Covid-19 Travel Credit Expiry Extension

[Ben3813]

@Airbnb  I like many others were put in a position to accept travel credit in lieu of a refund when the covid-19 pandemic started in 2020. I understand that the current rules are that this credit must be redeemed and the travel booking must begin before 30 December 2021.

The purpose of my original booking was for a family vacation that included family members joining from international locations. Owing to ongoing travel restrictions which are predicted to stay in place for months to come, application for leave and flight bookings, rebooking such a trip this year is not feasible, sensible or reasonable.  

This is an evolving situation which has gone on for a longer period of time that many thought it would and I believe that Airbnb owes it to its customers to review this situation and change the use of travel credit given for Covid-19 pandemic cancellations accordingly. This money was paid to Airbnb in good faith for the purpose of staying at properties listed and hosted by this platform and I have no issue in rebooking through Airbnb again. But considering the ongoing pandemic, to force customers to use this credit for a stay within 2021 is in my opinion unjust, unfair and lacks due consideration.

I would therefore URGE Airbnb to review their position with a suggestion that travel credit can be applied to a booking made by 30 December 2021 but for a booking that is to take place in 2022. I do not believe this request to be unreasonable and is an amendment that makes sense considering the unprecedented ongoing nature of this global pandemic. 

[Sarah977]

@Ben3813  This is a discussion forum for hosts and guests, not Airbnb customer service. You would need to discuss this with Airbnb, but I predict they won't consider it.

As you have almost a year to use this credit, I suggest you think of alternatives to using it, like a booking for yourself and immediate family somewhere not far from where you live, where it's feasible for you to travel to, rather than a credit to be used for the same type of event, i.e. family reunion.

[Ben3813]

@Sarah977  I contacted Airbnb customer service and they advised me that travel credit given in lieu of a refund during the Covid pandemic (specifically travel credit given for that reason) could be used for bookings in 2022 as long as the booking was confirmed before the expiry of 30 December 2021. The terms for the use of this type of travel credit are therefore different than those given on their website and also the email given upon issuance of the credit, hence the confusion. 

I hope that this may assist other Airbnb customers who are also in a similar situation.

[Alex7837]

Hi @Ben3813 , thank you for your post. I am in the same situation as yourself where I made a booking for a family vacation and due to the Covid pandemic and travel restrictions, we now have a significant amount of money in travel credit. Due to such travel restrictions, re-booking our trip this year is not feasible before the expiration of my travel credit.

However, Airbnb are refusing to allow me to use my travel credit (i.e. make a booking before 30 December 2021) for a vacation that my family and friends can actually use in 2022. I am incredibly disappointed by this lack of support, particularly given such a financially difficult time. My family and friends cannot afford losing their money in these vouchers (as we will not be able to travel this year), and we cannot afford to pay again for the same trip for next year as a result of Airbnb being unfair and inflexible with the Covid-related travel credit that they provided to the customers impacted by travel restrictions.

[Joy1154]

Hi Alex,

Did you ever get any resolution to this issue?  I have £973 credit I want to use for a booking next year and they won’t allow me.  

thanks

joy

[Courtney410]

@Ben3813 That's great for you! How were you able to book? The system will not allow me to use the credit for any bookings with a check in after Dec 31/21

[Yaicha1]

Hi Ben,

I came across this post whilst searching for help with my similar situation. I am curious if airbnb actually extended your credit for use in 2022 or not. They refuse to do so with my credit, even though I offer to pay now (July 2021) for our trip in March 2022. According to them, we must TRAVEL before 31 December, 2021 to use the credit. 

I hope it did work for you and would love to know the details!

Cheers,

Yaicha

[Kq1]

@Ben3813 I face a similar situation as well. I booked an accomodation in Sydney, Australia in Nov 2019 for a family trip with elderly and an infant planned for Apr 2020. Covid19 happened, and Airbnb only had the option to refund via travel credits to be used by 30 Dec 21.

As you rightly said, the situation is an evolving one, with multiple changes in travel restrictions of countries across the world and new variants of Covid19 further worsening the situation and increasing the risks of travel.  The problem has gone on for a longer period of time that many thought it would - Airbnb thought a year would cut it, hence placing the expiry of the travel credits as Dec 21.

Well,  they should definitely review the situation and either extend the expiry date of the travel credits, or allow for full cash refund -- an option that was not available to us, the group if Airbnb customers first hit by the pandemic.

I have tried writing to them once in Sep 2020, after seeing that the pandemic situation has not improved globally, but the customer service stuck deadbeat to quoting me the policy.   

I do not understand why as customers we have to beg for our money back and scramble through lengthy policy writings only to find no answers, instead of having the company - especially one trying to make a international mark on the travel scene as a provider of unique travel experiences - reach out to us to understand our difficulties and be more open in offering options. Instead, the impression I get is that they are welcoming only on the surface and once your money is locked in with them, they are stingy with their support for refund options because their profit margins matter more than the real problems faced by customers. It sours the travel experience with them, really.

There are only 3 months to the expiry of the travel credits, and I will be writing to them to see what they can offer.

[Matias198]

I am in the same situation with a trip booked to Tokyo in 2020, I simply do not understand what's the problem with having these credits changed to a 'no expiration date', the money was paid to AirBnb and we should be able to use it whenever we best see fit. 

[Julia3166]

Indeed, this is an unpleasant situation, because such an attitude to their customers does not give the company anything good. This attitude repels potential customers and even more spoils the reputation. I still think that Airbnb may reconsider its decision, because at the moment the cavid 19 pandemic has decreased, and this allows many people to travel because quarantine measures are no longer in effect. Moreover, the company must provide an alternative, for example, to present a certificate of vaccination or pass a negative test for coronavirus, as I did when I went to the mountains from here https://bluehouseskis.com/ .In general, there are always solutions, so start talking to them, and you will come to a common solution.

[Ben3305]

Since my first post, we were not able to make any booking due to the resurgence of the pandemic globally. As such, I am also now in the same position of losing our credits which is tantamount to theft in my opinion. We all paid money to this platform, essentially held in trust, to be disbursed upon the successful and fair completion of the service they so happily advertise. The fact that we still cannot travel freely should mean that the voucher period is extended or the money is refunded in full!!

[Sarah977]

@Ben3305  If you are referring to the Superhost voucher, the idea that "the money should be refunded in full" is odd. You didn't pay any money for it- it was a gift with an expiry date. There is nothing to "refund".

Don't get me wrong, I think it's mean- spirited for Airbnb not to extend the expiry. What's even more mean-sprited and greedy is that if one uses a travel voucher for a booking, but then has to cancel, that voucher is lost, it can't be used again.

[Sarene0]

Glad to find some people that were in the same situation as I was a year ago. I still did not get any refund from AirBnB, and I think they just preferred to ignore me and my messages.

[Nat11213]

I booked an apartment in NYC for a week in June 2021. Still, the owner canceled it due to additional COVID restrictions in the city. And I have already paid for the place! I wanted to get the money back, but they ignored my message. Some say that I need to call the head office or contact dbauskunft.com, but I don’t know the number, and I am not sure that it will help. I get that they are not in the best shape now, but they still have some obligations in front of their clients.