Airbnb to stop its Covid-19 cancellation policy

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by Mauricio Ruiz

Mauricio Ruiz is a writer and journalist who has lived in the US, Belgium, Mexico and Norway. His work has appeared in Words Without Borders, Catapult, The Common, The Rumpus, Electric Literature, JMWW, River Teeth, Literal Magazine, among others. He’s been shortlisted for the Bridport Prize and Myriad Editions Competition in the UK, as well as the Fish Short Story Prize in Ireland. He has received fellowships from OMI writers (NY), Société des auteurs (Belgium), Jakob Sande (Norway), Can Serrat (Spain), and the Three Seas’ Council (Rhodes). His second book, Silencios al sur, was published in early 2017, and his work has partially been translated into Dutch and French. Mauricio Ruiz can be followed on Twitter and Instagram.

5 May 2022

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On April 29^th, Airbnb announced that the company will be ending its coronavirus-era cancellation policy. As of the 31^st of May, the company’s policy will no longer cover Covid-19 related circumstances as a reason for a refund for bookings made on or after this date. That includes cases where a guest or host is sick with Covid-19. According to Travel + Leisure, domestic reservations in South Korea will remain an exception.

Instead, the host’s cancellation policy will apply as usual to these bookings. Reservations made before the 31^st of May, may still be eligible for a refund if they qualify under the policy. Airbnb announced that after consultation with medical advisors, as well as the community, the company feels the time is right for this kind of change.

“As we’ve seen the heroic effort of health authorities and medical advancements around the globe, almost two thirds of the world’s population have received at least one dose of a vaccination against Covid-19.” said Airbnb.

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Almost two thirds of active listings on Airbnb’s platform offer a moderate or flexible cancellation policy, which allow guests to cancel at least five days before check-in – and in some cases up to 24-hours before check-in – and still receive a full refund.

Airbnb provides guests with further information on finding the right cancellation policy for their stay on the company’s help center. A search filter for “Free Cancellation” allows guests to limit their search options solely to these types of flexible listings.

Many countries have now implemented living with Covid-19 plans, as it becomes part of our world.
Airbnb

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The company expects to launch a custom-built guest travel insurance product offering, exclusive to Airbnb guests. The same team that brought the AirCover Host protection product to life is building the new guest insurance product in partnership with a reputable insurance carrier and will be available to guests in certain countries. The company announced that until this new product is available, guests can consider purchasing travel insurance outside of Airbnb.

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