Booking an Airbnb sometimes means paying much more than the price displayed on the search page. The platform is finally putting an end to this practice and will include the fees from the beginning of the booking process.
One of the biggest criticisms of Airbnb is that it hides up to The practice of revealing the actual cost of a rental at the final booking stage is frustrating users, who have to pay more than they expected, or cancel the booking to choose another accommodation option and waste time.
The good news is that those days are finally over. “Starting today, guests around the world will see the total price of their stay, including all fees before taxes, from the start”, Airbnb announced. This means, in particular, that cleaning fees, or the commission charged by the platform, will appear as soon as search results are displayed. In Europe, taxes (VAT and tourist tax) will also be included in the price that appears at the start of the search.
Airbnb plays the price transparency card
“We know that clear and transparent pricing improves the Airbnb experience, both for travelers and hosts”, the company explains in a press release, adding that customers will be able to “compare options more easily than ever and book the stay that best suits their needs” their budget”.
In its language, Airbnb is enthusiastic about a victory for users and an improvement in the service offered to them. Let's remember, however, that providing information on what can be called hidden fees after the user has chosen their accommodation was clearly a trap and that with this change, Airbnb will only offer an experience that should have been this way from the start.
The transparent display of the total price has been under test in several countries since 2019. Since 2023, an option available in the settings allowed this display to be activated, but many users were not aware of its existence. Now everyone will benefit from clear price display, without having to activate any functionality, and worldwide.
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