AIRBNB has announced what it claims to be the “biggest change” to its business model in a decade, revealing expanded protections for guests, as well as new categories and split stay options.
Labelling it “the most comprehensive protection in travel”, Airbnb’s new AirCover guarantee means its customers are now always protected across four key areas of their stay.
This includes booking protection that offers a refund or alternative accommodation in the event a host cancels a booking within 30 days of check-in, as well as the same pledge if a traveller is unable to check-in due to an issue the host cannot resolve.
Further consumer protections come in the form of the “Get-What-You-Booked Guarantee”, which offers guests who think the accommodation they booked hasn’t lived up to advertised expectations with either alternative lodging or a full refund, while AirCover also provides safety protection for guests via access to trained safety agents, day or night.
“AirCover has been designed directly into the Airbnb app and website, making it easy for you to contact an agent and resolve issues quickly,” Airbnb said.
Meanwhile the accommodation platform has also confirmed guests can now split their trips between two homes, with the Split Stays feature automatically appearing in searches across 14 categories, enabling longer trips.
Airbnb has also expanded its categories search function using machine learning tech to offer 56 segments that organise homes based on their style, location, or proximity to a travel activity.
Airbnb Categories organises homes by uniqueness, which helps people discover places they wouldn’t have otherwise found.
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Source: traveldaily