Airbnb Cancelled Daughter's Accommodation Just Before Flight

[Dacquoise]

So my daughter and two friends were due to fly to Croatia today for a short holiday. All meeting at Gatwick Airport, one coming from Wales, one from Gloucestershire by train. Daughter closest to airport.

Daughter's friend, who made the Airbnb booking, contacted the host this morning to check where to collect the key. Host told her the apartment was not available due to Covid, that she was trying to find an alternative. This was around 11.00am. Not sure why this information wasn't passed on sooner without prompting.

Cue much panic as they were due to catch trains to the airport. Host eventually came back with nothing available but her friend next door would let them use her apartment. Getting information was like pulling teeth. Pictures eventually sent of this apartment - s**t hole!

Airbnb then get involved. Host not allowed to offer this alternative as it's not registered with Airbnb. They will find something. In the meantime everyone looked online for alternatives, nothing available that wasn't thousands of pounds.

Long story short, all three travelled to the airport and got an offer of an Airbnb apartment at 20% discount that would have still cost an additional £500. The accommodation was also not the same standard as the cancelled booking. This was literally just as the flight was boarding. They didn't get on the flight and are heading home.

Would they be unreasonable to ask Airbnb to recompense them for the lost flights, train fares? They have also used up a days holiday so far.

My daughter has travel insurance, the other two don't (duh!) but there's an excess on it and not certain she would be able to claim for someone else's covid (the occupants of the apartment who haven't moved out). Anyone experienced this?

I think in that situation, Air BnB usually provide alternative accommodation at no extra cost, but I don't know if they're obliged to do that

What a horrible thing to happen

They definitely weren't offering a freebie, additional £500 with discount is outrageous as far as I am concerned. However, the result of this is they didn't use the flights because of no guarantee of accommodation in the middle of high season.

I am wondering whether the host didn't tell them to force them to take her neighbours apartment.

I believe their T&Cs state an alternative accommodation of same standard and cost. Literally nothing available.

Unfortunately I believe because they made the decision to cancel the holiday by not flying, I doubt you've much of a case against AirB&B.

Personally I would have flown out and argued the toss with them to provide suitable accommodation (in a hotel if necessary).

I appreciate the loss of accommodation was the catalyst for the decision, but they still had an obligation to address the issue and they've now effectively been let off the hook.

Would they be unreasonable to ask Airbnb to recompense them for the lost flights, train fares?. Yes that would be unreasonable. All AirBnB owes them is the deposit or cost back on the accommodation.

It’s a risk of DIY holidays that any one component could be cancelled. Which is why your DD was very wise to have taken out travel insurance. She might be able to claim against the insurance for the cost of the flights on the basis that the accommodation was cancelled by AirBnB and so they couldn’t travel with no accommodation to go to. Probably not the train fares as travel insurance usually covers from port of departure (airport, seaport) and not the travel from home to port of departure. But she needs to call the travel insurance provider and ask as policies differ.

www.traveloffpath.com/airbnb-cracks-down-on-host-cancellations-what-it-means-for-travelers/

This might help.

Essentially, the flights have nothing to do with AirB&B.

They can refund your accommodation or help find an alternative, but your travel costs aren't their responsibility.

Unscrupulous host have been known to do this to maximise profits (selling pre-booked accommodation at a last minute high rate).

Tbh I'm not even sure where your DD will stand on insurance, because ultimately she chose not to take the flight.

I am wondering whether the principle of promissory estoppel would apply in this situation. The flights were booked on the understanding that accommodation was to be provided at the destination. The accommodation was withdrawn but they had already paid out for flights which they couldn't use because there was nowhere to stay and Airbnb were not able to offer an alternative. One action is reliant on another?

They should have gone anyways. Highly unlikely you’ll receive any compensation for lost flights and train fares now.

Surely that principle would only apply to package holidays.

Airbnb have a duty to provide an alternative at similar cost. From experience they’re not always as responsive until a case is escalated, and the only way that would have happened is upon arrival after you’d declined their offer.

Port of departure?? Do you mean point of departure?

The original accommodation was withdrawn but they did offer an alternative your DD chose not to take.

AFAIK they are not obligated to offer "the same" accommodation. Just the nearest in specification. Which they appear to have done.

As a pp said, it's the downside of self booking a holiday over a package deal. Each individual element is it's own contract and doesn't have inter-dependency.

Think about the consequences if that were not the case...most travel firms would go out of business if they had responsibility for the risks of other organisations they could not control. For example should AirB&B refund you a night's accommodation because your flight was delayed for 24 hours?

Agree - which it why I'd have got on the flight regardless.

No, I mean port of departure, because point of departure is typically your home.
Airports are a type of port. It’s in the name Airport

In case you think I’m making it up, I’m not. Its a common legal term which as you know insurance T&Cs are full of legalese.
”Port of departure: The port from which an airplane or ship originates.”
dictionary.thelaw.com/port-of-departure/

They should have travel insurance. Lesson learnt.
I learnt the hard way this year when I'd forgotten to get it and had travel issues.
If I was them I'd have flown and asked air bnb to cover hotel costs.
Just one of those things really r.e covid. Maybe hosts only knew today.

Up until recently I worked as a cleaner for someone who let through Airbnb. There were lots of cancellations, made by the owner, up until the last minute. Being able to charge more privately and concerns about the guests were the main reasons. I would never book through them now.

YABU.

It's a shit situation for your daughter and her friends, but airbnb are not responsible for her flights. It's not a package arrangement.

From my understanding, it applies to any agreement that causes another party to act in support of an agreement or contract to their detriment ie flights were booked to be able to travel to use the booked apartment. Apartment was withdrawn and no suitable alternative offered therefore it was detrimental to have bought flights that they couldn't use.

I came across this when my exH agreed to fund an additional year's school fees for our daughter if I paid for the other additional year first. I paid, then he tried to refuse to fulfil his agreement After I had already paid out. Solicitor wrote to him to say we would sue as I had paid out on the understanding that he would pay his part. He paid up.

Seems to be the same principle here flights were bought to be able to get to the Airbnb, Airbnb withdrawn, causing unused flights.

Alternative accommodation was a lot more expensive than the original and not the same standard. They didn't offer like for like.

Also a delayed flight is not the same as a flight going to no accommodation. They could have ended up sleeping on the beach!

Suspect the only claim would be for alternative accommodation or refund, not flights they chose to miss. Did they pay any of the cost on a credit card?

I highly doubt Airbnb would have let them sleep on the beach, their customer support works on various tiers depending on the nature of the complaint. Had your daughter arrived in Croatia and escalated the case Airbnb would have either covered this additional fee. Or placed them in a hotel. The optics of three lone women stranded in a country without accommodation isn’t a good one, they have a reputation to uphold.

Op what’s done is done. You’ll have better luck putting this all on social media and hoping they refund and compensate. Unlikely, but worth a try.

That being said, as someone that runs a hospitality business, the most I’d offer is a refund for accommodation in this case. I’ve dealt with a few flight cancellations and delays this season. Guests expect a refund on unspent nights, they’ve been dissatisfied when I referred them to their own travel insurance providers.

Ah yes, I see. Never heard that expression before, but makes perfect sense now.

OP I appreciate it's unfair and a bloody mess, but your DD hasn't a hope in hell of getting AirB&B to compensate her for flights and given she walked away from the flight I think that's also and insurance bust.

As I pp'd I'd have got on the flight and escalated once there.

I understand why a young woman wouldn't want to do this, but by not taking the flight by choice the whole situation is a bust.

Your DD and friends "missed" the flight. Not the airlines responsibility.

They didn't turn up to the destination or accept a refund/alternative accommodation from AirB&B - so their obligations were met.

It's crap. I get it. But you're fighting a losing battle here and need to write it off to experience.

But the two (flights and accommodation) are not dependent on each other for the operator, only for your daughter.

Airbnb couldn't give a monkey's if you were flying first class or walking there, their contract with your daughter is purely for the accommodation.

As PP have said, she's also unlikely to get compensated through her travel insurance as the flights were not cancelled. In the eyes of insurance law she has chosen not to use the transport she has booked and paid for, the accommodation is not part of that deal and therefore has no bearing on the travel side of it.