Why is instant booking now default when searching? AirBnB keeps on pushing instant book.

[Stephan2]

Since several days when searching a place you get only results with instant booking as results. This means all the hosts that don't use instant booking will get a lot less bookings. I totally understand that AirBnB wants to make it easy for guests to book a room, but not really nice for hosts that have good reasons to not use instant booking. It makes me think again that AirBnB pushes instant book even more. 

I suggest to do it different. Not instant booking is relevant for the results of your search but the time a host takes to react. I will always react in less than one hour, so a guests nows almost immediately if I will accept his or her inquiry. Hosts that are not so fast are lower in the search results. That would be more nice for all the host that wants to know more about their potential guests. 

And besides that AirBnB can give guests the option to book instant (but not make it default).

[Christopher117]

All the comments here are against instant booking. IB is contrary to the founding spirit of AirBnB, for both hosts and guests.  Why would any AirBnB host wish to become just the same as a booking . com hotel ? As in all these things you have to ask yourself "Who is benefitting  from this?"  AirBnB are of course the chief beneficiaries. And what is the motivation ? Pure greed is the answer. The day that instant booking becomes mandatory will be the day it take myself off AirBnB . They will lose me as a host, and probably thousands of other hosts. They will lose the amateurs who gave AirBnB it's original authenticity, and they will be left the the professional money grabbers who have invaded and taken over AirBnB to it's detriment.  They will deserve each other. There will be nothing left of the original authentic idea which attracted guests and hosts in the first place. Will AirBnB care ?  No my dears. Greed will have taken over 

[Alexandra164]

I'm now in transition to Homeaway. Instant book is the default now in my area. This is unacceptable and not what home sharing is about. I'm disillutioned and upset about the path Airbnb is taking. I will be taking my home somewhere else in the next few months. 

[Linda0]

I think the only reasonable option where instant book can be used successfully is with the entire house listings.  For hose with private room listing shared within a family home should never be made manitory unless Airbnb is willing to take total risk liability.  Within the Airbnb community there are manyt families who do Airbnb with small children, and personally, I would not allow anyone in my home if I had small children without communicating with them first and making an assessment of the risk of exposing my children.  Just as when I rent to someone with a small child, I shut down my other 2 listings within my home so there is no exposure to any children in my home.  With any business, there is risk, but you minimize the risk by evaluating the circumstance and instant book is a huge risk to families with children.

[Cathy65]

I too realized that my reservations had fallen to zero, because Airbnb had turned on IB as the automatic filter. It's clear from the near- unanimous opinions expressed on numerous such threads that hosts do not find this acceptable!

[Karen307]

In view of IB changes, I'm looking for other options besides Airbnb. Trip Advisor and Homeaway require whole houses or similar. I have a basement apartment so it doesn't qualify for either. 

[Scott75]

Instant Book is a deal-breaker for me, and I am very disappointed to see the vast majority of search results on the first several pages are IB. It is not good for Airbnb to prioritize quantity or quality, IMHO!

It isn't about discrimination, it is about ensuring the right "fit" for my guests and my space. 

For example, a lot of people do not look at the map or read my descriptions. They see "Superhost", "Denver", and my great prices, and request based on those factors alone. Consequently, almost all of my non-5-star-reviews came from people who thought they were staying in downtown Denver, when I am actually 30 minutes away (though still a Denver address, which I cannot change).

After being burned a couple times, part of my process is to ensure guests know where my home is before I accept them. I don't see how I can maintain the same quality control with Instant Book.

[Linda0]

@Stephan and @Scott0 And Vanilla Bean (Woof) - I agree with you totally, you absolutely need to communicate with your guest, because they often really don't know the area and how close or far you live from their planned activities, and you have to let folks know where you located, otherwise you suffer the wrath of accuracy and location mark downs the reviews. I just cannot do instant book because for my peace of mind I need to do an assessment of whether that person is right for my home at the time. On two occasions, I had to leave town for emergency reasons and my guest were left alone at my house, one for 2 weeks and the other for a solid week. The right fit is important to me and my ratings.     

[Gracie0]

Instant book is crap!  I want to have a say in who stays in my home.  My commitment rate took a hit because I tried instant book after Airbnb kept advertising to me that it was a way to boost my bookings.  I will not be doing instant book, If its mandatory I will look at other sites to advertise my home.  I am very upset about being penalized for trying instant book and not liking it.  

[Linda0]

Hello @Gracie0 -

Sorry to hear you've taken a hit on the instant book but I don't believe that it's mandatory in every area, ie in my area it is something that you have to filter or select. I also have decided to screen my guest before accepting anyone because it is a shared environment and my husband and I are live in host, and I open my home two long-term stays so it has to be someone I can live with. Totally my call.

[Tracy-and-Eric1]

We are not fans of Instant Book default and certainly would reconsider using the platform if Air BnB forces Instant Book.  We fully believe that guests want a good property and that is based on reviews, the whole premise we thought Air BnB was founded on.  If hosts aren't responding to inquiries quickly that will be reflected in their ratings.  Instead of supporting hosts this feels very discouraging and disappointing.

[Valentin11]

I personally recommend to all hosts AND guest to NOT use Instant Booking. See the myriad of reasons already given here and there: https://www.tnooz.com/article/instant-booking-big-metric-airbnb-vacation-rentals/?platform=hootsuite As a guest, to find good host, I have to skim through all the instant booking hosts to reach the good one : those that cares. This really makes a difference, try finding a home in Hong-Kong... and really go to there. Hundreds of fake listings and motels and bad industrial hotels lodging try to use AirBNB hype... They are very happy of Instant Booking. AirBNB is ruining its own reputation while trying to get some numbers high : they want to compete with booking.com, but I am not interested to be an hotel sorry. And screening and having a quick human chat with my possible future guest is mandatory for me building enough trust with the people whom I want to host. The results will be quite direct: quality human hosting will move away, along with AirBNB reputation : guests and hosts will have considerably more bad experience and will stop using, and stop working with hosts : selecting the people doing instant booking, is trying to force people to do hotel (industrialisation of lodging) without the regulation of hotel (which are there to fight against abuse of industrialisation of lodging): this can only be crap stays, sorry. Ready to jump on the next AirBNB contender that will not be a company looking to get more and more money.

[Christopher117]

I vehemently agree with all the anti instant booking posts here, fir all the reasons stated, which are so obvious and evident, but apparently AirBnB refuses to understand. 

Its re time for a competitor to AirBnB to set up. They would  have an instant mass of hosts and guests  who are  fed up  with  instant booking and airbnb's attitude. 

[Jennifer62]

Completely unhappy with new instabook and smart pricing policy skewing towards hiding anyone who wants more control over renting their space. Bookings have dropped dramatically since it became the norm, and truly, what guest knows to turn it off to see more choices? I even forget when I'm checking to see how rentals are going in my area. 

[Vice0]

Im a host for 3 years now, and from this year i become superhost. This is the worst posible option for me. If IB became a must have option ill gladly go to booking . com This is totaly unfair for us hosts.

[Bryan20]

Hosts keep adding your comments until Airbnb take it away they are killing there own business