I can make $5000 in a 3 month rental but I would need to cancel on 2 guests (March and May).

[Nicole426]

is it worth it?

any way to do it and avoid panalties (like giving them a high doscount for another time and asking them to withdraw)

[Helen3]

It's certainly not very moral, but of course yes you can do it.

Guests are normally travelling because they have time off work or a particular reason for wanting to be in a place so offering them alternative dates is a risky strategy.

They could report you to Airbnb and you would face penalties anyway and  take the risk Airbnb may cancel your account.

[Sarah977]

I'd say that's pretty rude (life is not all about $). As well, if you cancel, airbnb will likely block your calendar for those dates, so the longer term guests wouldn't be able to book anyway.