I have to say that getting a message like this from someone actually in Ukraine is something.
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The reference was to sanctions. The war itself does not directly affect my guest’s ability to travel as planned or to collect a refund if he cancels, but the international response to the war has shut down air travel, which will force him to cancel if Putin is still in Ukraine in July, and which makes it impossible for him to collect any refunds he might be entitled to because of banking sanctions. I thought that was clear in the letter.
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Sorry not to me it wasn’t
Could he not possibly get out of Russia by other means of travel than air, and fly to Canada from another country?
That would require him to drive from the middle of Siberia (with two young children) and then purchase new air tickets, which he cannot do because credit cards do not work
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Did you read the very next sentence?
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Yes, that’s very irritating. I turned on the filter for private room thinking I’d get those families sharing a room in their home and got hotels.
I agree. Usually it’s because they show me too many listings. So I have to use the zoom on the map, SH and IB to get a managable number. In this case there are few listings. I’m sure there’s a lot going on.
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ANd now… THIS
TBH, expected and a bit late compared to other multi national companies.
JF
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Nobody can book anyway – because there is a sanctions firewall between banks/credit cards in Russia and banks in the west and nobody can fly in or out
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Not entirely correct. My OH has Russian students, and as it stands there isn’t an issue with them paying for lessons.
What is refreshing to see is that other than one young girl, they are now one hundred percent against the ruling regime and this war.
JF
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Where is their bank account. Which bank is their credit card associated with.
When was the last time they were able to do this – because it was just two days ago (IRCC) VISA & Mastercard said they were closing the links.
Hope you are not counting on payment from the Russian students to buy your groceries!
That sounds a wee bit like a typical blinkered North American rant, and displays a typical blinkered North American lack of knowledge of financial affairs east of Cape Spears.
We’re good, they’re good (for now) and the general feeling within Europe is sympathy for not just the poor folks in the Ukraine, but your average Ivan or Valentina in Russia.
If we struggle, I’ll post on here for a food parcel.
JF
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I’ll be first in line with a FedEx’d frozen sockeye!
Aye well, if you did I’d substitute it for ten boxes of tampons, a bale of nappies and then serve it up, hot smoked on Saturday night 
JF
In a time of an unprecedented international banking firewall being constructed between the west and Russia pretty well everybody in the world is blinkered and lacks certainty and knowledge of what happens next. We cannot count on anything with certainty, because the rules are being re-written daily… and knowing how banking worked yesterday is no longer the same as knowing how they worked tomorrow…
I have been in touch with my Russian guest (booked for July), and one of his concerns is that – even if he could get out of the country (not practical to drive from where he’s located) he has strong doubts whether his credit card will work – to pay for new flights to North America and for food & other expenses while travelling.
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I’m still surprised he didn’t cancel when you contacted him about it a few days ago.
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I think keeping the reservation helps him stay optimistic in the face of tremendous pressure to be discouraged. Besides – if we keep the reservation open I can screen-grab BBC stories and news photos and use Airbnb as a back-channel to get those to him, which I do a couple of times a day.
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@Sparky_O_Reilly I was thinking exactly the same thing. July is still a long ways off- thinking “I’m going to Canada in July” could definitely be a spirit-lifter.
And all this has happened so fast, who knows what the situation will be by July?
It’s pretty resourceful – Airbnb bookings as a back channel for monetary support and Airbnb messaging as a backchannel for news.
One of the hosts I booked in Lviv said they had gotten other support bookings from US, UK and Australia. And then that they preferred I come stay with them when that is possible, to comment on the need to express optimism.
I think support bookings further out on the calendar are OK. At worst the payment will never go through. At best the host will have future funds flow from them, even if their places are bombed-out ghost listings at that point, and they are resettled in some other country.
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