Arrival time

Zacharias0
Level 10
Las Vegas, NV

Arrival time

How do guests not know what time they will arrive or even have a estimated time of arrival 3-4 days before they arrive? These are older people and they aren't exactly a spontaneous bunch of people who can plan spur of the moment trips. Even if you are driving you know what time of day you intend on leaving- morning, afternoon or night. From that you add on the amount of hours the drive takes and boom: (estimated time of arrival). It honestly confuses me to no end and AirBnB should put this requirement in the booking process for anyone who wishes to book. I've put it on my profile but I suppose I have to put it in big bold letters now. Its as if what I write in my profile is written in Latin. I always ask time of arrival so I know what time to check in on my guests or around what time I can expect a odd message about how to find the keys even though Ive written them a paragraph of detail and sent them a map with a compass about where to find them.

24 Replies 24

hi @Lina65 , sorry this happened to you. as a relatively new host you might want to turn off Instant booking, if you can. In your settings, you can specify "no same day bookings" , then there is more time to get things like arrival time straightened out with the guest. I see it on your listing that any check in after 2 pm is allowed, so did that guest come after that? do you have "same day bookings" on? If both questions are yes,  then showing up when he did was was within his right. Make sure you communicate clearly with the guest when they plan to arrive.

about the "no same day booking" I am suggesting. to you:  it did happen to me one time -  I had IB on -  that I got an inquiry early afternoon, for a booking for the very same day. I declined, telling the potential guest, "sorry, we don't do same day bookings". I then went back into my settings and saw that Airbnb had changed my "no same day booking" into something like "same day booking is possible with IB", yet they never had informed me though! So I manually changed it back to how I had it.  Just be aware of that and double check. Good luck!

Thank you @Annette33 for advice. If they  note 1-2hours before arrival is fine,but not 20minutes or so. I try hard to earn 5 starts and this guest just ruined everything and I was so disappointed. Just wonder if other host ever experienced that. I will have to adjust my setting. Best regards! 

@Zacharias0  When I accept them I send a message with the check-in (and check-out) time and ask them to let me know if their arrival time is different from my check-in time BECAUSE  "I will need to arrange to be here to meet them".  I also add a few luggage storage facilities nearby with addresses and telephone numbers - that seems to get their attention, almost everyone arrives on time or keeps in contact if they are delayed.

I am a host with Wal-Mart pricing. We are very flexible on arrival times - 4-midnight - but we need to have a reasonable expectation of when they are going to be here so we can prepare our own timetables and greet them. 

 

If, for example, a guest is coming in from overseas, or through heavy traffic, we can pretty well bank on a sustantial delay and plan accordingly. Guests arriving after midnight can check themselves in and a snack will be waiting for them.

 

Yesterday at noon a guest booked on IB for arrival "this afternoon'. By 3PM I still didn't know when he was arriving so I contacted Air. They could'nt reach him either. By 5:30 I advised the guest that I would be cancelling, adding that Airbnb would provide him with an alternate host. I finally heard back from him. He'd be here by 10PM. A 10-hour wait for a $22 booking. 

 

No, thank you.

 

I just got another request from a new guest 4 days from now. She said she wasn't sure when she would be here but "she will let me know when she knows." Who wants to put their life on hold for a full day on a long weekend while she figures this out? I asked her to let me know when things firm up, and book then. 

 

Guests give samples of their behaviour. Guests who arrive 3 hours early or late are inevitably inconsiderate in other areas, too. at least, that's been my experience so far!

 

Cheers!

Except for those who instant book and are at your door immediately (has happened), during the day of arrival, I text them on their cells (so they can have my cell number as well) and say "What time should I expect you today so that I may be home to meet you?"  Usually sometime during the day they will get back to me on my phone.  Since they can let themselves into my home by combination, if I have to leave, I will text them instructions.  

Victor--And-Sondra0
Level 1
Old Saybrook, CT

We seem to have more guests who do not communicate their arrival time despite repeated requests from us. Or worse they send a text “we will be there in 30 minutes!” 

We used to run around like crazy people or bother our neighbors to help us in greeting guests like this. However we now are no longer being as accommodating. If we do not hear, we carry on with our day. Should they text their arrival in twenty minutes we simple tell them we cannot be there at that time and to arrive at 5:30 (or another time). Not the best way to start but I no longer feel guilty about it- if they’re too busy to accommodate my request, we, who are already busy, will be less strident in accommodating theirs.  

As a guest I would never consider a surprise arrival.  

I joined Airbnb in 2009 and have had a lot of guest that didnt  give us arrival information very well . 

 

We actually started to write in the house rules against manners or  behavior we could not accommodate.

 

You could write in the house rules that the guest must give you their arrival information & contact information one  or two days ahead of  time otherwise they may have to wait for the room.

 

There's also a check in time that Airbnb allows you to post between certain times.

 

If the guest gives a bad review on the arrival part just respond about the rule and call Airbnb perhaps they can take that off.

 

 

Don't be afraid to  point out your rules and stop others from abusing your time.

 

Truly , we are no longer going to be hosting due to our local government's new laws but i probably would stop any way due to guests failure to read or abide by our house rules.

 

Good luck 

 

 

 

Don2877
Level 1
Renton, WA

As a traveler and frequent airbnb user, this issue is one that I am about to quit using Airbnb over. From a traveler's perspective, if I need to provide an arrival time within an hour or two 3-4 days in advance, then you shouldn't be hosting an Airbnb. 

 

If the travel involves a long drive with sightseeing on the way, there's no way I can provide an accurate estimate of my arrival time. Only if I am arriving directly via a scheduled flight or train would I know an accurate arrival time in advance.

 

I thought Airbnbs would help take the stress out of traveling, not add to it. 

@Don2877  Most Airbnb hosts I know don't actually require the arrival time within an hour or two 3-4 days in advance.

 

The issues mostly I encountered is that there are no updates from guests on the check-in date

(1) No response from guests until they are at the address or less than 30 min.

(2) On the day of check-in, guests responded to arrive at 3 pm. When I was there at 3 pm, and waited for half an hour. Nowhere to see the guest. And messaged the guest with no response or responded and said needing one or two more hours to arrive.

(3) Arrived half an hour or more earlier and requested to get in immediately without earlier notification

 

 

I'm sometimes in that boat, @Don2877 . In my case it isn't sightseeing but a crazy work schedule.

When, like you, I won't know my arrival time, I always book a place with self-check-in and a flexible arrival window. No stress!