Everybody wants and deserves a holiday. The trouble is that not everyone has the extra cash for it.

Airbnb is an excellent alternative to hotels offering a wide range of properties with plenty of ‘hacks’ to help you save money on your stay. This opens up the booking market so that everyone can enjoy a getaway.

This article will discuss some of the best ways to save money when booking with Airbnb. 

Be Flexible with Your Travel Dates

If you’ve ever used Skyscanner or similar websites, you’ll likely know that you can search for random dates that have the lowest prices. Airbnb has the same system. If you’re not too fussed about when you make your booking, you can click the ‘I’m flexible’ option when adding dates, then choose a weekend, a week, or a month. 

Bear in mind that traveling during peak months will likely increase the Airbnb cost. However, if you’re happy to have an off-season holiday, you’ve got a better chance of finding cheaper deals in prime locations. Also, midweek bookings are sometimes cheaper than weekend bookings. 

Watch Out for Promotions

Airbnb sometimes offers promotions that you can apply for via the website. For example, you can opt-in for a discount to get 20% off three separate people in your booking if you book a trip within the following 90 days. Keeping an eye out for current promotions or last-minute stays can help you save – click here to read more.

Use Referral Links

If you’re a first-time user of Airbnb, you can get a first-time user discount. Sometimes this sits as high as $40 off. You can also be credited $30 to your Airbnb account by referring friends.

At the same time, your friends will then receive $35 off. If you and your friends/family use this system properly, it will add up a lot of savings. 

Negotiate Prices with the Host

Negotiation isn’t something that is guaranteed to get you a discount, but in the right situations, it just might.

For example, you’re more likely to get a discount if you fall into one of the falling categories; you book an extended stay, you are traveling in a big group, you are booking during the off-season, or you build up a good rapport with the host beforehand.

Generally, if you’re looking for only one or two nights, it won’t be worth the hosts’ time to offer you a discount. Likewise, you’re less likely to get any favors if you haven’t put yourself across politely and respectfully. 

To do this, you should click “contact host” rather than “request a booking.” Then, send the host a message introducing yourself, and at the time right, ask if they offer any booking discounts. Follow this link for more information.

Book Longer

As briefly stated above, if you book an extended stay, you can sometimes negotiate a discount with the host – but there is also another benefit to extended stays. Sometimes, there is a slightly higher price per night for short stays. However, if you book over a certain amount of time, the nightly price goes down. 

Right now, just under 50% of the hosts active on Airbnb will offer a discount when staying 28 nights or more. Sometimes, these discounts can be as much as 50% off. 

Use a Point Program

While Airbnb does not offer a point or loyalty program, you can rack up points cashing in Capital One miles. Each mile is worth 1 cent, which may seem minor, but it does add up surprisingly fast.

Capital One miles can be used for travel costs from hotels, flights, rental cars, cruises, and even Airbnb. There are also a bunch of bonus schemes you gain after spending a certain amount.  Learn more about travel and savings at Foreigners Finances.

Photo by Terry Magallanes