This forum is dedicated to connecting hosts with other hosts. Sign up to get the latest updates and news just for AirBnb hosts! Note that we are not affiliated with Airbnb - we are just passionate hosts!
This is Adam with Airbnb - thanks for taking my call earlier. I am glad you were able to get the reservation cancelled without penalty, but wanted to follow up about the questions you had when we talked.
As it stands now, children do not count towards the total number of guests in the system. I have sent this in as a suggestion from you, so it will get escalated and hopefully be rolled out in the future. The only thing I can suggest to help circumvent this is to put it in your listing description that your total of 8 guests includes children, not just 8 adults. It’s just another level of clarification and lets us be able to cancel on the guest’s behalf for violating your booking terms.
Another option would be turning instant book off, so you are having conversations with each guest before hand and finding out who is in the traveling party. This can be an inconvenience if you are used to guests booking without having to contact you first, but it would help let you make the decision before the reservation is accepted.
As far as the instant book cancellations, it is only three times per host, not per listing. The penalty free cancellations are really only there for situations where you don’t feel comfortable hosting a guest, which hopefully doesn’t come up often. If that comes up and you don’t want to use the instant book cancellation, please reach out to us and explain what’s going on. We do have some alternatives as long as we know the situation, so that you don’t have to just cancel the reservation.
I know those might not be the best answers for your situation, but please know that Airbnb does take suggestions from hosts very seriously and it will be a matter that we look into.
If I can help with anything else in the meantime, please let me know.
NOW, I can’t find the conversation! Even though the corporate page has tons of ppl bitching and moaning about their reservations and terrible experiences! In between posts of @Mearns place and Justin and Beyonce’s Air stays… LOL.
yes. I’m on the line with ‘Ryan’. He’s checking his resources. We shall see what he says.
But we’ve done property searches for all over the world, for up to 10 people, etc., and never once is the website asking me for ages, infants, etc. This is why I’m puzzled.
OK - RYAN from airbnb said YES this is something new and active on 50% of the properties - it comes up once you book the trip - it asks you then, who’s coming, ages, etc.
OH!! And by INFANT they mean 0-2. TWO? My God you talk about WALKING CRYING POOPING STICKY FINGERS TWO!!!
I let him have an ear full - poor soul - I kept saying “I’m not yelling at you! I know it’s not your decision” and trying to quiet down. I told him I was immediately going off IB and family friendly. (Like I’m such a big player with my 2 bedrooms in the basement, lol!)
He said that my timing was perfect because some big how-do-ya-do was going to be in there today and discussing this, and he was going to forward my comments to them.
So if anyone else wants to call 415-800-5959 and let them know, this would be a great time to do so! If you get Ryan on the phone, tell him I said hello, lol.
Meanwhile - let me see - manage listing…calendar and more…instant book - OFF. Family friendly - NO.
What did another host recently say “May all your guests be quiet and clean?”
Yes… through the rain! It’s a gloomy gross day here in Hawaii nei!
PS, DC/// I’m going to include you on a fun FB post for Kyle… but it’s just for fun, not trying to hint for anything… you’ve already done way too much for us, my friend!
How can they spring something on hosts with no notification??? !!! Boggles the mind. Glad you were able to stop the train wreck in time!
Hi, Im Inge from Germany.
I completly agree with the points in this discussion.
My Airbnb is often booked from families and I have support of baby-bed and baby bedding and so on.
And I know as a mum and as a host, that kids course more cost as adults. So kids (and infants) pay as a “normal” guest at my place.
Saturday night I recieved a request of a family and the infant was not counted in.
In my opinion it is up to the host to do the pricing of the listing. Changing rules of booking without informing host or guest is maybe not legal.
I would appreciate that infants and kids can be listed if there is a button to price them in. So every host can dicide if kids are free or the amount the host wantś for booking in infants/kids.
I really hope that Airbnb will change this, as my place is still very family friendly, but not for free!
Best for you all
I discovered this when booking as a guest (see my earlier comment) - I was booking for me and my husband in a place that had one bed, two people occupancy and had no pets and not ‘family friendly’ - I was presented with a screen asking how many children, and pets, and the note about infants and pets ‘not counting’. It seems it doesn’t matter whether you are busting the max figure, or are bringing infants to a ‘no young kid’ zone …
and Justin and Beyonce’s Air stays… LOL.
We shall see what he says.
you’ve already done way too much for us, my friend!