Airbnb Service Fee for changing reservation?

[Sandy34]

I need to change the dates of a reservation(same host and location) and will be doing so within the allotted timeframe for a full refund according to the host policy.  Also the rate is the same for my new booking dates.  My question is, will I get charged for the Airbnb service fee from the original reservation when I make that change?  I know I don't get refunded that fee ($25 in my case) if I cancel but it is unclear if I lose it when making changes.  Thanks!

[Clare0]

@Sandy34 My apologies if this answer comes too late.  What you should do is request a change in your reservation.  Here's how: 

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/913/can-i-change-a-reservation-as-a-guest

If you cancel, even if it is within the host's cancellation policy for a full refund, the Airbnb service fees will not be refunded so an alteration / change is your best avenue. 

Again, sorry for the late response!

[Clare0]

@Sandy34 If you change the reservation you shouldn't be charged another service fee. 

[Sandy34]

Thanks @Clare0 for the response. That is what I needed to know.

[Anu5619]

I was charged a service fee for changing the reservation.  I don't understand why.  Where in the policy does it say that they charge for changing the reservation $84.99?

[Helen3]

Are you sure it's not because the dates you changed your stay to are more expensive than they one you booked @Anu5619  - that what it sounds like to me.

[Anu5619]

No. It literally says reservation change $84.99.

[Helen744]

@Anu5619a reservation change is not like a hotel , hosts only have one house and cannot be assumed to be able to change a reservation . I would be interested to know what communication you have had with the host of the place you are staying .I think you would need to have a sufficient reason to change the reservation to escape a penalty or to have asked the host to send a variation. This is I think a new penalty applied to both guests and hosts to prevent hosts casually cancelling on guests and throwing their plans into disarray and also to prevent guests simply holding a booking until they have actually decided when they wish to travel and then cancelling , getting all their money back and leaving hosts without a booking , and possibly not being able to fill it. There should have been a part where you were given options for putting in a reason for the cancellation .It is better to ask the host for a variation via messaging before the refund free time lapses and if the host is able you should attract no fee. H

[Huma0]

@Anu5619 

Normally, when I do an alteration request, it shows me the change in price. Unless it specifically states that it's an extra fee, that doesn't mean that is a specific charge for changing the reservation. It's the difference in total cost from the original reservation to the new one.

This increase could either be, as @Helen3 suggests, because the new dates are priced higher than the ones you originally booked, or because Airbnb is charging you higher fees this time. The Airbnb guest fee is not a fixed percentage and varies. .

One thing I have read here on the CC from other hosts is that Airbnb sometimes charge a lower percentage fee for new or newer guests than regular users. I don't know if that is what is happening, but it could be that, because the booking has already been made, they ramp up the fee when it is altered. That's just a theory of course. I have no proof, but several times when I have tried to do an alteration request for a guest, I noticed the fees jump up a bit in the final calculation