I am disappointed that there is no system of reply when submitting a view to 'feedback'. For a general policy decision, those that answer our emails cannot give an answer, so I submit here what I have written:
My guest with a reservation 3rd - 9th July, John Verhoeven expressed a wish on 28th April, to cancel due to Covid-19. I asked him wait to see if your "exceptional circumstances policy" would be extended to cover July. It is obvious that flying in July remains a risk that many persons will not be willing to take, even if more airports are opened by then. Until there is a vaccine and/or the virus largely dies out, or possibly better detection measures, all of which are unlikely before July 2020, there will remain high levels of risk within a confined space like an aircraft, with or without testing at the airports. Furthermore, I did have another guest booked for the following week in July and at a very early stage he cancelled with you for reasons of the virus, but he had made his booking after 10th March. It seems most wrong to penalise one booking, whilst making a full refund to the other, who was presumable encouraged to book but with the promise of a full refund, for marketing purposes.
I write to ask that Airbnb very quickly now extend the above policy to apply to July because guests need to make firm plans at this stage. Unless there is a dramatic change according to medical opinion, this should be extended to August too eventually. Whatever policies countries have about quarantine or slight opening up and Spain is not allowing anyone in from abroad currently, it is right and proper that the extenuating circumstances policy applies to any booking this summer if the guest feels they must cancel due to Covid-19, primarily for the risks of air travel. Any knowledge of transmission of this virus will show that it is a risk. One infected person's breath will circulate around the plane and in only one or two hours and could infect other passengers. Masks are known not to protect persons, merely reduce their breath particles spreading into the immediate environment but their breath has to eventually filter out. Plane filters can't deal with viruses. Viruses are infinitely smaller than bacteria which is all the airlines claim their planes can filter. Current tests at airports are not sufficient proof as persons can be asymptomatic.
Airbnb cannot penalise guests if they do not feel safe to travel and the risk is higher for older passengers. Nor do I feel I should be penalised in any way if I cancel the booking to assist my client and this is what the guests are asking me to do. I should be pleased to have it confirmed that I would not loose my Superhost status nor be ineligible for your compensatory payment of 25% for which I am grateful as my income loss is considerable and will be much more.
In addition I should like to add that leading medical opinion is suggesting a second wave of infection is very likely through travel opening up, just as those returning from ski-ing in March contributed very significantly to the spread of the virus in Europe.
What is the logic of allowing a full refund to check-ins through to December if they made the booking after 10th March and not making a full refund to someone who booked well before Covid-19 was seen as likely to cause such a major disruption to our lives that it has become. I request a consistent fairness to clients.
Margaret Townley
