COVID 19 and Extenuating Policy Extensions

[Amanda-and-Ian0]

Hi, wouldn't it make more sense to extend the policy till the end of August now rather than the month by month creeping changes.  I have bookings throughout July and August and neither my guests nor I can cancel without penalties, this does not give me control over my listing or my guests the flexibility in these uncertain times. 

My listing comes under two master the English and the Welsh Governments, one easing restrictions the other not, this make it very difficult to keep my guests informed over which policy the should adhere to.  I am concerned over guests arriving for their holiday and falling ill and having to self isolate for 14 days, the impact on my next guests would be catastrophic and extremely damaging to mine and AirBnb's reputation.

So please AirBNB give me control over my bookings without penalty to me or my guests and extend the policy till September and allow us to plan and delight our guests...

[Anonymous]

@Amanda-and-Ian0   Even big companies like Airbnb can have major cash-flow problems when a crisis hits. While they won't say this publicly, it's pretty safe to assume that the staggered extensions to the cancellation policy are aimed in part at spreading out the heavy cash losses.

The way they're managing it is annoying and confusing for everyone - and for many, an outright disaster - but it will be a bit harder to welcome and delight your guests in September if Airbnb goes bankrupt. If you missed the May 15 deadline for penalty-free Covid-related host cancellations, the best you can do is keep yourself updated regularly on the policy updates and inform your guests when it's the right moment to take action.