We sometimes use AirBnB and during Covid in 2020 had to cancel one of our bookings. Fast forward three years to October 2023 and AirBnB let me know that I still have a “credit” that I need to use by December 2023 or I lose it. The message they sent me is below and is hopeless - doesn’t tell me the amount of the credit. I then had to navigate the AirBnB site and the chat service to find out it is around $800! And we don’t really have a chance to use it before the end of December 2023 just because of life! It is the same issue that Qantas had to roll over on recently - keeping money that they shouldn’t.
Hi Fiona,
According to our records as of October 16, 2023, it appears you still have travel credits from a COVID-19 related cancellation that have not been used. We’d like to remind you that these travel credits are set to expire on December 30, 2023. This means you must book your travel and check-in by December 30, 2023.
Although your travel credits will not appear in your account, they will be automatically applied at checkout for trips or Experiences. Terms apply.
It is a shame that refunds were not offered as a first option for consumers, with travel credits the second. Many businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector offered refunds without question when requested by those who booked during and were impacted by Covid. Our own business was one of these.
Unfortunately when one deals with a booking platform they are interested in profit first, and everything else is more of an afterthought. The community has many examples of this.
Platforms can be a problem. Even for some of the platforms we use, at the initial onset of Covid we had to haggle with them to instigate refunds and reverse charges to those who had prepaid accommodation through them. They were reluctant to do so unless pushed. Some platforms even wanted to still charge us commission for late cancellations, inside the period where cancellation fees might apply. They argued that we should be charging cancellation fees as per our booking platform cancellation policy, and as such they should be entitled to commissions. We fought this as well and each time we were told that it was the last time that they would entertain such a request to waiver commissions - again a threat to try and preserve future commissions from Covid cancellations.
I am a strong advocate of booking direct with the accommodation providers. Most accommodation providers are compassionate, understanding and will use their discretion when needed to ensure that their guests are happy and aren’t unduly impacted by things outside their control. Booking platforms don’t operate in the same light for those who book through them. Your example is another case of this.
It would also be interesting to know where the $800 ends up. I would bet it won’t be going to the accommodation provider you booked and had to be cancelled because of Covid. It is worth noting that the accommodation provider is most likely to be in the same position as if they had taken the booking directly, was cancelled and then the full amount refunded - namely, they didn’t receive any monies for the booking that was cancelled. The monies will most likely be taken by the booking platform as their own revenue.
The experience we have had is those who did cancel with us and we ensured that they weren’t out of pocket, a significant proportion rebooked when they could travel. Some have also returned more than once. I suspect that those those cancellation was subject of credits with a booking platform, and these credits expire, won’t be rebooking in the future with the same accommodation provider nor platform. It doesn’t make good long term business sense to lose potential customers for a short term gain.
I suggest you have a look at all the Airbnb options experiences on offer and use up the credit as Xmas presents for friends and family. May as well get some value😀
