Airbnb enhances its coronavirus response efforts

As the coronavirus spreads worldwide, a growing number of travelers are canceling their trips and opting to stay home.

The travel sector has faced significant challenges in adapting to the fast-changing pandemic. Airlines are canceling flights, and numerous hotel chains have introduced special cancellation policies due to Covid-19.

On Friday, March 13, Airbnb unveiled updates to its extenuating circumstances policy, enabling travelers to cancel bookings without penalties.

More travelers are now eligible for penalty-free refunds on their reservations. Here’s what you need to know when booking with Airbnb:

What is the Extenuating Circumstances Policy?

When booking with Airbnb, travelers are presented with one of six cancellation policies, ranging from flexible to super strict. These policies are determined by the host.

However, the company has introduced a provision that some cancellations related to Covid-19 may be eligible for refunds under the Extenuating Circumstances Policy.

If the website detects that travelers are heading to or from certain affected regions, an automatic notification will be sent offering them the option to cancel without penalty.

Even if travelers don’t receive an automatic notification, they can still cancel their booking and request a refund within 14 days of cancellation.

Bookings in the U.S. and Europe

As President Trump’s Schengen Area travel ban takes effect and the number of Covid-19 cases rises in the U.S., Airbnb has significantly broadened the areas eligible for penalty-free cancellations.

Travelers who made reservations in the United States on or before March 13, with check-in dates of April 1 or earlier, are now eligible for cancellations without penalties.

Travelers departing from the United States and holding bookings in Europe’s Schengen Area are also eligible for penalty-free cancellations.

This applies to reservations made on or before March 11, for travel dates between March 13 and April 13.

The Schengen Area consists of 26 European countries that allow visa-free travel for their citizens. Ireland and the United Kingdom are not part of the Schengen Area, and Airbnb has not yet clarified whether these countries will be included in the new policy.

Although Iceland, Norway, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein are not members of the European Union, they are part of the Schengen Area. Travelers with bookings in these countries are eligible for penalty-free cancellations.

In an earlier update, Airbnb confirmed that guests with bookings in Italy made on or before February 29, with a check-in date of April 2 or earlier, qualify for a penalty-free refund under the extenuating circumstances policy.

Bookings in China and South Korea

A previous announcement specified that reservations made in mainland China on or before January 28, with a check-in date of April 1 or earlier, are eligible for penalty-free cancellations under the extenuating circumstances policy.

Travelers from mainland China can cancel penalty-free for reservations made on or before February 1, with check-in dates of April 1 or earlier.

For those with bookings in South Korea made on or before February 25, penalty-free cancellations are available if the check-in date is March 23 or earlier.

If you’re traveling from South Korea, you can also cancel certain bookings without penalty. Reservations made on or before February 25 with a check-in date of March 23 or earlier are eligible.

What about special circumstances?

Even if you're not traveling to or from an area that automatically qualifies for a refund, there may still be an opportunity to get your money back.

The extenuating circumstances policy also applies to hosts or guests who need to cancel for other valid reasons.

Hosts and guests who must cancel due to disease control restrictions or need to fulfill coronavirus-related medical or disease-control responsibilities will be eligible for penalty-free refunds.

If your flight or ground transportation is canceled by the provider because of Covid-19, you are entitled to a penalty-free refund for your reservation.

Additionally, if a traveler or host is diagnosed with Covid-19 or suspected of being infected, they may cancel without incurring a penalty.