Airbnb Joins Vrbo and Marriott In Paying Guests When It Rains Too Much

Airbnb has become the latest company to offer a weather guarantee, joining Vrbo and Marriott in giving travelers the option to protect their trips against substantial rainfall. Airbnb is now selling an insurance product underwritten by insurer Chubb, which can be added on to a booking at checkout. Travelers are given between €50 and €1,000 per day if it rains at least 1.5mm in an hour between 8am and 8pm local time for a specific amount of time at the specific location of the Airbnb, per Airbnb’s FAQs. Chubb automatically measures rain using third-party data — from radar, satellites and forecasts from NOAA, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts and NASA — and issues payment so travelers do not have to make a claim themselves. The idea is that rain can lead travelers to change plans and lose money, but insurance can help recoup some of those costs. Airbnb’s FAQs explicitly state that other weath