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Airbnb doubles its pledge to house Afghan refugees
With help from hosts and donors from across the US, Airbnb announced today it's prepared to house as many as 40,000 refugees temporarily.
Airbnb says you don't need to be a host to help it house Afghan refugees
The company pledged to provide at least 20,000 refugees with a place to stay.
Airbnb drops sexual harassment and assault arbitration rules for guests and hosts
The company made a similar change for its employees in 2018.
Airbnb adds built-in speed test to help hosts include WiFi info in listings
Hosts can access the tool through the Amenities section of a listing.
Airbnb adds more flexible search options
Building on a feature the company started rolling out in February, the next time you look for a place to stay, you don't have to specify an exact set of dates.
Airbnb's flexible search focuses on where you're travelling, not when
Airbnb has introduced a flexible search that offers wiggle room on dates — a better fit for an era of remote work when you don't have to return to the office.
Airbnb has been quietly using social media to root out and ban extremists
It's said to have banned more than 100 accounts with ties to hate groups.
Airbnb is canceling all Washington DC inauguration week bookings
Airbnb announced today it’s canceling all Washington DC metro area reservations throughout inauguration week.
Airbnb is banning anyone who took part in the attempted coup
Airbnb will ban anyone who took part in last Wednesday’s attack.
Airbnb starts non-profit for those who need a place to stay during a crisis
For a few years now, several Airbnb hosts have opened up their homes for those in need, like those escaping Hurricane Sandy or COVID-19 responders. Today, Airbnb has decided to formalize the process by starting a new non-profit appropriately called Airbnb.org designed to provide shelter in emergency situations. In a statement, Airbnb said that the new non-profit will focus on “emergency response and to help provide stays to evacuees, relief workers, refugees, asylum seekers, and most recently, frontline workers fighting the spread of COVID-19.”
Jony Ive will help design 'the future of Airbnb'
Airbnb has brought Jony Ive onboard to help the company design new products and services over the next few years. The company’s co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky has announced Airbnb’s multi—year deal with Ive’s new design firm LoveFrom, calling it “a special collaboration” between them. Chesky says Ive will also help the rental marketplace develop its internal design team.
The last Blockbuster is hosting an Airbnb sleepover in September
Stay the night in a bunker of '90s nostalgia.
How it feels to survive Silicon Valley and a pandemic
It shouldn’t feel like it took a pandemic to get Twitter to boot 7,000 QAnon accounts (and crack down on 150,000 more related to the violent conspiracy group), but it does. At least Twitter is doing harm mitigation around its role in this interconnected disaster. Five months in, you’d think 145,000 American deaths would move platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube to ban virus “truther” content, but nah.
Airbnb agrees to hand over hosts’ data to settle its NYC lawsuit
Airbnb settles its lawsuit with New York City.
Airbnb and Bumble push virtual first dates to stay relevant
Airbnb is introducing a collection of Bumble-approved online experiences, and Bumble is kicking off a contest to give away 100 virtual first dates.
Airbnb will lay off 25 percent of its workforce due to COVID-19
Airbnb is laying off 1,900 workers, or 25 percent of its workforce, as the COVID-19 pandemic puts the travel industry on hold.
Airbnb is taking its travel experiences online using Zoom
What do you when people can't travel? When you're Airbnb, the answer it turns out is to allow people to connect online.
Airbnb vows to partly cover host losses following COVID-19 cancellations
Airbnb is setting aside $250 million for hosts affected by the coronavirus pandemic and is also expanding its no-penalty cancellations even further. A couple of weeks ago, the company announced that all stays and Experiences with check-in dates between March 14th and April 14th can be cancelled and fully refunded with no penalty. However, the decision was met with harsh criticism, because Airbnb wouldn't cover the hosts' losses. According to CNBC, company chief Brian Chesky apologized for the move in a letter sent to hosts.
Airbnb hosts can volunteer to house COVID-19 responders
Airbnb is dealing with COVID-19 cancellations by providing support to people on the front lines of the pandemic. It's launching a worldwide initiative that will let hosts opt in to offering free or subsidized housing to healthcare workers, first responders and other crucial staff who may need to live closer to where they're offering help. The company will partner with governments, businesses, nonprofit groups and emergency agencies to help them find hosts, while home owners who volunteer will have a cleanliness protocol to follow to minimize the chances of the coronavirus spreading.
Airbnb expands cancellation policy to cover stays affected by coronavirus
More than a few travel plans have been disrupted by the coronavirus outbreak, and Airbnb is acknowledging that with a broader cancellation policy. The service is expanding its worldwide Extenuating Circumstances coverage to allow no-penalty cancellations for stays and Experiences made on or before March 14th, with check-in dates between March 14th and April 14th. This won't cover mainland China, where normal business is expected to resume on April 1st.