USA to EUROPE booking August 2020

Sam351
Level 2
Sciacca, Italy

USA to EUROPE booking August 2020

I have guests booked from USA for 2 weeks in August. The USA travel ban to Europe means it is unlikely they will be allowed to make their trip. They appear NOT to qualify for the Airbnb extenuating circumstances cancellation policy as their trip is in August. (They booked their trip in 2019). I have a Flexible cancellation policy in place. The guests should cancel and receive a FULL refund. YES? If I, as a host cancel I will be penalised. YES? (Calender blocked, loss of superhost status, Airbnb review saying I cancelled, etc...) I need clarity from AIRBNB asap so I can advise my guest please. Thanks 

5 Replies 5

@Sam351  Yes, the guest will get a full refund if they cancel it from their end (though under certain circumstances, such as multiple cancellations in a year, Airbnb might withhold their service fee).  And yes, you'll be penalized if you cancel it yourself, unless customer service grants you an exemption under Extenuating Circumstances. For the sake of opening your calendar, I'd suggest encouraging the guest to cancel sooner rather than later. If they agree to do so, all is fine.

 

One complication, unfortunately, is that the guests' airline may not be as flexible with cancellations, so unless they have a CFAR benefit on their travel insurance, they might feel stuck waiting for confirmation that they won't be allowed to enter the EU before cancelling their accommodation. The entry restrictions are scheduled to be updated every 2 weeks, and member states can make their own exemptions, so it's possible that they won't have any certainty that they're banned from entering your country until far too close for their travel dates for you to re-book them. Realistically, though, the current trends with the pandemic spread make it very likely that the ban on travelers from the US will be extended through August.

 

 

 

 

Jean-Paul123
Level 2
La Vancelle, France

Same story here. We are now 1 month after the response of @Anonymous and the visitors from the USA are still and more than ever not allowed to enter any European country. The guests still hope for the ban to be lifted before end of August but it is very unlikely. 

Alsace Wine Lover

@Jean-Paul123  It's unimaginable that EU will suddenly change course to resume welcoming US tourists in August. Unless the guests qualify for an exemption from the ban, now would be the time to urge them to take advantage of Airbnb's free cancellation window, which currently extends to the end of August. It's not fair to keep your calendar tied up until the last minute for a booking that will be impossible to fulfill.

@Anonymous This is exactly what I think. You are fully right. I will try to reach the guest and convince them to cancel. But it is also unfair that in these circumstances there is no way for the host to cancel without penalties.

Alsace Wine Lover

@Jean-Paul123 I agree, and it's just one of the many ways Airbnb's handling of the pandemic has been a many-headed man-eating monster for hosts. 

 

I hope you're able to have a constructive dialogue with your guests on this one. Perhaps they are not aware that the cancellation needs to be initiated from their side.