Instant Book Problem

[Neil702]

It seems like this may be a long running problem for lots of hosts but here goes...

We have 2 properties listed with Airbnb. Both have instant book enabled but in the listings they both appear as 'request to book'. So, if any potential guests apply the 'instant book' filter to their search results both our places disappear.

We've never cancelled a booking, we have Superhost status, full 5 star reviews and 'guests choice'. We don't have any pre-booking conditions enabled (good feedback etc).

Airbnb support either don't know what the problem is or don't want to say and as a result have not offered any resolution for the last 2 weeks. In the meantime we've had no Airbnb bookings for weeks.

Anyone else in the same boat? Any solutions out there??

[Joan2709]

@Neil702 

I checked again and I agree with @Emilia42 

Remember, your listings have different minimum stays. Your larger home is 3nite minimum. Your smaller home is 2night minimum. When doing an incognito search try putting in at least 3nite stay so you will capture both listings in the search results. When I did that, both listings appeared with no filters AND when I turned on the Instant Book Filter. If you only search with a 1nite stay in dates, neither property will appear in search results.

This is strange though...

When I didn't enter any dates and no filters your listings DID appear. When I added the instant book filter with no dates, the listings disappeared?  Hmmm....you may be on to something. I checked one of our properties and the same thing happened?

 @Breanna , @Paula 

This may be a real issue with a bug for searches. Alot of Hosts have complained about slow bookings? If a guest is searching using the instant book filter (no other filters or dates), properties are not appearing, even if the instant book filter is turned ON for the listings. I verified this doing an incognito search. Our properties have the additional options set for instant book, but @Neil702 doesn't and his properties have the same issue? Perhaps this is part of the reason that bookings have dropped off so sharply? Wonder if it has anything to do with the 2023 Winter Release (bug). Similar to the whole Home filter showing under "Rooms" recently. Can you forward this to the appropriate Team at Airbnb and have them investigate?

[Neil702]

Thanks! You're on to something here.

If I select some dates (e.g. a 3 night stay) when I know that both places are available, I see them on the map/list even when I filter for IB. I get a similar result if I use the 'months' feature.

BUT, if I search as 'Flexible' I see both places on the map/list until I filter for IB then they disappear. So, if I'm a guest just looking around at an area to see what places are there but I don't have fixed dates in mind, I won't see the properties if I have the filter for IB on, even if the listings are set up as IB.

I still need to check the minimum nights setting as what I'm offered as a guest doesn't seem to match what I have set on the listings but that's a separate problem.

This 'flexible' search thing definitely needs sorting out and quickly as we've had no bookings from Airbnb now since October after a busy summer so we (and they) are losing out...

What is also odd is that even within a 'flexible' search (no dates), one of our places did show as IB whilst we had a guest checked in over the weekend but reverted to not showing when they checked out. I don't believe in coincidences like that...

[Joan2709]

@Neil702 

Yikes!  This concerns me!  Been doing some other checking on properties I co-host for. Same problem.

When doing a flexible search (no dates, no filters) properties appear

When doing a flexible search (no dates, IB filter on) properties disappear!

I then went into one property and turned OFF instant book, then turned IB back on and "magically" the property did appear in search results with the IB filter on (even though it previously hadn't). Noticed that when you turn IB back on the "Good Track Record" slider is automatically turned OFF.

***UPDATE***

Did some A/B testing and this is what I found out:

Flexible search no dates, IB Filter ON (listing Good Track record OFF in optional settings)...listings appear

Flexible search no dates, IB Filter ON (listing Good Track Record ON) listings don't appear at all.

@Paula , @Breanna this is definitely a "bug" that needs to be addressed quickly. Thank you in advance for passing this along to the appropriate team at Airbnb!

[Neil702]

Agreed! Anything that stops customers seeing our places is very bad news.

When we tried the 'toggling on/off' thing a couple of days ago, one of our places did reappear as IB in flexible search for a few seconds but then disappeared again. Hope yours stays put!

I'm also convinced there's some 'buggy' connection to whether the place is currently booked and occupied because ours was showing fine for the 2 nights it was booked then went back to IB invisibility... 

[Emilia42]

@Joan2709 @Neil702 

I really don't think Airbnb is concerned with these "flexible no date" searches because I would bet the data shows that guests do not book this way. The only people who are searching without dates are other hosts. As a guest, I quickly learned that doing a generic search only returns frustrating results because the is no account for nightly minimums, blocked dates, etc. 

[Neil702]

I don't agree. As a guest I may well decide that I fancy a short break in a particular area but I don't have fixed dates. So, I do a flexible search to see what places are in the area and which ones I like the look of best. Then I can check when my preferred place is available and pick some free dates that suit me.

I think this is possibly even more the case for older/retired guests who can be more flexible with their 'possible' dates. We get a lot of that age group so for us I think it's significant.

Either way, if Airbnb offer this search it should work.

[Joan2709]

I agree somewhat @Emilia42 

Most guests search with dates. Per @Neil702 though, some guests will use the flexible search option first.

It's also possible that this is the way Airbnb intended it to work for Hosts who have set IB to the Good Track Record Option. If you are searching without logging into Airbnb, there is no way for the system to know if you have a good track record, therefore if you choose IB as a filter, it will exclude properties that have that additional setting turned on it appears.

However, @Neil702 didn't have the good track record option turned on and he still experienced the problem? 

[Neil702]

For us, the flexible search I think is a factor, perhaps more so because of the age group our places attract. I agree it's maybe less significant for different types of properties with a different customer base.