Here is one of my best tips to help deal with varied arrival times

Hi guys! I thought some of you might like to hear how i handle arrivals. I ask for a estimated time of arrival( as im sure almost all of you do) but then i ask them to text me when they are 45 minutes away. This allows me to get things done in my town, take a hike, or do creative projects and still have 45 minutes to beat it home to be there during their “real” arrival time. I prefer to be out and about during daylight hours and staying home for hours waiting can drive me crazy… This has helped save my sanity.

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I have an understanding with my guests, if going to check in after the standard 1pm, no problem, but then it becomes ‘dynamic’, meaning we have to find each other when they finally arrive, meaning do not expect me to be sitting by the door (in my case the boat dock).

As a traveler, I have often been asked to call or text the host when I land at the airport. The problem I have with this as a traveler has guided me as a host. When I am outside of my country/continent, I don’t have access to calling or texting.

This recently happened to us when we went to Medellin, Columbia. The host kept insisting I text him, though I repeatedly told him I could only WhatsApp him IF I could find WiFi once we arrived at the airport. After 20 minutes of hunting, I could not find a WiFi spot, but the building has a 24 hour guard who called for me.

As a host in Hungary, I don’t expect most of my guests to have access to call me.

Notice how you found a way, and yes it could get tricky contacting the host. The alternative however is what? Have the host sitting by the door, imagine if they don’t live where they are hosting. Imagine if the guest is going to be anywhere from say 2-8 hrs late, usually because they may or may have not caught a connecting flight in some far away airport.

I agree that sometimes, if the guest does not have a local( in my case US) phone, that it is hard to text. However this system works out great for me for the MAJORITY of my many check ins and i was just trying to share a good idea. why shoot everything down?

The way this time only worked because the host had WhatsApp. I give all of my reservations my mobile, landline, Skype, WhatsApp and Viber options. Still, yes, I have waited for an entire day for a guest who was not responding to the multiple e-mails asking about arrival details. Since this is my business, it is the cost of running a business. Though, I don’t have to like it. :fearful:

I am not shooting it down. I am trying to make others realize things don’t work the same way outside of the US.

I always tell my guests to check with their mobile service provider that their contract allows them to use their phone when they’re abroad :slight_smile: and I also ask them their flight number so I receive notifications when their flight lands or if it is delayed.

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How it has been working out for me, is I tell them to communicate via AirBnB message system, and that has worked out well. I have been calling them via their personal phone # that shows up once someone does book and this has facilitated coordination when timing becomes out of kilter.