@Lizzie - It's nice that Airbnb is asking our opinion.
What Airbnb is doing is lumping all "Superhosts" into the same category for cancelling when they have clearly defined that a host can achieve this status without being the same. We host almost 200 guest stays a year in just our one guest room and yet, we're getting the same "benefits" as a Superhost who hosts 4 guests a year. We are also on the IB system, so we don't spend time in advance sorting out our guests so our "unlimited" cancellations for guests that make us uncomfortable kicks in. And still, in over 4 years, we've never cancelled a guest. Even when we were forced out of town for family deaths. We were professionals and figured out a way to make it work for the guest and for us. That being said, there have been plenty of guests I wanted to cancel when they were not communicating, or asked for unreasonable things, so giving me the option to "out" might be nice. But at what cost exactly? I'm not sure my Superhost status means much of anything anymore and I've been a 16-quarter superhost without a single cancellation. Clearly that my listing has fallen by 5-7 spots on the list (which means I am often "below the fold" now) and that Airbnb wants me to drop my price to below my initial asking price of 4 years ago, and that my bookings have fallen from 97% to 93% - a simple cancellation policy means pretty much nothing by way of status that I need to covet (and yes, several of those listings that make the cut before me are not even Superhosts and have not been around as long as me!)
As mentioned before, I think you should be able to "buy" your cancellations. You achieve superhost status and your "benefit" is directly related to the number of guest nights you've served or the dollars you generate as it relates to average prices in your area, or something that is more equitable across all segments of the hosts. For someone with the volume I have - WITHOUT being a multi-list host - I should be able to choose every single quarter - do I want a cancellation or a travel credit? Or maybe, I want a % less on my fees. Or maybe, I can select some sort of spiff from the marketplace for my listing. It seems so ridiclulous to me that Airbnb executives keep trying to force a single issue when it has been clear for some time that there are so many nuances to this one item - Superhost - and that the system for achieving this badge is highly flawed (because we all know that reviews are highly flawed). So if you are low-volume, long-stay, high booking rate, low view rate, tourist area, vacation rental, whole house, in-home host, IB host, multiple-listing host, and the list goes on and yet, we're still forcing one item or choice and when the decision is made, well, if you didn't fall into the category that this supported, you are SOL.
Once again, it seems to me that you are "fixing" the wrong thing. This is just the most recent run up the flagpole and it is not solving bigger issues. Like seriously, how many hosts on a yearly or quarterly basis are losing their status because of cancellations? You haven't provide this number. How many hosts are cancelling guests on a regular basis? Again, no idea. What is the breakdown - where are the predominant cancellations? I ask these questions because I am forced to wonder, do either of these two options solve a real problem or just a perceived problem? Without real data, without real knowledge, you are asking a very small group of people to weigh in on an issue that may not really have any measure of benefit.
Plus, Airbnb likes to through salve on non-issues to redirect and gloss-over real issues that they won't discuss - like those profile pictures or their lack of transparent changes and communication. Giving me a cancellation every 100 stays (which would be what I would choose) would allow me to cancel about once every 6 months - is that REALLY want Airbnb is trying to solve? Doubtful.
Once you make Superhost status easier to achieve, you water down the status even more than it already is diluted. Why do this? What does having a 50% Superhost status host list achieve for Airbnb? What new or more compelling benefits will be added to this ever-growing list of a junk group? We've stayed in 2 Superhost locations over the last year that Airbnb should be EMBARASSED have that badge. I'm embarassed that I'm in the same category as they are. The problem to solve is to get hosts to elevate, not give them more opportunity to fall short.
Sorry if my fellow hosts do not agree. But for me, I would not choose to allow a host to cancel any reservations without penalty or without having earned a "freebie" they can use because of their exceptional service up until now.
Look forward to hearing what decision Airbnb is moving to consider.