I am delighted that the "test" is over. I have had two new bookings since the "base" price has been reinstated.
Consumers using Airbnb, at least in the US, are accustomed to seeing the base price- that is the price the host has chosen and approved. The user knows there are fees associated and they can see a complete breakdown of what those fees are prior to booking.
The all-inclusive pricing test simply tagged the price with a note that said it included fees but there was not breakdown until it was booked.
Visually, my property listed at $335/night became $457/night (for a 3 day stay) The user assumed that was the base price and it's Maine in the winter...... I had no inquiries on my property during the "test"
Airlines and hotels show base price. If one of them changed that to include fees, taxes etc it would give their competitors a huge advantage. That's why they don't do it!
It is also important to note that the Airbnb customer service centers were not fully aware of the change. When I called, my customer service person couldn't figure out why my base price wasn't showing and had to contact another help team for assistance. This took a week of back and forth until the other team informed her of the change.....
Again, why fix something that is not broken?