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Does anyone have screenshots of the check-in process from the guest’s point of view? I’ve had several guests lately who post an arrival time outside of my check-in times. Just wondering where in the process they are able to put that information in the system and wondering if they are shown my check-in period… or not?
To add further to this post, I just received another request. It is for an arrival on May 12th (today is May 9th) and there isn’t anything in the inquiry about the arrival time - at all?
The thread I linked seems to indicate that last-minute instant bookings (e.g. less than 48-hours advance notice) allow the guest to specify a check-in time. Unfortunately, it also allows the guest to specify a check-in time that is outside of the check-in time the host has specified for the listing.
@katnhat, can you confirm whether or not the “several guests” you’ve had are indeed last-minute bookings?
Yes, I’ve had this a couple of time for guests who have booked at short notice. It’s no problem and nothing to worry about. Just let them know your check in time. They are only telling you what time they’d like to check in in an ideal world. You don’t have to abide by it at all.
IIRC, when you book, Air was asking you what time you wanted to arrive, regardless of what check-in time the host has posted. I don’t remember seeing that when we booked to stay somewhere last weekend…
Thanks @jaquo. I was getting concerned because the last guest, in particular, to request an early check-in, insisted that I allow her to do so because she had requested it in the system - even after I explained why it was not possible. She continued to push, so I just declined. The guest before that said no problem, cancelled his request and moved on…
It really depends on what they are looking at. The screenshot I provided was when the use the online check in system that I set up and Airbnb sends the Lin to the guest. If it’s when they are setting up the booking, I don’t know what they see there.
I just had a guest instant book on Friday at 10:24 am. Her requested check in time was 8 am to 10 am on Saturday. So I wrote right back and said I hope you meant 8-10 PM because the check in window doesn’t open until 3 pm. She replied that she needed early check in and if that wasn’t possible she would cancel. In her request for a refund (via the resolution center) she put this comment:
"Cancelled reservation within 1 hr due to miscommunication about check in time. Airbnb allowed a check in time that was not available."
In my message thread to her I told her she needed to find a place with no one staying on Friday night because most Airbnbs would not be available at 8-10 in the morning. I have no idea if she found a place. I can certainly imagine Airbnbs that don’t get many bookings perhaps accomodating her. This allowance on Airbnb’s part was really inconvenient for the guest as she had to request the refund which I was unwilling to grant until I got my payout. And they deducted fees from my side which she would have to get returned by Airbnb.
To specifically answer your question I don’t know what the guest interface looks like because I’ve never booked an airbnb last minute. If this were to become a problem for me I’d just have to put something about check in time as the first line of my description. As it is I spent a good 15 minutes on her reservation and got nothing out of it.
