Airbnb will stop refunds in case of Covid-19

Airbnb will end Covid-19 refunds effective May 31 and will soon offer its own travel insurance.

Airbnb bookings made from May 31st will no longer be eligible for a refund from the platform in the event of Covid-19. This change comes after the relaxation of the rules of service and applies to both the case when the host falls ill and the guest.

Airbnb will end Covid-19 refunds effective May 31st.

The company explains that its standard cancellation policy will now apply. Around two-thirds of active offers allow guests to cancel up to five days or 24 hours in advance, according to the company.

As such, bookings made before the end of the following month are still eligible for a Covid-19 refund if they meet the criteria defined by the platform. There are exceptions for domestic bookings in South Korea and China. Airbnb also clarifies that refunds will continue to be available in these regions due to circumstances related to Covid-19, at least in the medium term.

“Some in the travel industry have abandoned this policy months ago, while others have never proposed it,” Airbnb wrote in a blog post. “After consulting with our medical advisors as well as our community, we believe it’s time to take the next step.”

And will soon offer its own travel insurance

Airbnb will also start offering travel insurance soon. This product will be available in the coming months. For now, the company explains that those who fear they will be affected by Covid can take out insurance against third parties.

The pandemic has devastated the travel industry, and Airbnb has also been affected. The company laid off 25% of its payroll, or about 1,900 people, in May 2020. Today, it seems like Airbnb is looking to resume normal operations. In any case, she recalls that “many countries have begun to live with plans for Covid-19.”

However, the pandemic is not over yet. About a third of the world’s population has not yet received at least one dose of the vaccine. The data show that, on average, 629,798 cases have been reported worldwide daily over the past two weeks.