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We’re all about redeeming points and miles for free hotel stays, but everyone runs out of points eventually and sometimes award redemptions are simply not worth it. While Kara and Nate use Booking.com and Agoda to book hotel stays, their go-to-site for booking accommodations is Airbnb. In case you don’t know, Airbnb is a website that allows you to rent houses, apartments, rooms, and other types of spaces (such as this yacht in Montenegro) from other people. Kara and Nate have used Airbnb in over 30 countries and had fantastic experiences (almost) every time. Today, we’ll be covering how you can use to save money on your first Airbnb.
1. Get a $40 Credit
As long as you sign up for Airbnb using our link, you’ll get a $40 credit added to your account. The credit will automatically apply to your first trip of $75 or more — no promo code needed!
2. Complete Your Profile
Once you have your account, take some time to fill out the rest of your profile. By doing this, hosts will get to know you better as a guest and may be more willing to offer discount. First, write a quick blurb about yourself and your travels.
Then, complete as many profile verifications as you can. Profile verifications are a way to connect your Airbnb profile to other information about you, such as, social media profiles and a government-issued ID. Note, information provided to Airbnb as a form of profile verification is never shared with hosts.
3. Politely Negotiate With Hosts
Now that you have a complete profile, you can try negotiating with hosts. Towards the bottom of every listing is a section about the host and a “Contact host” button.
When contacting hosts, you should start by introducing yourself, explaining the purpose of your visit, and then asking for a discount. Remember, you need to get creative when negotiating with your host. You can start by asking for $10, $20, or $30 off per night, but you can also ask to get fees such as the cleaning fee or extra guest charges waived.
4. Book Extra Nights
Most hosts on Airbnb offer discounts for long term stays. While the discounts vary based on the listing, sometimes, it’s cheaper to book more nights than you need. If you plan on making a booking for five or six nights, you should consider booking seven nights to receive the weekly discount. Likewise, if you plan on staying for 26 or 27 nights, you should consider booking 28 nights to receive the monthly discount.
Tip: Earn Delta SkyMiles on Airbnb Stays
If you book your stay by October 31, 2017 and complete your stay by October 31, 2018, you can earn 3 Delta SkyMiles per dollar spent on Airbnb.
All you have to do is go to this site, scroll down to the “Book Your Stay” section, and click the “Book Your Airbnb” button. You’ll be asked for your SkyMiles number and then redirected to Airbnb. As long as you book your stay using the page that opens, you will earn miles for your stay.
Bottom Line:
Airbnb is a great resource for booking accommodations. If you’re going to try it out for your first time, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take advantage of these tips to save money on your stay. Remember, while the $40 credit only applies to your first stay, you can still use the other strategies to save on other stays.
Have you stayed in an Airbnb before? Share your experiences in the comments below!
Gaurav Agarwal says
Hi Kara & Nate
How are you? I am a big fan of yours from India. I see all your travel vlogs and am highly motivated by them. I was not a fan of travelling but after following you i always try to go to places around me.
Recently I heard of Airbnb and thought of using the application for accommodation in my next trip. So i used your link but it seems it is not working now. I was wondering if you could confirm the availability of the link and it’s benefits.
Will wait for your response and the coming travel vlogs.