Airbnb extends full refund policy worldwide amid virus frenzy
- The San Francisco-based company says it will extend its virus-related cancellation policy to every country in the world
- The policy applies to existing reservations made on or before March 14, with a check-in date up to April 14
The San Francisco-based company said it will extend its virus-related cancellation policy to every country in the world, allowing hosts and guests to cancel reservations with no charge or penalty.
The policy applies to existing reservations made on or before March 14, with a check-in date up to April 14, the company said in a statement Saturday.
“We don’t want guests to feel like they have to travel because they cannot get their money back,” Airbnb’s Chief Executive Officer Brian Chesky said in a tweet as the company issued the statement on its cancellation policy “in response to the extraordinary events and global disruption to travel caused by Covid-19.”
Airbnb extends suspension of bookings in Beijing through April
Unlike big hotel chains, Airbnb is a two-way platform, which means for every guest cancellation it approves, there is a host at the other end who winds up out of pocket.
“We understand that this announcement will impact hosts around the world, many of whom depend on the economics they generate on Airbnb,” the company said in the statement. Chesky also said the majority of its hosts have chosen to give their guests a partial or full refund.
Over the coming weeks, Airbnb said it would build tools and initiatives to support its hosts during the pandemic.
Under the new coronavirus policy, Airbnb will not collect any fees or benefit from any cancelled reservations. “We’re in this together,” the company said.
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