What is AirCover for AirBnb, and what does it cover?

AirCover is a complimentary service providing guests with refunds or alternative accommodations if unexpected issues arise during their stay.

Problems covered include sudden host cancellations or missing amenities, like heat not working in the winter. 

If your Airbnb host cancels your booking a few days before your trip, AirCover should offer a solution. 

However, while you might expect to get full refunds or similar bookings, it is a little more complicated. Thus, read this article, learn how AirCover works, and avoid disappointment in case of booking issues. 

What is AirCover Airbnb? 

AirCover is an Airbnb guarantee for every booking to address and solve guests’ problems. It differs from travel insurance, and it is free of charge to all Airbnb users.

AirCover includes these main protections when guests can get refunds or alternative bookings:

• If guests cannot check in and hosts are unable or won’t help them. 
• If the host cancels your stay within 30 days of the reservation.
• Get-what-you-booked guarantee protects that guests get rentals that are true to their descriptions. 
• The booking is highly unsuitable to stay at due to health, safety, or sanitary issues. 
• The rented space has people (like the host) or animals that the listing did not mention.
• If guests feel unsafe, Airbnb promises to help them get safety agents to resolve issues or contact authorities. 

Hosts can also enjoy AirCover, protecting listings with $3M damage protection, $1M liability insurance, and more.

How does AirCover work? 

AirCover can address many issues during your stay. However, the first course of action is always to contact the host. If they cannot resolve the problem, guests can contact Airbnb within 72 hours after discovering issues. 

Then, the customer support team will try to fix the issue, either by issuing refunds or finding you a better or similar booking. 

The main problem with Airbnb and AirCover

Airbnb has been the go-to platform for finding affordable accommodation and engaging with locals. However, as per the Washington Post, many people leave Airbnb services due to several reasons: 

• High prices for bookings;
• Lengthy chore lists to perform before leaving a booking; 
• Hotels offer more services and comfort;
• Guests’ complaints about poor customer service in case of issues;
• More fees like a cleaning tax not included in booking listings.
• Problematic hosts, like those threatening guests leaving lower rankings.
• AirCover barely helps to resolve unfortunate booking situations and complaints. 

Overall, one of the biggest issues with Airbnb nowadays is the uncertainty of how your booking will go. You might stumble upon a brilliant host with reasonable prices and conditions. 

Furthermore, AirCover might actually refund you for the booking in case of covered issues. Sadly, it might also go the other way around, with hosts and customer support being unhelpful in the end. 

Why people complain about AirCover

AirCover appears highly useful to all guests making bookings via the Airbnb platform. After all, it states to take care of guests or hosts after last minute cancellations or property damages. 

Airbnb stands as a mediator between hosts and guests, seeking to remain impartial and please both parties. This position, in a way, allows Airbnb to disclaim some responsibility for clients’ issues. 

Furthermore, while AirCover can help guests and hosts, remember certain conditions: 

• AirCover only applies in the situations we covered in the previous sections. 
• It is important to report the issue within 72 hours. If users do not follow this timeframe, they might receive no AirCover benefits.
• AirCover guarantees full or partial refunds for guests. Considering the guests’ experiences, they are lucky to receive 20% back. So, how Airbnb determines the amount returned to the customer is unclear. 
• Airbnb claims to get you an alternative booking. However, guests explain that this support means sending similar listings to users. In many cases, the sent offers are unavailable for the dates guests need. 

Thus, guests emphasize that while AirCover can be helpful, it does not fully resolve the issue. The long back and forth with customer support also does not seem to help. 

Suppose Airbnb refunds you three hundred dollars after a last minute cancellation. It does not solve the issue of getting a new booking for higher prices now. 

The general takeaway from AirCover is that it is a welcome effort to help guests and hosts. However, users should not rely on it too much. 

It might help you get a partial refund, but an alternative booking guarantee does not appear realistically actionable. Since AirCover is a free service for all bookings, you might consider buying travel insurance for more protection. 

Tips for booking Airbnb

Airbnb can offer an excellent alternative to hotels, hostels, or other accommodations. However, considering the possible cons, it is important to follow certain guidelines:

1. Carefully read the booking description and house rules. 
2. Look at hotels and compare prices for your stay: you might find something in a similar price range. 
3. Inspect the reviews and look for any possible red flags from previous tenants. 
4. Pay attention to whether Airbnb has verified photos of a property. If not, it may look different than advertised. 
5. Examine your booking for any hidden cameras and report violations.  
6. Contact the hosts before booking and ask them questions about your needs. 
7. Always communicate and pay on Airbnb, not third-party services like Zelle or Cash App.

Also, connect to a Virtual Private Network whenever you join an unknown network. You might not know how safe the Wi-Fi at your Airbnb is. Thus, protect yourself from potential data loss or tracking by using a VPN.