Oftentimes, we have reservation requests which silently go into the "Awaiting Guest ID" or "Awaiting Payment" status, and block the listing calendar for 24 hours until the guest uploads their ID, or corrects their payment information. Here is the unhelpful help article about this issue:
https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/363
The issues with this poor Airbnb design are numerous:
1. Airbnb does this silently, without an email or other notification to the hosts who may be able to nudge and help the guest with the booking. Unless you look at your listing calendar or message inbox, you would not see these silently stuck reservations. Therefore, many hosts may not even be aware of the situation.
2. During the 24 hour period which often ends in the reservation request being automatically cancelled, other guests are unable to reserve the same nights.
3. Airbnb support is unable to or unwilling to "retract" such reservation requests and they insist on waiting the full waiting period so that the requests can expire automatically.
Other platforms such as HomeAway/VRBO do not have these silly problems. If a reservation's payment information or the guest verification have not been completed, other platforms do not block the listing calendar.
Why does Airbnb insist on keeping these frustrating features that are detrimental to hosts and other guests who may be looking to reserve the same nights for an impacted listing?
