Corona virus cancellation impacts

Beth44
Level 10
Flagstaff, AZ

Corona virus cancellation impacts

I recently returned from Vietnam where a fellow host lost a month long cancellation due to corona virus concern which is understandable. (I was there during beginning surge). My suggestion is that when a guest cancels long term for reasons not controlled by host can the listing not be bumped up & highlighted to entice a booking? The impact of this hosts cancellation was tough, can airbnb not help by featuring the listing?

5 Replies 5
Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

While it's a laudable thought, I'm not sure it's about promoting one listing over another, @Beth44, as there will undoubtedly be lots of people in the same situation with cancelations being made every day.

COVID-19 is a global issue which is affecting businesses/hosts around the world.

Here in London, Chinatown restaurants are seriously affected and laying off staff, as are hosts (especially those who cater from language students).

A friend has - in the last three days - seen four parties of three Asian students cancel two-week long bookings. That means she's thousands of pounds short already.

Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

@Beth44 @Gordon0   I have had a cancellation for early May, guest claiming flight cancelled, so I suppose cancellations will spiral from now on.  I do not know for a fact that the flight is actually cancelled and I do not know if this guest with a Chinese sounding name and her party planned to arrive from China of from Autstralia as they claim to reside in Australia.  Maybe they are stuck in China since New Year and presently not able to return to AUS.  But if China has cancelled flights into April/May I fear what we see now is just the top of the iceberg.  

Gordon0
Level 10
London, United Kingdom

I've just looked at my forward bookings, @Marit-Anne0, and note there are two from Chinese guests in April. I suspect they'll be canceled, hopefully sooner rather than later tho. 

We just had to refund a 100% of a US$2400 booking a week just before arrival as the family flying direct from Moscow to Phuket was worried about the coronavirus infecting their son with a low white cell count. They apparently had medical documentation to support this. I just wonder why a family traveling with a member with an existing medical condition wouldn't have travel insurance and why hosts have to play that role. Phuket is not a coronavirus hotspot neither are Moscow or Phuket airports. Northern Italy is a lot closer to Moscow than Phuket but that escalation was quoted as the concern behind the cancelation. Airbnb apologised to me for the inconvenience when they refunded. It would seem we have to ask guests about their travel insurance and existing medical conditions and decide then whether to accept the booking to avoid last minute refunds with a 0 chance of getting a new booking. As for risk of infection Moscow to Phuket and a stay in Phuket, is that such an obvious risk that a last minute cancellation and resulting loss of income is incurred?  Where is the host cover to protect them from this loss of income? The guests had a choice for cover with travel insurance but presumably never took it and relied on the host instead to bear the burden. 

Marit-Anne0
Level 10
Bergen, Norway

@Doug705  I suppose these guests have simply chosen not to travel, possibly advised by their doctor not to do so.  A cancellation insurance (if they had one) will only cover what cannot be otherwise retrieved. In other words, the insurance companies are well aware of the airbnb extenuating circumstances clause and would ask their clients to approach airbnb first.  

Secondly, many insurance companies will only allow cancellation to high risk areas. They played the illness card to airbnb and won.