How to join Airbnb
To subscribe to Airbnb, connected to the home page of the service and click on the item Subscribe located at the top right. So choose whether to create your account via Facebook, Google or whether to register with yours email address; fill out the form that is proposed to you and click on the button Subscribe to complete the creation of your account.
The data you must enter are the following: name, surname, email, password and date of birth. If you do not want to receive the Airbnb newsletters, remove the check mark from the item I'd like to receive coupons, promotions, surveys and email updates about Airbnb and its partners..
At the end of the registration process you must confirm your identity by clicking on verification link that was emailed to you and you need to add a valid payment method (i.e. a credit card) to your account, so you can book your stays around the world.
To add a new payment method to your account, hover your mouse cursor over the photo of your profile located at the top right and select the item Account settings from the menu that appears. On the page that opens, select the item Payment methods from the left sidebar, press the button Add a payment method and fill out the form that is proposed to you with your credit / prepaid card details.
When booking an accommodation you can choose whether to pay with the credit card linked to your profile, with a PayPal account (by logging into your account) or with one of the other payment methods supported by the service. In some countries (currently excluding cities) it is also possible to pay with Apple Pay and Google Wallet.
If you received an invitation to join Airbnb from a friend, use their link to access the service home page and you will get a bonus to use for your first trip.
Once you are registered with Airbnb, you can generate invitation links in your turn by going to Account settings of your account, by clicking on the item Desk placed at the top left and pressing the button Travel credits. For each friend enrolled in Airbnb who uses the service (i.e. who makes a reservation through the site) you receive 20 euros in travel credits which will become 65 cars if the friend becomes a host.
How to book on Airbnb
At this point I would say that you finally have much clearer ideas about how Airbnb works. However, you cannot consider yourself a perfect connoisseur of the service yet without knowing how to make a reservation.
To find accommodation anywhere in the world, connect to the Airbnb home page and enter the following information: resort destination (after clicking on the icon with the lens magnification), data in arrival and date of departure (by clicking on the icon with the program ) is Number of person following you (by pressing the icon with the men).
Once this is done, you will be shown all offers matching your search. Each advertisement is accompanied by detailed information on the type of accommodation offered, the available dates, the prices of the stay and photos of the apartment / room. In all they can be found three types of accommodations different, those that you find indicated below.
- Whole houses - These are houses entirely available to the guest. Ideal for those traveling with other people in tow, their price can be quite high.
- Private rooms - These are private rooms in apartments where other people live. They are ideal for solo travelers, mostly looking for an overnight stay and not wanting to spend too much.
- Shared rooms - These are rooms to be shared with other people. The ideal solution for those who look first at savings and intend to take advantage of their travel experiences to get to know other people.
If you can't find an ad that interests you right away, use i filters search that you find at the top to indicate the type of room, the number of beds available, the services offered, etc. If you prefer, you can also view the search results directly on map, the one that is shown to you on the right side of the site.
As regards, on the other hand, i prices, are intended for each overnight stay and often vary according to the number of people to be hosted (generally the more people there are, the more you pay). Furthermore, there are several variables to consider: you have to make sure that the Airbnb service costs, that is the sum that Airbnb keeps for itself, are already included in the figure shown in the advertisement (usually this is the case). Then you have to evaluate the additional costs due to the cleaning of the apartment and other extra services that may be offered by the host. Anyway, it is all indicated quite clearly in the announcement itself.
To make a reservation, you can send a message to the host or, if the user has foreseen this possibility, click on the button Book and immediately conclude the practice.
Unless you are in a hurry, I recommend that you send a message to the host (by clicking on the button Contact the host found at the bottom of the ad page) and to introduce yourself briefly explaining the reasons why you would like to stay in the selected apartment / room. The host will respond, generally within 24 hours, telling you whether or not they have accepted your request. In case of acceptance you can make your reservation directly via email.
Alternatively, you can select the check-in and check-out dates in the appropriate drop-down menus and click on the button Send request to request the availability of the accommodation without sending a personalized message.
Payment is immediate. For security reasons, Airbnb takes the money from the reservation at the time of the request. The sum remains "frozen" up to 24 hours after check-in in the apartment, in order to protect the host and the guest in case of scams. If the booking is refused or canceled, the money will naturally be returned.
Hosts can also request the account verification of guests. This procedure consists in verifying the user's identity by linking a social account to Airbnb, sending an identity document and adding a phone number to their profile.
At the end of your stay, it's important that you let the Airbnb community know how you found yourself in the house or room you stayed in. How? Obviously by writing a review. By connecting to the listing page you used for your booking, you can leave a review and let the world know whether or not you recommend the host you were dealing with. If possible, write your review in English so that many more people can understand it.
Please note: If necessary, you can change or cancel your reservations by going to the menu Your travels (which you can access after opening your account settings) and clicking on the button Edit / Cancel placed next to the reservation you previously made.
How to post ads on Airbnb
Would you like to find out how Airbnb works on the host side? No problem. After signing up for the service, click on the item Become a host that you find placed at the top and fill out the form that is proposed to you. You must indicate that type of accommodation (apartment, house, bed & breakfast, etc.) and that type of room (whole house, private or shared) offer guests, the maximum number of people that you can host and the city where you are.
Then you have to click on the item Post your ad che trovi in corrispondenza della sezione Rent your extra space, click on Start hosting and enter all the information requested: number of beds and bathrooms available, exact address of the house, services offered (eg TV, Internet, air conditioning), prices and so on.
To create a professional ad, you need to convincingly (but 100% realistic) describe the apartment or room you offer. You have to keep the calendar constantly updated with the dates on which the accommodation is available and you have to publish many beautiful photos. You can insert up to 24 images: make sure they are all beautiful, bright and, above all, that they can best represent the room / house you make available to guests. If you want some "tips" on how to create an ad on Airbnb, consult the official guide of the service.
The publication of the ad is free (Airbnb retains money only when a reservation is made), you can decide which payment methods to accept and whether or not to activate the instant booking function. After hosting someone, remember to connect to their Airbnb profile and write one review, this will help other hosts in "choosing" their guests.
Using Airbnb from mobile
In addition to a web browser, Airbnb is also accessible through the dedicated app available for Android and for iOS. The use of the application is practically similar to that of the desktop version of the service, which is why the indications I have provided you in the previous lines on how Airbnb works are also valid if you prefer to use the latter from your smartphone or from the Tablet.
If you have an Android-equipped smartphone or tablet, you can get the Airbnb app via the Play Store, the official application store for the Google home operating system. So look for the Play Store icon (the white bag with the "play" symbol printed above) on the main screen of the device or in the menu where there are all the applications installed on the device and access it.
Then press the icon of magnifying glass located at the top right, type airbnb in the appropriate field on the screen, select the name of the application from the search results and press the buttons Install e Accept to install Airbnb for Android on your device.
If, on the other hand, you have an iPhone or an iPad, to download the Airbnb app, all you have to do is open theApp Store (the blue icon with the letter "A" in the center located on the device home screen), press the card Search located at the bottom right, type airbnb in the appropriate field on the screen and press the button Search attached to the keyboard.
Then select the app icon from the search results, press the button Ottieni / Installa and type your Apple ID password (or, if your device supports it and if the function is enabled, place your finger on the Touch ID sensor) to install Airbnb for iOS on your Device.
In case of problems
Despite having followed my instructions on how Airbnb works, do you still have some doubts about the functioning of the service? Are you experiencing any hiccups in making a reservation or getting in touch with a host? Then consult immediately the Service center of the service and see if in this way you can solve.
Using the bar Ask a question or research placed in the center of the page you can type the reference word or keywords of your problem and view the possible solutions to the thing while on the left side you will find all the main topics.
Regarding the specific problems related to reservations, you can use the sections Your trip e Recommended for you that you find in the center of the page while as regards the trifles mainly related to payments you can click on the button Visit the Find Solutions present under the heading Do you want to send or request a payment?.
How Airbnb works
