All that is left of the UK's "wonkiest" pub is a sea red bricks, splintered furniture, and tributes strewn on its charred remains left by locals mourning the loss of a beloved part of their history.
The Airbnb Nightmare That Could Happen to You
27.07.2023 - 18:09 / smartertravel.com
Want more expert tips and vacation inspiration? Subscribe to SmarterTravel on YouTube!
I was packed and ready to board my red-eye, transatlantic flight to England when I got the e-mail: My Airbnb had been canceled 11 hours before I was set to check in. There had been a “plumbing issue at the property,” the host told me, and staying there would be impossible given the lack of running water and necessary repairs.
“We’re happy to help you select another property to stay at!” a cheery Airbnb representative told me via phone as I frantically pulled up an Airbnb search page to see that only a handful of properties in London-proper were still bookable at 9 p.m. England time. “I’m not sure what that means,” I flatly replied.
My answer was icy for a reason: This was the second time an Airbnb host had canceled on me less than 12 hours before my arrival. “Plumbing issues” were cited for both. A measly 10 percent discount on a new booking was offered for both.
Related: 11 Things to Look for in an Airbnb Before You BookAs Airbnbs go, most people choose them for one of two reasons: affordability over local hotel options (this was my case, as I was visiting London in summer on set dates for a wedding), or for the advantage of staying in homey digs with amenities like a kitchen and laundry. But recent reports uncovering Airbnb scams paired with the company’s fuzzy cancellation/refund policies are reason to consider the possibility that your rental might end up costing you more money, and for far lesser lodging.
In my experience, I had no choice but to rebook one of the few Airbnbs left—a seedy option that was far from the area I had originally chosen to stay in, and that was more expensive than the original, larger, nicer listing I had booked months in advance. The hotels left by then were both astronomically expensive and no better than the second-rate rental option. Sitting on my six-hour flight after the mere hour I had to rebook, I increasingly began to feel like I should be owed something. It wasn’t until I complained to Airbnb multiple times via email (which went ignored) and then on social media that the company refunded me anything.
In a spate of recent reports, Airbnb customers detail being canceled on for similar reasons (plumbing, in many cases) even later in the process than I was. Vice.com reporter Allie Conti recently detailed her Chicago listing being canceled 10 minutes before check-in time and talked to a slew of other customers with similar horror stories. Ultimately, she uncovered an Airbnb scam that spans cities and relies upon fake listings.
Note: I don’t think either of my canceled listings abroad seemed similarly fake, as Airbnb processed the rebooking rather than the owner—but I can say
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Top Autors
Popular Topics
insider.com
13.08.2023 / 12:35
Take a look inside the fear-of-flying course that helped with my anxiety and changed my whole attitude to turbulence
In preparation for a busy summer of traveling, I wanted to face my fear of flying.
insider.com
07.08.2023 / 14:29
A United Airlines passenger took a day off work and flew across the US to retrieve her lost luggage that she tracked down using an Apple AirTag
A United Airlines passenger flew two hours across the US after the airline failed to reunite her with her bag.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:42
Heads Roll, but No End in Sight to the TSA Mess
The long lines, missed flights, and traveler outrage have been front-page news for months. And there’s little prospect that the bottleneck at the TSA’s airport security checkpoints can be ameliorated in time to for the summer travel crush.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:35
Cheap Transatlantic Fares Could Be Coming to Your City Soon
If you’re looking for yet another reason to cross the Atlantic, WOW Air just gave you one: The Icelandic-based airline is expanding low transatlantic fares and “second city” air routes.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:33
The 10 Most Disrupted Flight Routes Over the Christmas Travel Period
The Christmas travel season is upon us. While perhaps not as narrow and intense as the Thanksgiving holiday, Christmas is nevertheless an extremely busy time of year at airports across the country. In addition to an influx of travelers, late December is infamous for throwing weather curveballs that can further snarl already maxed-out airline operations.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:23
French Airline and Rail Strikes Could Disrupt Travel for Months
It’s travel strike season in France once again. Travelers visiting or traveling through France over the next several weeks should prepare for the possibility of significant air and rail travel disruptions due to a series of planned travel strikes that have cut 30 percent of flights at major airports, and could cancel train departures for months.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:20
11 New Air Routes That Promise Cheap Flights in 2018
New air routes by low-fare airlines promise great deals for budget-minded travelers across the globe this year. Here are the 11 most-exciting air routes low-fare lines are launching in the U.S., Europe, and Asia.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:12
The Alternative Airports for Avoiding 9 Nightmare Air Hubs
“Best airport” rankings aren’t typically the most helpful in terms of travel planning: If I want to go to Boston, I’m not going to head for Las Vegas instead because its airport is better. But those best airport lists do come in handy in two cases—when you have a choice of airport for your connecting flight, and when you can choose between multiple airports within a single metro area.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:09
The Worst Cities for an Airport Connection, If You Want to Make Your Flight
An airport connection (or two) is often the price you pay for service to far-off destinations. Unfortunately, a connection almost always complicates your travel planning, asking you to decide where to connect and how much time to allow for the connection. There’s no easy formula answer to those questions, but there are a few choice airports to try and avoid.
smartertravel.com
27.07.2023 / 18:09
The 10 Most Delay-Prone Airports in the U.S.
Ever wonder how much of your life you’ve wasted sitting around at the airport? Financebuzz.com compiled a list of the worst delay-prone U.S. airports of 2018, with overall delay times displayed in the collective amount of years they’ve added up to for travelers overall. And the results are not encouraging: Rankings are based on a composite of total passengers, percentage of flights delayed, and the average length of delay for the top 25 airports.