Please add "Any Dates" to new search filters

John5097
Level 10
Charleston, SC

Please add "Any Dates" to new search filters

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" 

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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. 

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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. 

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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. 


47 Replies 47
Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

 


@Ann72 wrote:

@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.   


they can only choose from the listings that show up to them, and all of those have 7 days available. i have a listing with 4 empty days this week, it's not showing up. you have to keep modifying the dates to get new results and see other listings. Too many clicks!

We absolutely need "anytime" as an option for guests.

Stephanie
Community Manager
Community Manager
London, United Kingdom

Hi @John5097 ,

 

Thank you for such a well structured and thought out suggestion for us to share with the product team. 

 

Thanks

-----

 

Please follow the Community Guidelines 

@Stephanie 

 

You know I love you! But this is not a new suggestion! This is something that was available prior to the "revamped" or whatever you want to call it, Airbnb.

 

Is the ability to search "anytime" really that much of a novelty? It should be standard on any booking website.

 

I'm NOBODY, but Airbnb lost a booking because of this with me. I couldn't search for what I wanted, so I found a website that would let me search "anytime." And I booked a $1000 trip. Again, pennies for Airbnb, but in case anyone is taking notes.

John5097
Level 10
Charleston, SC

@Stephanie @Emilia42 

I've never seen my page views this low even during all of 2020, and notice the drop in past few days so that while I'm at the very top of the search results of "Any Weekend" and "Amazing Views" , the page views are dismal. 

I thought I would share because this is something I monitor. And sometimes its a bit of a mystery how the algorithms can increase exposer when nothing else seems to change, as in I was almost always on the front page, yet if I get a cancelation or opening about a month out the page views will leap up until the dates are booked, and when that happens there is a feeding frenzy with the exposure which results in a lot of bookings, then goes back down after its booked up. That's kind of where I am now so still waiting to see if page views ramp up the way they used to. Although I don't see how that would even be possible if my listing is snoozed with the default option of "Any Week" and already not getting any exposure at the top of "Any weekend"


There is no real urgency for me. My next opening is still two months out, although could get a cancelation at any time.   

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Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

Actually @John5097 . Even if the guest forces it to change to flexible or weekend it makes no difference 

 

I did a search for my listing and it shows no availability till December 2022 even though I have some weekend availability from July .

 

my views have fallen massively since Airbnb introduced its algorithm and I've had no bookings.

 

now I know why 😢 @Stephanie 

Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

If they don't fix this, it might be prudent to have 7 days always available in future calendar.  

@Gillian166  I'm leaving it on 5 days for while to see if Airbnb makes adjustments on their end. They created another "Weekends" list so I'm featured on the first page without guest entering any dates if they google apartments which has helped in past 24 hours. Or could have been when I changed it to 7 nights for about an hour yesterday to take a screen shot of how my listing appears with that setting. So I'm trying different options. 

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But that's still low and as I mentioned waiting to see if the views throttle back up like they used to when I have an availability within 4-6 weeks out. In the past if a guest canceled 2 weeks out my views would jump from about 50 to 200 in a matter of seconds and almost always rebooking within hours.  

Although hopefully others will keep sharing how their listing is doing with different settings. 

I defiantly have other options including listing on other platforms, although really don't want to do that as Airbnb has been great for over 2 years now. In 2021 I had guest every day of the year, including holidays. 

If I launch another platform it would likely be in 2023, unless Airbnb simply quits booking my place which has been one of the most popular. 

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The way I'm seeing this play out is that I won't have as many bookings so will need to go up in rates. Even with VRBO host can't set maximum number of nights so host block of two days a week. Finally its no mistake I'm one of the most popular. I'm used to making changes and adjustments. My concern is that occupancy rate drops no matter what settings I choose, as the priority is to now book week long stays many months out and not even the most recent one. 


Helen3
Level 10
Bristol, United Kingdom

How would that help someone like me where most of my bookings are two-three nights .  @Gillian166 

 

How would that help someone like me who is booked up until July apart from two-three day slots

 

how would that helpful for someone like me who has availability for weeks , weekends etc from July which doesn't show up instead Airbnb tells guests my first availability is December 

Gillian166
Level 10
Hay Valley, Australia

Well precisely. And in return this hinders guests who can’t find places to book. 

John5097
Level 10
Charleston, SC

I'm thinking this isn't a bug. Airbnb has high valuation on the stock market because of its projected growth. Its much higher than its competitors, so by booking more either weeks many months out, Airbnb collects the payment, but occupancy rates drop overall as it may be more challenging to rebook canceled nights on weekdays. 

In a way maybe its good that I'm already booked up for most of the year. Hopefully can book remaining nights. 

If I choose to list on another platform I'll need to time it so that there are enough availability so that my listing will get more views. I hope not to do that. I'll have to balance the two, but can't just have a few nights available on one. 

I have a bit of anxiety. This was my Craigslist job I quit 2 months before listing on Airbnb. I'd rather not go back to that.  

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I wouldn't worry @John5097 . Your listing has proven very successful. Just a guess, but you may have limited views because you are so booked up that guests have so few dates to view. I notice this when I've had a long-term booking for a few months. I can't remember if you use smart pricing or not but I am having great luck with it this summer. There are many dates that are priced at my maximum and others scattered all over the place. I use this to gauge demand over specific dates. This is so weird . . I was concerned because I hadn't yet booked Memorial Day weekend in my most popular aparment. Yesterday morning, I increased the price by $10 per night (3-day weekend = an extra $30) and 5 hours later someone booked it! Concidence? Who knows. Just keep tweaking and testing different stragegies. 

@Emilia42 

Up until now the Airbnb platform has been very predictable that I could set my rates to pass on the most value to guest.. Its such a major change. Although, yes, will keep tweaking the settings. Last time this happened was after the sudden wave of cancelations starting on April 2020. For my first year I had more cancelations than bookings. That threw off the algorithms for a few months, as I had just launched, and booked up fast, so was the only other time  my listing dropped out of the top search results, and page views dropped this low. I had to keep making adjustments.

That sounds very encouraging about Smart Pricing working for you this summer. I've noticed most of the other listings like mine are using some variation of SP as their rates are all over the place. I may give SP another try especially during busy season. 

About three weeks ago I also noticed a up tic in bookings following going up 5% in rates. Maybe some guest were watching hoping rates might drop a bit, then when they noticed the increase decided to book before they went up again?

I hope it works out. Airbnb has been so good about booking available nights.  

Rhonda45
Level 6
Eminence, MO

I believe it is very confusing to potential guests.  Many guests like to look at the rentals in an area and when they are available.  The dates below make it look like that’s all that is available.  I hate it.  

 

Also hosts please check your settings for longer stays as the way it is set up now, that discounted price is what shows up on your listing which is very misleading to potential guests and makes it look as if the host is being untruthful or using bait and switch.  

@Rhonda45 

Agree, its confusing. 

If guest search for Charleston, and 2 guest, where I am, it shows about 5 mile area with listings, but if they click on "Amazing Views" it zooms out to the entire state, and super high rates. Many guest will get stick shock and exit the search ASAP.

Who is going to keep using a website suggesting  $600 - $1200 a night after entering only 2 guest, and after having to click on "Flexible" "Weekend" etc, just to get directed to another area with super high rates? 

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@John5097 

It's even more hilarious when they do this in Australia! given most of our states are bigger than Texas. You search for Sydney and then it zooms out and suggests places that are a 4 hour drive away. haha. how crazy. 

did they do any testing of this new feature with actual users? i'd happily sign up to a beta testing group to give feedback on new features like this.