u/tableloveandhate

4 hour flight. Just curious, thoughts from people who fly both?

I'm a frequent flyer with Cebu pac. I'm curious how it works. By the way, thank you to all cabin crew who don't nag me 😄

International flight with Cebu Pacific, I took 5 this year. So, 10 flights total. I arrive at midday and always got a bridge. But the other way i take a different schedule (8pm) and have seen 2 too many buses. Next time for the 8pm departure I'll use PAL!!!

I moved to Asia, Manila specifically. Which is more likely to have guests?

Couchers having an app is interesting.

Also, do either have a hope of being the primary "first known" hospitality network, rather than something people hear about via other networks?

Can someone with an IG account share the 2nd and 3rd+ images onwards from their text based posts on IG. As someone with no desire to make another meta account, I can see just the first image from each post.

Is it harder now, after the pandemic, than before?

Just want to know about foreigners who did a 24 hour trip abroad to HK, Kota Kinabalu, Singapore or whatever, then returned and reset their tourist visa in the Philippines.

I can walk short distances. I live next to a mall, so if I buy an electric wheelchair, I could go to the mall instead of shopping online all the time. Travel and trying a chair is not possible. Why I'm holding back: not sure how it will feel. Should I get one with inflatable or solid tires?

I can walk short distances. I live next to a mall, so if I buy an electric wheelchair, I could go to the mall instead of shopping online all the time. Why I'm holding back: not sure how it will feel. Should I get one with inflatable or solid tires?

I don't know about courting process. I had a girlfriend for 2 years. She was from Manila. When she was in a bad mood, she would bring up that I never courted her...

I was a host for many years from 2007. I didn't want users/ guests that had paid couchsurfing. The most fun people usually had no money, and a desire to give their all. The guests that paid something felt entitled to something.

That's why i feel the best model is where any free user can contact any paid user. And paid users can contact everyone and be reached by everyone.

Hosts who are happy to pay extra should be higher in the search results, not with any special badge, just higher exposure.

The short answer is no, Venture Capital investors almost certainly did not get their money back in any meaningful way and yes, they care, but mostly in the context of how VC economics work.

Did investors get their money back?

* Total Raised: Couchsurfing raised $22.6 million from Series A and B funding rounds (by Benchmark Capital & General Catalyst) after transitioning from a non-profit to a for-profit B-Corp in 2011.

* The Secondary Sale: In 2015, amid stagnating growth and user backlash over monetization, the original VC backers sold Couchsurfing to a private holding group.

* Financial Outcome: While exact terms were kept private, industry consensus indicates it was a fire-sale. The company never achieved the monetization required to justify its venture valuation, leaving early VCs with only a fraction of their principal, if anything.

Do the investors care?

* Venture Capitalists: VCs operate on a power-law distribution, expecting 80% of early-stage startups to fail or return negligible cash. They rely on the top 10% to deliver massive returns and carry the portfolio. Losing millions on Couchsurfing was a disappointment, but treated as a calculated risk. They cut their losses, sold off the platform, and moved on.

* Current Owners: The buyers who acquired the distressed asset in 2015 care deeply about squeezing cash from it. Their goal is direct extraction, which explains placing the site behind a mandatory subscription paywall in 2020 to keep the business cash-flow positive.

The Fundamental Mismatch

Couchsurfing highlights a classic Silicon Valley incentive conflict:

* Community Model: Built on non-monetary, trust-based hospitality where charging money ruins the social dynamic.

* VC Expectations: Requires huge user growth, high revenue per user, and massive exits.

Because the community aggressively resisted monetization, primary VCs were forced to accept a write off, while secondary investors were left squeezing a shrinking active user base through paywalls to salvage a modest return.

Mine: 18k. Only paid 1 month advance and 1 month deposit. New split aircon, inverter fridge, balcony. About 26 sq meters. Walking distance to a mall.

1. Do long standing hosts still get extra features for free?

2. If not, I'm willing to pay. Is it still possible to find someone to host?

I live in a country where the alternatives are not known. I just want to find someone to host. Honestly I didn't give it a fair try, I gave up after ten minutes of being confused. I did update my profile.

Airbnb 2025 revenue was $12.24 billion and net income was $2.51 billion.

So spending 10% more to increase support quality would be only about 6% of its 2025 net income.

Personally I don't think support quality is good enough for such an important service. For this reason, I don't trust that disputes will be handled fairly. For this reason, if I find a good host, I'd rather make a deal off Airbnb for a month. I stayed with 30 hosts this year, but I don't feel that the company is doing the most important job of mediation very well. Management seem to look at support as an annoying cost to be cut, rather than a chance to build customer loyalty.

As a Customer: Just curious about your personal experience, not hearsay.

Prefer not under a loud flight path, so I can have the window open. Any city. 😊

And not under a loud flight path ideally. Any city. Manila, Cebu, Davao.