I booked my first Airbnb for a weekend away with my parents and young children in a low-population town with limited options. We were delighted to find something that would fit our needs for the weekend. Nearly a month after booking, the host reached out to me asking if I would be willing to cancel so a long-term guest could extend their stay. He even offered me an additional $50 to do so. I politely declined, stating we had other plans in place, and there weren't any other accommodations that would fit our needs for that time (we would have shifted a week or so, but other places were booked months out or didn't fit our needs.) I didn't receive another message from the host so assumed things were ok.
Then a month later, 31 days prior to our reservation date, late at night - he decided to cancel on us anyway. He messaged me saying he has no other choice but the other guest needs to stay, and offered me an additional $100 for the inconvenience.
It's rather discouraging to know other guests receive priority over those who plan ahead... I have little motivation to ever book again.
