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. 

[Leslie582]

I wonder if AirBNB considered that many people who book their stays on a credit card have trip cancellation insurance as a perk of their card.  Of course, we have no way of knowing who does and who doesn't, but I suspect a good number of cancellations may not really need the full refund from AirBNB/hosts.  

[Sarah977]

@Leslie582  Most insurance policies have a clause which exempts them from paying out for claims resulting from a pandemic situation. This has been pointed out over and over again here on the forum.

[Leslie582]

TY

[Valerio112]

Still waiting for the announcement to fire the ceo as responsible for taking the wrong decision in giving full refunds

[Denise1117]

Its time for a class action.  Two times unilaterally shutting property owners down with an override of OUR policies.  Not a government order -just Airbnb whim

[Louise0]

You can't take a class action, the Terms and Conditions to which you agreed expressly prohibit it and direct you to arbitration instead.

Arbitration is an expensive exercise to start as an individual, but as many companies have found to their detriment, a mass wave of individual arbitration actions can bury them.  There's a firm in the US that has sought to profit from this seeming anomaly and funds 'mass arbitration' actions.  I won't post the link, but a few clicks should find it.

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Louise0 

Interesting point about the 'mass arbitration' actions for USA members. Interestingly too, in European 'Terms and Conditions' no such 'class action' restriction exists.

@Carina126 

[Louise0]

@Ian-And-Anne-Marie0 Yes and no.  It applies to all, regardless of location of the plaintiff, but only in instances where the defendant is Airbnb Inc.   However, anyone whose country of residence is outside the USA has no contractual relationship with Airbnb Inc, so Airbnb Inc wouldn't be the party to any litigation around breach of contract in any case.

The interesting thing is the frequency with which US hosts start the rallying cry for a class action.  The prohibition against it is at the very top of the Terms of Service, in bold.  Proof indeed that it's not just guests who 'don't read'.

[Valerio112]

No refunds anywhere all platforms are adjusting 

[Jessica-and-Henry0]

@Valerio112 

Even travel insurance won't pay if someone booked KNOWING about travel bans or restrictions. This is just in line with making people take responsibility for their own decisons. 

Personally I think any bookings (regardless of platform) made after WHO officially announced covid-19 a pandemic should NOT get full refunds under FM or EC clauses and that whatever cancellation policy was in place at the time of booking should be respected. 

People who booked nonrefundable even though they knew there is a strong possibility they might not be able to travel after all, and who booked knowing there is a stay-at-home order..... thinking covid-19 will provide a loophole for them to get a refund anyway don't deserve  to get a refund...... imo.

[Valerio112]

Agree

[Paola80]

Anche io sarei d'accordo se ci fosse una realtà corrispondente!

Buonasera,  sono Paola gestisco alloggi in Svizzera,  vedo molti superhost. Potreste proporre in alternativa della cancellazione con rimborso totale, prediletto ovviamente dai guess,  un rimborso parziale completato da un vaucher a tempo indeterminato ed eventualmente cedibile.

Oppure potreste proporre un vaucher cedibile , ovvero, chiunque prenotera le stesse date da lui annullate potrà scegliere un rimborso o conservare il vaucher. 

Per i gruppi si potrebbe considerare un multivaucher si divide il totale per il numero di vaucher richiesti. Ce da chiedersi se airbnb sarebbe disposto a farlo?! Bha!

Buonanotte 

[Lee353]

Has anyone been able to pin down 1) how to get this reimbursement  or 2) when the payout would actually occur?

[Ian-And-Anne-Marie0]

@Lee353 

Has anyone been able to pin down 1) how to get this reimbursement  or 2) when the payout would actually occur?

...and 3)whether the payment will be in travel vouchers

[Alberto-and-Lily0]

I was wondering the same thing so I messaged Airbnb. They indicated that one should be informed and payed sometime this month. No actions required