@Debbie884 Both you and the host seem to be mistaken. What you sent was an Inquiry - not a binding request. Even if the host pre-approves it, that does not hold the dates on the calendar for you. So until the moment that you accept the pre-approval and commit to the booking, your chosen dates can still be booked by anyone else. When a binding Reservation Request is accepted or an Instant Book is placed that overlaps with your inquiry dates, your inquiry and the associated pre-approval are automatically canceled.
There is no point in contacting Airbnb about this. The mistake was yours, not theirs, and It's not like they're going to cancel someone else's confirmed booking because you had your eyes on it first. And your host is certainly not going to cancel that booking, because doing so will result in Airbnb charging them a penalty fine and blocking them from re-booking the dates. In the future, if you don't want to be disappointed like this again, use the "Reserve" button rather than "Contact Host." From that field, you enter your payment details and agree to the terms, and the dates are secured in the host's calendar unless they decline the booking.
