Thank you Amanda, Sandra, Diana and everyone else who previously added to this thread.
I'm pleased to see it getting a little more traction now, as I feel this BETA is extremely dangerous to hosts and needs to be seen to fail and be withdrawn very soon.
I'm please to report that after a huge amount of effort I did get Airbnb to pay me for the erroneously cancelled booking in early January. despite Lizzie's rather disingenuous (even semi-insulting) post as a representative of Airbnb. I had made it clear in my original post that the guest in question had NOT opted for paying more as the payout that was showing (and eventually received from Airbnb) was at my NORMAL rates and NOT at a 7% enhanced rate.
What I find the MOST worrying/annoying, (even disgusting) is that to this very day the suggestion that I adopt this stupid beta remains AT ALL TIMES in the 'ways to earn more' tips to right of my calanders! This is dispite me dismissing it with the 'no thanks' button repeatedly! It is clear that Airbnb are pushing this policy option VERY HARD. Quite apart from the problem that I have personally experienced with this option, it should NOT keep being pushed at someone who has declined it repeatedly. It is simply wrong and lessens the (limited) value of all other 'tips'!
I encourage all hosts who have experienced problems with this policy to make nuisances of themselves, don't go away, be persistent, be insistent, only by enough noise and Airbnb suffering costs, does it appear that they will then listen and get rid of this nonsense!