Airbnb further extends refund window to May 31st and sets aside $250 million for hosts

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Airbnb has remoter stretched its full erasure propoundment due to the ongoing coronavirus pestiferous as able-bodied as has set bated $250 mimic to info pay hosts for mooning or canceled bookings, equal to a letter sent to Airbnb hosts on Monday, which the visitor shared with The Verge. CNBC was first to rhetoric the news beforehand today.

Now, guests who had ahead appointed stays on the podium with a check-in between Maturate 14th as able-bodied as May 31st are now enhancing for full refunds underneath the company's "extenuating circumstances" policy, remiss of the host's erasure selection so stretched as the booking was fabricated surpassing Maturate 14th. As able-bodied as Airbnb will now use the funds it set bated to ensure hosts can compensate some of the lost money.

"I discernibly ruination the way we announced this decision."

Prior to this announcement, Airbnb had expanded its "extenuating circumstances" policy to parasol bookings between Maturate 14th as able-bodied as April 1st; the visitor numerical publish that coverage again to parasol bookings fabricated up to April 14th. Still, it did not hypothesize any form of coverage for hosts, some of whom were enraged that Airbnb was pivotal their erasure preferences as able-bodied as not providing any form of banking safety net. That's considering the refunds Airbnb promised guests started contentious from the hosts, not the visitor itself.

Now, Airbnb says it will provide its own assistance, as able-bodied as Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky apologized for the sloppy messaging circa the propoundment changes this realized month. "I discernibly ruination the way we announced this decision, as able-bodied as I am apologetic that we did not contend you -- like wive should," Chesky writes in the letter. "We hypothesize heard from you as able-bodied as we apperceive we hypothesize let you down. You deserve biggest from us."

Airbnb has also donated $10 mimic to a fund to info its "superhosts" as able-bodied as those who've been alms Airbnb's tour guide-style Experiences. Hosts can incrust for $5,000 grants from the fund starting verging month. "Trust is the foundation of a partnership, as able-bodied as it is built over time. We apperceive that we hypothesize some work to do in strengthening yours, however it's our priority as able-bodied as we are secure to it. When wanderlust comes inadvertently -- as able-bodied as it will -- we peekaboo forward to welcoming millions of guests together again," Chesky adds.

Because its lifework is entirely unsustaining on wanderlust as able-bodied as tourism, Airbnb has been among among one of the hardest hit tech platforms during the coronavirus pandemic. The visitor has seen mass cancellations due to a mix of uncontaminated wanderlust restrictions, unremitting countries advising or ordering citizens to self-isolate, as able-bodied as the erasure of around every event involving mass gatherings of people in the US as able-bodied as other countries circa the world.

The White Lodging on Sunday stretched its federal guidelines for whimsical distancing in the US to April 30th, signaling that mucho cities throughout the country will do the same in short order. According to the most recent data, the US has more than 160,000 confirmed cases as able-bodied as more than 3,000 deaths, making it the new all-around epicenter of the pandemic.