Airbnb is revamping its reservation system to show more of the total price guests will pay in advance, reversing a design choice that has annoyed many customers.
Once hidden, cleaning fees and service charges will now show up in search, company CEO Brian Chesky said Monday.
The company will also change the search algorithm to allow travelers to sort bookings by total price, rather than a “price per night” that often hid additional fees.
“I heard you loud and clear: you feel like pricing isn’t transparent and payment tasks are a pain,” Chesky said. said on Twitter. “Starting next month, you will be able to see the total price you pay up front.”
Get rid of “unreasonable” cleaning requests
Airbnb also clamps down on the amount of work hosts can ask of their guests when they check out. “Unreasonable” cleaning requests, such as asking guests to strip the bed, do laundry or vacuum, are no longer allowed, Chesky said.
The company does not change the fees it charges, which include cleaning fees, service fees, extra person fees, and all state and local taxes.
People on Twitter piled on Chesky’s announcement with praise as well as other product requests. Many complained that the “total” price would leave out the taxes paid on a reservation.
“[W]Why not include taxes in the total price shown in the search? You can completely remove the sticker shock if you…include *everything*,” read one Tweeter.
Other consumers asked for features such as a loyalty program for frequent travelers or the ability to search for stays by bed size.
The company is coming off its most profitable quarter, in which it made $1.2 billion in profit on $2.9 billion in revenue.
As the the economy is slowing down, Chesky expects more people to list their homes on the platform to generate additional revenue, he told investors Monday.
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