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?

Have taken some advice on this and we may be able to pursue compensation on the basis of breach of contract. Airbnb didn't fulfil their part by providing the accommodation, or any substitute accommodation, which resulted in losses for the flights, trains etc. Not unreasonable to not get on a flight with nowhere to stay in another country, particularly as they did everything possible to be ready to go.

So we will be writing to them tomorrow asking for compensation with a view to a small claims court writ. Will let you all know what happens.

I agree with all of this. There isn't a chance AirBnb will compensate for the flights regardless of whether they offered alternative accommodation.

Was it an extra £500 between them? For a week/2 weeks? Would they have been covered for that extra expense with their travel insurance? Too late now and a shame for them. How old are they?

Ok good luck with that.

Unsure who your advice is from but I hope they know what they are talking about

Fire off a letter by all means but be careful about spending more money to recoup sunk costs.

I can’t understand why they didn’t pay the extra £500 rather than miss the holiday and lose all the flight/train money. You could have tried to recoup it afterwards or had a whip round from parents.

This. The two without travel insurance lost everything. Your daughter is also highly likely to lose everything because she chose not to fly, the flights weren't cancelled. It seems like an awful waste of money.

Perhaps because they were under the deillusion they could claim it back from AirB&B?

Or from travel insurance?

Perhaps fuelled by the OP?

Who knows.

But the OP seems to think they have a case here and fair play if they get anything out of it, but I'm very doubtful as fundamentally AirB&B and the airline have not breached their terms and conditions.

To reiterate, Airbnb have the obligation to offer a full refund and offer the best alternative accommodation. That alternative might be more expensive, in a different location, off a lesser standard etc. You don't have to accept it.

They did this and the girls didn't want to pay the extra £500 (unsure if that is pp or in total).

It's a classic case of caveat emptor.....

Might be worth checking the "conditions of carriage" on the flight confirmation - not sure if they cancelled the flights or just didn't board, but some airlines will refund or give a credit for things like departure/arrival/airport taxes and fees or checked bag/assigned seat fees if you don't fly; usually you have to request within a certain time limit.

Long shot, but if any of the girls used a credit card to pay for the flights, some credit cards do have travel insurance included but as someone said above, policies vary.

They didn't board...not the fault of the airline.

That is very short notice of Airbnb to cancel the accommodation !

However, I do not agree that Airbnb are liable or flights or trains or transport to or from the accommodation

Would the extra £500 with the discount have been unmanageable between the 3 of them?
It was their decision not to go, so AirB&B can't be expected to offer compensation for the transport.
Very annoying though!

I think it would have been easier to argue the extra £500 when they got there and have them waive that over them paying up for the airline claim for not getting on

But please come back to the thread to let us know what happens. I'm intrigued to see if you are awarded the claim. I don't think you will unfortunately but I do hope so
Airbnb have much more money than individuals. They can afford to lose out a small amount every now and again

I think the fact they girls only found out as they were leaving for the airport bears on your case. The Host made no effort to inform them of the cancellation - the incredibly short notice gave your girls an unreasonably short time to confirm the correct course of action, having checked the fine print of the Ts and CS they realised they were entitled to accommodation of the same standard and no further cost but were offered something crap by the host (wasted time, also meant the girls were worried about being swindled by Airbnb’s host) and then something.much more expensive by Airbnb.

For reasons of safety and cost, taking the flight and the accommodation then refusing to pay the £500 additional accommodation fees seems risky. I’d have done what your girls did.

argue it to your last breath, hope you win!

I agree, else if your flight is delayed or cancelled is the airline responsible for your hotel booking as well? No.

Unfortunately I agree with PP that because they decided not to get on the flight they are not entitled to compensation.

Safety wise worst case scenario they could have stayed at the airport overnight and sorted accommodation next day. They were never going to be sleeping on the beach.

Small claims is right decision in my opinion.