This review is about Airbnb. What it is? This is the name of the service for booking accommodation. Thanks to him, in almost any country you can find at least a chic mansion, even a simple trailer, for rent. In the article, we will look at how to book accommodation correctly and get a good discount.
About service
We already said above that this is Airbnb. Most often it is used by people who like a separate holiday. The service is especially relevant for families with children, because it is necessary to take into account the age and preferences of the child in food, but not every hotel does this.
Another argument in favor of the service is the rather low prices compared to other sites.
Of course, for the first time a person gets lost on the resource and does not know what to do next, but over time it passes, speed appears, and booking takes no more than a quarter of an hour.
So this is Airbnb? The lifesaver of all travelers, but first things first.
Register
To use the service, you must register on the site. Registration will be completed only after the new userwill confirm. It's not difficult, because everyone has registered somewhere in their life, which means that there will be no problems.
True, not everyone knows that Airbnb is a service where the user receives permanent bonuses. For example, if a user registers at someone else's invitation, he receives 20 dollars to his account. It is important that the invitation is sent by another user of the service, only in this case the money will come. The bonus can be used to book accommodation throughout the year. This is an absolute plus, because money can be used, they will not hang on the account just for beauty.
So let's move on. After clicking on the link and accepting the bonus, the site system prompts you to log in. It is very convenient that you can do this through your Google or Facebook account, that is, you do not have to remember a new password and login. If a user who is not on social networks is caught, then he will also be able to register using e-mail.
After registration, the account must be confirmed, now we will explain how to do it.
Account verification
Airbnb (rental) service has its own rules, according to which account verification is required. How to do it? Here is a quick guide.
On the site you need to find the line "Edit profile". By clicking on it, you will go to the line "Trust and confirmation". What counts as confirmation?
- Phone number. This is to ensure that it is convenient to communicate during the booking. You can turn out to be not only a guest, but also a host, and people come across completely different, someone will not be stoppeddistance and telephone prices.
- E-mail. Not only messages, but also notifications are sent to the confirmed address, which is very convenient.
- Social networks. It has already been said above that you can connect a social network to Airbnb (rental), but if you don’t have one or don’t want to, then you don’t have to do it.
- Reviews. These days, people don't buy anything or use services without reviews. Accordingly, the better you behaved as a guest or acted as a host, the more positive opinions will be left about you. This also increases trust.
- Photos. In order to avoid problems after the transaction, homeowners order professional shooting of an apartment or house. Such photographs convey the condition of housing and its dimensions as accurately as possible.
To earn trust on the service, you need to get the “Verified Profile” badge. It is by looking at it that other users will evaluate your page as potentially possible. Nothing more than a completed profile attracts tourists, and if you also tell a little about yourself, then the guest or tenant will also become a pleasant company for you during your vacation.
Why confirmation is needed
Not only guests choose their accommodation very carefully. The owners of apartments and houses themselves sometimes very carefully study the profiles of all guests and have a number of their own requirements. And this principle works here - the more you know about you, the more likely your transaction. To confirm the request, the landlord has a day, and therefore the profile of the applicantshould be as informative as possible.
Another important point is that the Airbnb service (rental apartments) provides guarantees for both parties. The owner of the accommodation will always be compensated for the damage caused by the guests, and the guest can be sure that the apartment will match the description. Everything sounds great, but there is a condition. To get all these goodies, you need to deal with financial issues through the service.
By the way, if you suddenly have several profiles for yourself, the site administration can block you for life. This is due to the fact that the site employees doubt the decency and honesty of multi-pagers and therefore try in every possible way to avoid their appearance on the service.
Choosing and booking accommodation
When the registration is successfully completed, it's time to do what the site is intended for - finding an apartment and booking. To make it convenient, we set up Airbnb in Russian. You can also choose the currency that is most convenient for you. To customize the service for yourself, you need to go down to the very bottom of the site.
How to find housing? In the search line of the service, we write the country in which you need to rent a house, the date of settlement and the number of guests. After you click the "Search" button, the system will start looking for convenient options. By the way, children under six years old can be omitted if desired.
Airbnb accommodation options appear below the search bar. If there are special items, then in the upper left corner you can find a filter, thanks to which additional parameters are configured.
AppIt also contains a map, which is very convenient, because you can find offers in a certain area of the city or even on a specific street. On the map you can see the approximate cost of rent in different city areas.
Important points
In Russia, Airbnb is just gaining momentum, so not everyone knows how to work with it and, as a result, they don’t get what they want. How to avoid it? Carefully look at all the filters and choose the one you need. Let's figure it out.
The type of placement is different. For example, the service offers to rent a house or apartment as a whole, or to live with the owner. The last option involves a separate room for living. You can rent a place in a common room with the owner or other tourists - this is the most economical way.
The price is also set on the service. The traveler simply sets the range, and the site already calculates the average price and offers options. What does the cost depend on? As a rule, it is influenced by the location of the living space, the type of apartment or house and, of course, seasonality. Popular options are sold out quickly, so you should take care in advance. But still there is a way to save money.
For example, new options without reviews are set at a lower cost, because the owners need to gain the trust of travelers. On the one hand, it's scary to give money for a pig in a poke, but on the other hand, you can get a luxury apartment at a bargain price. After a while, reviews will appear, and the cost will jump five times.
All other requirements - the availability of the Internet, the number of bathrooms, bedrooms and other things - can be entered by clicking on"Filters" and ticking the one you need. As you can see, Airbnb support provided everything.
You can not only choose a district of the city, but also read the recommendations on the site itself about each. The bad thing is that mostly large cities like Paris, London, Tokyo are represented there, but, nevertheless, it's better than nothing. Such a function is also useful for those who travel for the first time and do not navigate the city.
Instant booking
What does this mean? You don't have to wait for the host to approve you to book a property with this mark. The money is debited from the account at the time of confirmation of the reservation, and the only thing left is to agree with the owner on the transfer of the keys.
So it turns out that booking on Airbnb can be quite pleasant and fast, you just need to choose the right listing.
Discounts and reviews on the service
There are a lot of discounts on Airbnb. For example, renting a house for seven or eight days will be somewhat cheaper than renting for five. And there are many such cases, you just need to look.
As for the reviews, you should definitely read them. After all, it is precisely from them that it is clear about housing more than from the most professional photographs. It is also necessary to pay attention to additional living conditions, a description of housing. Some hosts charge extra for late guests. Of course, this is all spelled out in the terms of the lease, but if the traveler is inattentive or lazy, then he simply did not read, which means that by the end of the holiday he will receive an unpleasant surprise.
The conditions of stay for previously unscheduled guests are also spelled out in the description,so don't be lazy and read on.
Cancellation
In addition to Airbnb discounts and conditions, you also need to know the cancellation policy. If you are still not sure what you are going to, then look at the apartments with flexible booking conditions. So that you do not get confused, we will tell you what the cancellation conditions are.
- Flexible. If a person cancels the reservation a day before arrival, the owner will return all the money.
- Strict. Only half of the amount is returned, and then, subject to cancellation of the reservation a week before arrival.
- Moderate. The owner will refund the entire amount, but you must notify about a change in plans in five days.
- Super strict 30 days. We are talking about a refund of half of the payment in case of cancellation 30 days before arrival.
- Super strict 60 days. The essence of the condition is the same as in the previous paragraph.
- Long-term. If you booked accommodation for more than a month, then in case of cancellation back you will receive a monthly advance. True, this will only be the case if the homeowners are warned 30 days in advance.
Since Russians have not yet fully mastered Airbnb, misunderstandings often arise due to the amount of the refund. To avoid this, remember: the cleaning fee and service fee are not refundable under any cancellation condition.
What is a cleaning fee? European apartment owners often add cleaning fees to the rental price. The amount varies from 10 to 30 dollars and depends on the desire of the owner. To choose the best option, you need to read the terms of the lease correctly, otherwise your costs will increase many times over.
Besides being a serviceirbnb offers a lot of discounts for rentals, some owners add a discount on bookings as well. This should be read in detail in the rules.
How to pay for the reservation
The service contains a lot of things: discounts, promotional codes, Airbnb coupons. But the main advantage remains booking accommodation, but not everyone understands how to pay for the reservation.
After the apartment is chosen, it's time to pay. And there are two options here:
- Instant booking. In this case, the money is immediately debited from the card.
- Regular booking. In such a situation, you must first send a request to the owner of the apartment, and only after confirmation the money will be withdrawn from the card.
What to write in the request? To rent a place on Airbnb, you need to indicate in a letter to the owner when you are going, how many people. In addition, in the same letter, you can ask about what you are interested in, for example, is there Internet in the house, free parking nearby, and so on.
It is important to remember that you cannot send multiple requests, because after confirmation the money is withdrawn from your card, which means that in case of repeated requests you will pay for the reservation several times.
As for the language, Airbnb rooms is an English-speaking service, in the sense that most of the Europeans are there. For this reason, it is best to submit your request in English. If you do not know him, then do not rush to get upset, because any translator will cope with the letter, be it Yandex or Google. Do not be complex about not knowing the language, because it is possible that the other side does not know it either.
When you bookapartments for several people, do not forget to indicate their number.
Now with regard to filling in payment data. Airbnb in Moscow and around the world has the same fields for payments. What should be done? Choose through which payment will be made: bank card or PayPal. Next, you need to fill in the billing address. It is not necessary to write the address by registration here, the actual coordinates will suffice.
Conversion
To make booking an apartment on Airbnb as easy as possible, you need to choose the right currency. It is necessary to choose the one that corresponds to your bank card with which payment will be made. If this is not done, then the site will convert the payment itself, and there is no guarantee that you will like the result. This is especially noticeable with large amounts.
As soon as the host approves the reservation, an SMS is sent to the applicant's phone, and an email is sent to the email. The latter contains the owner's phone number and the exact address of the apartment. It is noteworthy that until the payment, this information is not available to the guest.
Once all the messages have arrived, we can assume that Airbnb accommodation has been found and will be waiting for you. All emerging issues can now be discussed directly with the owner of the apartment.
Renting apartments on Airbnb: pros and cons
To understand how reliable the service is, let's take a quick look. So, what is the benefit of renting through the service?
- This is the most comprehensive housing service worldwide. All photos and reviews are real, which is very important. After all, oftentravelers are traveling somewhere for the first time and have little idea of what awaits them.
- Prices. Renting on the site will be several times cheaper than staying even in budget hotels. The kitchen is a plus, that is, it will be possible to save on food.
- Reliability. Financial transactions go through the service, which means that fraud is excluded and the money will reach its goal. Even if you want to cancel the reservation, the funds will still be returned. In situations where the landlord is at fault, you also have nothing to lose, because the problem will be fixed and new apartments will be provided.
- Simplicity. It seems that the site is too complicated, in fact, everything is clear and understandable. For users, there is round-the-clock support with employees who speak Russian. Yes, and the site itself can be translated into Russian in the settings.
- Total immersion. If you live in an apartment with the owner or just communicate with the local population, you will get invaluable experience and a guide. It's also a good way to practice your language.
- Booking confirmation. It's no secret that foreign consulates require confirmation of the reservation. So, receipts from the service are accepted at consulates without any additional documents.
Sounds pretty good, doesn't it? But what about the downsides? Consider them too.
- Service fee. It is equal to 15% and is charged for each booking. But this should not be considered a huge drawback, because any service or site needs funding.
- Full prepayment. It is done in order to protect the owners of apartments or houses -and this too can be understood.
- The human factor. The owner of the apartment can cancel the reservation even the day before the arrival of the tourist, and he has the right to do so. Of course, the money will be returned to the applicant, but at the same time, it will not be possible to restore the nerve cells.
- Strict cancellation policy. Usually the owners choose more loyal conditions, but there are those who fight to the maximum. Agree, it’s not so pleasant to lose half the amount, because a person can cancel a reservation for various reasons.
- New person on the service. Sometimes the host may refuse a booking simply because the profile does not have reviews and information. This is because people are afraid of scammers and are trying to protect themselves.
Goodies for users
To attract people, the service provides a lot of discounts. Let's see what:
- Airbnb coupon for your first booking. Only new users receive. By the way, since 2016 the terms of provision have changed somewhat, but more on that later.
- Discount for users who have been on the site for a long time. Approximately $11.
- Discount for inviting a friend. The amount is quite impressive - $100.
- Corporate customers get $50 off.
- Seasonal coupons. Their amount may vary as well as for residents of different countries.
- Gift certificate. Given for help or service.
So, let's talk about each bonus separately. The coupon for the first booking is received by an active new user whosigned up by invitation. If you register without an invitation, then do not count on a discount. But immediately after registration with an invite, 20 dollars comes to the bonus account. They can be spent on booking apartments. You can use the coupon within 12 months from the date of receipt. The second condition is the amount of the reservation. To activate the discount, the reservation must be at least $78.
It is important that the coupon for the first booking can only be used once, it cannot be combined with other discounts and certificates, even after canceling the reservation, the coupon is considered spent, they cannot pay for cleaning the apartment.
Booking and Discount
We have already said above that the site is constantly developing new bonuses, discounts, Airbnb promotional codes, but the procedure for using it has not yet been described. This is what we'll do. So, you found accommodation for a conditional $110 for 4 nights, how does the discount work? It is immediately deducted from the amount of the reservation. Now you can click on the "Request Reservation" button. Then everything happens according to the usual scenario.
What if the booking costs less than $78? Nothing, the discount remains in place, you can use it another time.
Invite your friends
Immediately after registering on the service, you became a member of the system, which means you can invite your friends and acquaintances. It's good for both parties, because your friends will also get a $20 discount, not to mention you. So how do you earn $100?
- If an invited friend rented a house, then you will receive$20.
- When a referral friend rents out, you'll receive $87.
All accrued bonuses are visible in your account, they are summed up. Each bonus for an invited friend is one-time, the coupon is valid for a year. The maximum discount on rental housing is $5,000. By the way, bonuses cannot be combined with seasonal discounts. Coupon is redeemed if you cancel or book a rental over $78.
All about promo codes
If you enter a certain combination of letters and numbers, you can get a discount on rent of $11.
So, what Airbnb promo codes are there?
- POLOGNE2015. Operates not only in Europe, but also in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, the B altic states, Poland.
- CROATIE2015. Works in Croatia, Europe, Belarus, Ukraine.
- MAROC2015. Extends to the Canary Islands and Morocco.
- SARDAIGNE2015. Also valid in the Canary Islands and Morocco.
- NORVEGE2015. Works in Balkan countries, Norway, Finland, Greece, Estonia.
- MALTE2015. Extends to Greece, Turkey, M alta and the Balkans.
Usually, these promotional codes are used by those who need to spend the night only once. If you choose the right option, then housing can cost as little as one dollar.
Since everything is clear with discounts, let's move on to the analysis of certain situations.
For corporate users
This is a relatively new option on the site, now it is only gaining popularity. What is its essence?Discounts for corporate clients are $50, while for ordinary clients - only $20. In addition, there is no restriction on booking, which, you see, is also very nice.
How to get such a discount? The user must have a corporate email. You can get it at work or register yourself. The latter only works for bloggers or website owners.
If you have a corporate mail, then when you log into your account, select the "Business trips" item, where you enter the email address. An email will be sent to you with a link. You need to go through it to activate it. Now you can find the cheapest accommodation and book.
Before you pay, check again that a business trip is indicated. After completing all the steps, all that remains is to wait for a letter indicating the discount and use it within a year.
Transfer money past the service
What if the landlord wants to get money bypassing the system? You need to state right away that you do not agree. Although the desire is understandable, because the owners of real estate also pay interest to the site, but remember that in the event of a conflict, you will no longer be able to contact the support service. Of course, you can take the risk, but is it justified?
Expectations and reality
How to be in a situation where the photos and description are still on the site, but you arrived in a completely different place? If this happens, you should immediately contact Airbnb support. You will be asked to leave a claim, which is what you needdo. The choice is yours where to do it: directly on the site, by phone, in a social network.
As soon as the claim is received, proceedings will begin.
Where the service does not work
Now you can rent accommodation in Cuba, but still there are several countries or places where you can not get through the site. These include Syria and Iraq, North Korea and Crimea. The latter was introduced due to US sanctions.
Are reviews required
This is perhaps the most frequently asked question. The site gives two weeks from the date of check-out for a person to leave a review. Of course, you can not do this, but then your page will not see a review from the owners of the property. And as you already understood, reviews on this service play a paramount role.
And don't you want to help other travelers, because you chose your accommodation based on someone else's opinion? Maybe someone will be guided by your review.
Well, the most powerful argument will be getting discounts and various goodies from the site.
Conclusion
As you can see, booking on Airbnb is not that hard. The key to success is attentiveness and caution. Remember that the less trust a person inspires, the greater the likelihood of deception.
Carry out all operations through the service, then there will be no problems with the return of money. Be a pleasant guest or a hospitable host, because in any case, this is a tremendous experience that cannot be replaced by anything.
