Ask guests to specify their arrival time

[Luan0]

For every guest, I always have to ask them their specific arrival time so that I can be home to meet them. It would be great if when guests make a reservation, there's an option to ask them to specify their intended arrival time.

I understand sometimes people don't know the exact arrival time, especially when they make reservation a few months in advance. In that case, we can make the arrival time changeable.

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Response from Airbnb

Thank you for this Idea. We actually built this and tested this with hosts and guests and have found that a very small percentage of guests actually know their arrival time when they book. Guests generally know when they are checking-in exactly the day before or day of. Instead of requiring guests to input arrival/checkin time during booking we are doing three things:

1. Requiring guests to explicitly agree to your check-in window when they book, to make sure they will check-in between that range. 
   
2. If you use instant book, we require the guest to select their check-in time if they are arriving within the next 24 hours, and if they cannot check-in during your acceptable range they cannot instant book.  
    
3. We are going to encourage guests to provide arrival time as part of their message to you when they send a request or instant book.

[Kate24]

Arrival time is of utmost importance to us, too. It helps us plan our life around the time we expect guests, so we are not stuck at home waiting for them to show up. We try very hard to be flexible, but a place for guests to specify their approximate arrival time would be very helpful. We absolutely insist on meeting guests face to face to welcome and orient them to our airbnb.

[Beth55]

I always ask, too, about their arrival time.  I think that is a great idea, to have that question on the booking process.

[Mick-and-Pamela0]

Hallelujah to that!

[Monta0]

Yes, please!

[Ian65]

Totally! I'd like to see every guest's information added to his itinerary, or even better to the side bar where you see dates and reservation number, inside a conversation.

It'd be awesome if those fields were configurable by each host's preferences. For example, you might help guests with shuttle/transfer (my case), informations like flight number, which airport, ETA, and ultimately whether the guest want to be assisted with it.

Facebook has this functionallity (which is not so useful there): a link with "ask person's specific info" which pushes a request to that person.

[Dawn42]

I have a keypad lock.  I use the last 4 numbers of their phone number as the code. It's easy to change codes between renters and you don't have to stick around and wait on them.  Best $100 spent!!  The $200 version you can set from your phone

[Anne22]

Amen to that !

It takes a lot of time to always ask this question because somtimes, we decline or accept reservation only because we would be at work during the check-in!

[Ian65]

 The keypad lock solution is awesome! 

[Coral3]

Having a field for guests to input their arrival and departure flight numbers, in addition to their desired check-in/out times, would be tremendously helpful! As a host, I monitor my guests' flight times online and let them know that they don't have to worry about notifying me if they're running early/late as they'd have given me that information already.

[Rebecca-Mario0]

Yes, that would be great! Same thing here! And add that info to the calendar subscription too! (Text would be enough.) We welcome all guests in person and this would streamline the pre-arrival communication and arrangements quite a bit!

[Nancy67]

Perhaps we just have to face we live in an over-communicated society? I gloss right over and delete the reminders constantly sent to me about impending guests and reservations-- They remind me everytime, to "tidy up the bathroom and have a few breakfast items on hand., etc"

Conversley, the reminder email they send a guest might include "Be sure and contact your host and inform them of your arrival time, a few days out, and do your best to be prompt."

Maybe it already does??

I wouldn't know as I am so busy cleaning 2 spaces, washing sheets, mopping floors, cutting flowers and baking bread, on top of  being obsessive about trying to keep everything magazine perfect  that I dont have time to come see any of you-- But I promise, if I ever do, I will absolutly let you know when I'm going to be there, well in advance and make it happen or let you know if there is a good reason why I can't.

[Jude7]

Excellent idea! It's probably the question I most ask, and the response will occasionally impact my decision to accept, or not.

Jude

[Coral3]

In addition to desired check-in/out time, it would be great to have fields for arrival and departure flight numbers as well. I often ask guests to provide both so I can monitor their flight status in case of early/late arrival. This way, guests who may not have a phone on them don't have to worry about notifying me when their plane is delayed.