Key takeaways from CEO Brian Chesky’s message to our hosts

[Airbnb]

Over the past three weeks, we've held more than 50 online listening sessions with hosts from around the world, tracking every suggestion to learn where you’re hurting the most and how Airbnb can support you. 

Speaking from his home in San Francisco on Monday, CEO Brian Chesky announced three key initiatives and programs aimed specifically at helping our hosts:

1. We’re investing $250 million USD to share in the cost of COVID-19 cancellations.

We’re providing updated coverage under our extenuating circumstances policy for accommodation reservations booked on or before March 14 and with a check-in between March 14 and May 31, 2020. If a guest cancels an eligible reservation in this window, we’ll pay you 25% of what you would normally receive through your cancellation policy. For example, if you would’ve received $400 USD for a normal cancellation, we'll pay you 25% of that—or $100 USD. This cost will be covered entirely by Airbnb, with no impact to the guest. We view this as an investment in our future together.

Reservations booked after March 14 will not qualify for the COVID-19-related extenuating circumstances cancellations. Learn more at Airbnb.com/250MSupport.

2. We’re creating a $10 million USD relief fund for Superhosts and Airbnb Experiences hosts.

We know some of you are facing serious financial hardships, and we want to help. This fund will offer grants to Superhosts and Experiences hosts who need money to stay in the homes they live in. 

Our employees started the fund by raising the first $1 million USD, and our founders contributed the additional $9 million USD. Learn more about who is eligible at Airbnb.com/superhostrelief.

3. We’re making it easy for your previous guests to add contributions that go to you directly.

Just a few weeks ago, our global community was bringing more than 2 million people together every day. Collectively, you've made many millions of people feel at home. And thousands of them have told us how grateful they are for your flexibility—so we’re making it easy for them to help. We'll reach out to guests who’ve stayed with you recently and left 5-star reviews to ask if they want to send a note and a contribution in connection with a previous reservation. You will receive 100% of any guest contributions. 

This is just a start

We know many of you want—or need—to host right now, whether on the front lines or for people who live nearby. To help further support you, we’re also working on the following:

• Insurance options for you and your guests
• Programs to drive demand during the recovery period
• Airbnb housing for COVID-19 responders
• Cleaning guidelines and protocols informed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

 We will get through this together

Airbnb and our community are facing this challenging time together. We’ll continue working day and night toward solutions, and we’ll communicate regularly and transparently on the steps we’re taking to help you. We’re adapting in real time to the changing situation, but what doesn’t change is that when travel returns, your homes are the places where people want to stay.

At the core of our business is what is core to the human experience—that fundamental desire to connect and explore. It will take time to bounce back, but we will bounce back together. As always, thank you for being part of the Airbnb community, and thank you for all that you do to help us create a world where anyone can belong anywhere. 

[Kalika0]

I agree I had a cruise canceled and they did not offer my money back. I received a credit for future use. 

[Robin4]

@Wendy1078 

Wendy, I don't think you will find a lot of sympathisers....I am not saying that you are wrong but, there is a principal here that I think you are bypassing!

I have run a business all my life, I was always at the coal face, always the first one to work in the morning, always the one to take the heavy end of a piece of equipment that had to be lifted. Wendy, you lead by example. Some times it's hard....let me tell you a story......

I had these friends (Sue and Peter Sweeney) who had a beautiful century old house in a prestigious suburb and they asked me to air condition a large extension they had built onto the original house. Sue (the wife) asked me to leave provision in the air conditioning to incorporate the old part of the house into the ducted system when they had the ceiling renovated. I did as was requested, blanked off the take-off which would eventually go to the old part of the house and she and Peter were delighted. 

Eighteen months went by and I had forgotten all about the job until one day Sue rang and said..."Rob, we are ready to get that air con into the rest of the house. I said "Great Sue, I will bring a couple of the guys around and we will get stuck into it"! I showed our workers what I wanted done and left them to it!

Now Sue was into interior design and she had scoured the earth for these 3 light fittings in the main hallway. They were Indian Float lamps from the 19th century.....intricate hand etched crystal and gold braid. One of our guys came out of a room waving his ladder around like Luke Skywalker with his light sabre and managed to hit one of the light fittings and break it! He said to me....."Rob, what is she stressing about, I will buy her another one"....at that point I said something I regret saying! I never belittled an employee but I was so cross, I said...."Shaun, you have no idea what is going on here. That light fitting was worth more than the rest of your life! What do you thing you are going to do, zip down to light-land and grab another one off the shelf, Jesus, it's not going to happen!"

I shouldn't have said that but I was so cross that this has become my problem!

I went around and knocked on the door, Sue answered it and I could see she had been crying and I said to her....."Sue, what can I say".  She thumped me in the chest and said...."I trusted you"!!!

When you are the CEO you take responsibility for what you offer.....you put things right! I never ran away from a problem throughout my life and I don't have a lot of respect for those who do!

Cheers......Rob

[Andrea1543]

Ciao @Wendy1078.........it's easy be Honest when you're Billionaire as him.

He's Funny , "putting" his face only after 30 days of Silence meanwhile all host around the world are completely abandoned , the small , medium and big one I mean ....ALL. 

Airbnb it's not a Humanitarian company and we didn't work for the glory , they have 20% fee commission when everything is running "normal" with the booking ...and when there is a problem as now , what they do ? All refund for the guest with our money not them one. Is not correct. I had 650 cancellation in one month in my 54 apartments , I understand about the situation. But Why Cancellation Policy are not respected ?  Why ? It's easy now , with all Calendar "empty" be honest and heart felt and "pretend" to help host with this action.   Ridicoulus.

Anyway i don't want discuss with you , it's only personal " outburst" )))))) . Sorry About it! Bye Bye From Milan , Italy. 

[Michelle53]

No matter what compensation was offered, it was entirely likely that it would not please everyone. 

So I'm pretty sure there was careful calculation going on behind the scenes to establish who would be least upset.

Taking the total amount of money offered and dividing it equally amongst all active hosts would give everyone something, albeit a small amount.

Who would be happy with that ?   Small, independent hosts with maybe one room to offer, as they would be most likely to view it as equitable. 

Who would be unhappy with that ?   Hosts with a number of listings, with high traffic, since it compensates the host and not the listing. 

Ok, so taking into account where the largest constituency of hosts might be, hosts with multiple listings, how best could one compensate those folks ?

Well, how about a percentage of the cancelled business ?. 

Who would be happy with that ?    Probably all hosts, since, again, everyone gets something in equal proportion. 

Who would be unhappy with that ?   Probably Airbnb, since the dollar liability might be a lot bigger than the budget allocated. 

So then the question for Airbnb becomes how to compensate the largest number of hosts/listings without busting the budget.  While also recognizing a small number of vocal superhosts.  While also gaining great press. 

Answer : Using the in-force cancellation policy.  Adding a dedicated Superhost fund (with limitations).  Well publicizing the dollar amount (which seems enormous until you start actually sharing it out). 

I'm pretty sure the numbers were well-crunched before the announcement. 

[Andrea1543]

Totally Agree @Michelle53 , for sure Great Commercial Campaign ( FOR THEM ). 

[Valerie849]

If I am understanding this right... Airbnb is taking money away from those with a strict policy by reducing their earnings from 50% to 12.5%.. giving money to no one.. yet has the audacity to market this egregious takeaway as a generous $250 million payout..

Am I missing something?

[Susan17]

@Valerie849 

No, you're not missing anything - it's exactly as you've written it above. Actually, yours is the best description I've seen of the situation, in a nutshell. Classic Airbnb behaviour - screwing you over, while making the world believe they're doing you a massive favour.

[Adita0]

Hello,

thank you for this post. May I know the procedure. To apply for the grant for superhost? In Dire need here in India. 

warm regards

Adita

[Jason1350]

I’m as anxious and in need as you, my understanding is they’ll be notifying us directly with a link to apply. 

[Phanita0]

I am a super host because of my guests and their reviews.  I do take it personally to meet and get to know all of my guests and then make sure they will have the best time on their holiday. I have bend over backwards many times to help them get the things they have lost! Now with this situation COVID-19 going on and the behavior of Airbnb and Brian Chesky with his empty words. I do rent 5 properties that I furnished to the to rent out to guests on holiday! and because of I  5 properties, I don't qualify for the relief fund for Superhosts? Well, time will show if I can afford to host the guests in the future, just to mention I am a Thai citizen in Thailand and there is NO government to help me or anyone else, but I am punished even by Airbnb because I  host to many guests..... 

[Allison17]

Where did you see that hosts with multiple properties do not qualify?

[Jason1350]

@Allison17 It’s in the highlights of this original thread, go to the top and click original message to view the thread. 

[Green-Area-Apartments0]

" If we allowed guests to cancel and receive a refund, we knew it could have significant consequences on your livelihood. But, we couldn’t have guests and hosts feel pressured to put themselves into unsafe situations and create an additional public health hazard. " 

Well, the guests could have stayed at home, received half the refund (or according to the existing policy which MUST take into account such eventualities) and there would be no public health hazard. 

"Please know this decision was not a business decision, but based on protecting public health."

What a lame excuse. 

Everyone lost money on this Covid-19 thing, but AirBnb wants to protect their future clientele. 

Also, they kept their own fees which they gave back as "coupons". 

[Alex---Michael0]

Thanks for highlighting that airbnb only gives guests who cancel coupons. Two faced as ...t

[Serafina2]

@Airbnb Does anybody know when and how these 25% payouts will be processed?