me, largely based on my reaction to their cancellation. It is simply the right thing to do. The virus will subside, hopefully it will go away entirely, leaving us and many others to re-build--how we behaved toward one another during this unfathomable time, will be with us always. 

[Sarah977]

@Tara249  As a host yourself, you must be aware that a host doesn't have to "accept my cancellation". You are quite free to cancel the reservation yourself. What you mean is that the host isn't willing to refund you 100%. 

That's unfortunate, for sure- I dialogued with the last guest I had on the books and we both agreed tht she should cancel. Luckily she was within the curent COVID policy dates, so she was refunded in full, but I would have refunded her in full, regardless. 

Have you asked the host in Portugal if she would be willing to apply the money you'll lose to a future booking? 

[Tara249]

Yes, @Sarah977 that is correct. Based on her communication or from what I can tell, different folks who are answering, I wouldn't book with her again. I hope that as we get closer to the booking date of late April, the extenuating policy will be extended beyond the April 14 they currently have. Many thanks!

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Tara249 

Do you have travel insurance?

[Tara249]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 we do...we got it for our flight in April, but haven't even tried to get through to the airlines regarding it. I assume it does not include AirBnb stays? Thank you so much!

[Sarah977]

@Tara249  Why would you assume it doesn't? You won't know until you comb over the policy and talk to the insurance co. If it covers cancelled accomodations due to circumstances beyond your control, Airbnb would fall under that just as a hotel room would. If it was a general travel insurance policy it might be covered, worth a try. If it was just cancellation insurance from the airline for your flight, I doubt accommodations would be covered.

[Tara249]

@Sarah977 I'm on it!! many thanks!

[Paulina238]

I understand but just as it is not the fault of the guest it is not the fault of the host, so you do not think it is fair that both lose in providing? here only the hosts are losing, now what do we do that we depend on that monthly income?

[Daiana43]

As a guest that booked my trip in December for April 18 for Madrid. I find the current cancellation window of only up to April 14 ridiculous. I would be travelling from Canada to Spain. It's not possible to just choose other dates. It's a huge trip. We planned for months and months. It's expensive. Our host refuses to accept the mutual cancellation offered by Airbnb. Airbnb refuses to do anything about this. I don't know what else to do

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[#15]

As a guest that booked my trip in December for April 18 for Madrid. I find the current cancellation window of only up to April 14 ridiculous. I would be travelling from Canada to Spain. It's not possible to just choose other dates. It's a huge trip. We planned for months and months. It's expensive. Our host refuses to accept the mutual cancellation offered by Airbnb. Airbnb refuses to do anything about this. I don't know what else to do

[Helen427]

@Daiana43 with the current situation worldwide you would be wise to postpone any international travel as it's simply not safe with Corona virus.

Trust me, it's so not worth it until it's under control where it's all spreading.

Please see my other posts about Airlines that appear to have repeated infections of it's passengers.

Hopefully the airlines will all join together and see the repeat patterns and look after there crew as those people's health & well being are important to.

Personally I think it was unwise of those who suggested people "Go back home" when this virus was known to be so contagious and dangerous  - who in their right mind would suggest a person further risk their lives with a serious virus to travel, often very long distances.