Please add "Any Dates" to new search filters

[John5097]

Overall I like many of the new features with the recent Summer Release search filters. The Categories  is great idea. However there needs to be improved ability for guest to search for "Any Dates" or "Weekdays". There are a number of ways this could be done. 

As it is now the default is for guest to search "Any Week" this means only listings with 7 day availability will be displayed.

Guest need to select "Im Flexible" then three choices of "Any Week" "Any Weekend" and "Any Month" This is how it looks. My listing does appear as the first option for "Any Weekend" however potential guest only see the next available weekend, which for me is November. Its the same for "Any Week" 



So adding a "Any Dates" or "Weekend" would help this so that guest don' have to scroll though each listing calendar to see what other weekdays open. My weekends always fill up first anyway, so its the weekdays that are already harder to book. 

This is what it looks like with "Im Flexible" which isn't flexible at all. Guest having to check "Im flexible" and then "Weekends" isn't intuitive who have a flexible schedule, as many guest also book weekdays just to save a few bucks as rates are a bit lower. 

Another option would be to expand the flexibility window for selecting specific dates. As it is now the maximum is 7 nights. So incrusting to say 30 nights as an option could allow guest to search the entire month. 

So I think this is a great approach to help guest find the place they are looking for, the ability to find available "Weekdays" is lacking. This could make it more challenging to rebook cancelations if they are on a weekday. 

As it is now I have a maximum of 5 days to allow as much flexibility with cancelations as possible. Its easier to rebook and I can be more flexible. Its not unusual for guest to contact me the night before a reservation and want to change the dates, and I'm still able to rebook. So would need to make major changes to my cancelation policy and consider listing on other platforms. My first year was 2020 and I had over 80 cancellations. 

The average stay is 4 days. We get 7.4 million visitors and its a lot like Disneyland. 
By the way Orlando gets 75 million visitors a year and average stay is 4.5 nights. 
Maine gets 22 million a year. 
South Carolina 30 million a year. 
North Carolina 48 millón a year. 
Georgia 111 million a year, likely Atlanta has a huge impact with shorter stays. 

My listing does really well with Airbnb algorithms so I''m not giving up hope. They search guest reviews and help future guest find desirable locations which is something Airbnb is very good at. Mine does drop down to the #2 spot for "Amazing Views" and 2 guest for the area but I can live with that. I'm usually feathred on the first page with no search filters. But think these suggestions could help and it will be a major change if it becomes more difficult to book weekdays. 

My guest love my place. I very much enjoy offering a good value but sill need to make a certain amount each year. I very much enjoy feeling appreciated. They are so excited when they find it. I get honeymooners each month and almost every reservation is a special event. I hope Airbnb appreciates this as well, and want to continue to help guest find the right place for them. Most of the guest in this area are within 300 miles and take shorter trips. 

[Emilia42]

Nice post @John5097. As I mentioned on another thread, I'm currently searching for an Airbnb to visit within the next 6 weeks so I can utilize my Superhost $100 bonus credit. I'm flexible with dates but do have limitations. It is VERY difficult to browse listings with no exact dates with this new design rollout. So difficult that I have gotten frustrated TWICE and walked away. If I wasn't so fussy about using these coupons, I would abandon this Airbnb trip.

[John5097]

@Emilia42 your such an expert on all the polices and search functions on the platform, so if you are having a hard time with it, hopefully there could be a remedy. I really like a lot of the new updates but just needs a few  adjustments and tweaks. Thanks for sharing your feedback. I also don't claim to know exactly how this will play out, but hope some constructive feedback can help everyone, as its not a competition and we all have to respect that we each have different listings and guest requirements.  

[Mike-And-Jane0]

@Emilia42 If you don't find a place to stay perhaps you could use your  $100 credit to book a place in Kyiv or the recently liberated area of Kharkiv. I am sure the hosts will be appreciative and now the artillery is out of range they only have the missiles to worry about.

[Emilia42]

@Mike-And-Jane0 I tried that back in March but the search results were so riddled with scammers that it was difficult to find a genuine listing. Since then I have found a handful of new Superhosts who achieved the status but setting up a Kyiv listing in March and already have dozens and dozens of 'support' reviews. I have contributed in other ways. But thanks for the thought, I may give it another try. 

[Debra300]

@Emilia42,

We'll be open, and of course, I'd block out any dates for YOU!

[Suzanne302]

@Emilia42 

 Yep. Same thing with my trip. That's how I like to search most of the time. I have open dates and I choose my dates based on what's available. I gave up quickly.

[Ann72]

I agree @John5097 and @Emilia42.  It is asking too much to expect guests to know that if they choose "any week," they can modify dates to two weeknights once they find a place they like.

I also noticed that, when searching "any week," not every stay in the results is for a whole week.  Some are 4 or 5 days.  But again, how would a guest know that when choosing "any week"?

[Emilia42]

@Ann72 It is true that I can arbitrarily search for May 23-24 +/- 1 day or 3 days and I will get a list of results. And if I don't like any of those I can change the dates to June 2-5 +/- 1 day or 3 days. And then June 14-15 +/- 1 day or 3 days. Keep going to June 20-23 +/- 1 day or 3 days. And this is what I'm doing but it doesn't feel user-friendly AT ALL. If I was in some sort of customer test group before the rollout of this design, the developers would see my frustration. 

[Ann72]

No, it's really too much to ask @Emilia42.  And I was just talking about the relatively simple choice of "Any week."  How many people will infer that once they've put that in and found an interesting listing, they'll be able to change the dates?  Either way, it's far too much effort to ask of guests.

[Gillian166]

how do you modify the dates from "any week" to a few weeknights? 

choosing "any week in may" i'm only getting listings that have 7 days availability (into June for most of them). my 3 listings (all weekends being booked but i still have orphan days) are not showing up. 

if someone puts in "any week" they won't find my listing at all, they'll have to take the extra step of changing the dates. 

All this extra clicking is just going to increase guest frustration. 

[Ann72]

Yes @Gillian166 there are too many steps for guests to take.  Which is the problem.  I haven't searched for my own listings during a time when I know I'm pretty well booked.  I've just done random searches, any week.  Just now I searched Hay Valley, any week, 2 guests.  Guess what the first listing was?  Yours.  The dates given are August 4-11.  I clicked through, then clicked the underscored dates at the bottom and scrolled up to May and found your last remaining nights and selected them.  But again, as I said above - how would a guest know to do that? 

[Gillian166]

@Ann72 
I'm really lucky to not have too much competition, and i'm so grateful for that! (although all this extra searching and playing around we've done, i've found 2 new local listings that are 1month active). Add in a pool and pets, even an infant, and farm stay, and I'm doing ok. 🙂  pretty much 1/1 unicorn stuff. (no TV though! luckily no guests think to filter using that amenity)

But yes, this setting of "any week" looks so far forward in the calendar, at least you found the listing (only one though? i've got 3, technically 5) and then were savvy enough to work around it. the best thing a guest could do would be to ❤️ the listing and then search the calendar on the listing page. 

Again, too many clicks!  i'm a traveller too and it gets to be quite exhausting after a while, searching for a place to stay. 

[John5097]

@Ann72 

That is not accurate. My listing will show up in the very top on the first page for "Any Week" only if I have 7 days available. If I have a maximum stay of 5 nights, my listing is completely snoozed and won't even display when zoomed in all the way to the street view. But as soon as I change it to 7 stays days max stay its back in the search results with the next available week.

 


The entire point of the post is to provide accurate information. As I mentioned in my area and many others the average stay is 3-5 days, as mine is just an apartment close to a popular city. This is critical because my guest require greater flexibility for cancellations, and its amazing how well Airbnb can rebook nights on short notice in the past. So that's one of my primary concerns. 

I noticed you have very strict cancelation policy and are for cabin or house in Maine. So that would be totally different approach, and would be similar to renting a beach house where guest would expect a more strict cancelation policy. 

This is also something I just enjoy. I like accomidating my guest as best I can. 

I also try to be as accurate as possible with my guest as well. I just have a 60s ranch house in a 60s type neighborhood, and I did all the renovations myself. Its amazing mine is so popular compared to all the beaches and historic district that are far more expensive. My neighboood isn't even that great compared to others, like gated communities, but guest love it, and a big part of that is that I'm accurate.

It would be just a simple adjustments for me, but it is a much different approach to go from flexible or moderate to strict cancelation policy. I would also be a higher risk for retaliatory guest.

Lets just be honest here. I'm not trying to compete against whole house rentals. I'm just trying to share my experience with the kind of listing I have.

 I really think my suggestions and input would help everyone. Its not a competition. 

[Ann72]

@John5097  Definitely thought your post was helpful, which is why I said, "I agree."  I'm supporting you.  Guests can't be expected to know that when they choose "Any week," they will be able to choose a listing and modify their dates.  It's too much to ask of the guests.  They need to be able to start out with "Any time," not anything as specific as a week or a month.