Airbnb (YC S09) mobilizes to help stranded travelers

blog.airbnb.com

55 points·picasso81··7 comments

I really hope the big media outlets pick this up and broad-cast across Europe. Of all the nuisance on CNN's "Social News" this bit of usefulness could be a welcome change.

Yeah, I just put it on facebook. I wonder how else they've announced it (besides the blog). Airbnb's been rather good about getting press, and this could be really helpful.

The problem is that most people who are stuck may not have internet access to take advantage of Airbnb. I'm typing this on internet access that cost me 9 Euros in a hotel that I first had to pay 70 Euro to get into

Obviously advice on the Internet about finding free WiFi is not terribly useful... but...

For London free WiFi can be found at:

- Starbucks (when you buy a £5 Starbucks card, but you get the £5 back as caffeine - and unlike the US there is no daily limit, just a 2hr session limit).

- Refurbished (green) McDonalds.

- Coffee Republics.

- Wetherspoons (if you feel like e-mailing while drunk).

- Some small coffee shops, although not very many.

- St Pancras station.

- Pret A Manger

Most of the type of people that would use/trust a service like Airbnb probably either have a smartphone/iphone or at least a laptop that you could use with free wifi.

I have a laptop + iphone, but since I'm a stranger in a strange land, I have absolutely no idea where to find the free wifi you speak of.

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