Airbnb ends Covid-19 refunds and pandemic cancellation policy

Catch Covid-19 just before your break, don’t expect any sympathy from your host.

Airbnb has announced that from the end of the month, disruptions due to Covid-19 will no longer be considered an “extenuating circumstance” under their refund policy.

The short-term rental company had offered refunds for bookings canceled by guests or hosts contracting the virus. For reservations made after May 31, cancellations will be processed according to the refund policy agreed with the host.

“The safety of our community is our priority and we continue to monitor the situation closely,” the company said in a statement.

The pandemic is far from over. In some markets suffering from localized spikes and new travel restrictions.

Airbnb says reservations in South Korea and mainland China, certain circumstances related to COVID-19 will continue to be covered after the May 31 deadline.

The company advises travelers to continue to monitor their Covid-19 policy for updates.
Airbnb isn’t the only travel company keen to get out of overly conservative refund policies.

Vrbo, which runs Bookabach and other short-term vacation rentals in New Zealand, ended its automatic refund policy for Covid-19 credits on April 30, now relying on host policies to manage cancellations.

The company said it will continue to reimburse service fees when trips are canceled by Covid-19.

Booking.com depending on the terms of their destination, travelers not booked with a “flexible rate” may not be eligible for a refund.

This morning, as part of its first quarter report, Airbnb said city travel was back to 2019 levels. Co-founder Brian Chesky said “city and cross-border travel, which made up the majority of our activities before the pandemic, returned to 2019 levels”.