Fascinated by AIR stuff

[Joey Camb]

I thought about joining but, no, I don't think it will work for us right now. We are marketing to higher-end guests who want 3-7 nights at our destination. And we are winding down, so we are refusing reservations if they don't fit our time schedule for more personal relaxed time.
I am concerned that our brand will fade from view as we cut back and do not get as many reviews. Perhaps I'll revisit the air idea when we are offering only the cottage on a weekly basis without breakfast...probably in 2017.
We do have 2 neighbors who are using air legally, earning enough to pay their property taxes and maintain their properties. More power to them. They get $150/night, and a lot of 1-2 nighters...I get more than double that $ with longer stays and would not lower my rates or min. stay requirement to compete..

I thought about it for awhile. Here, tho, I'm not getting your kind of guest. Not without a complete reno of the property.
It's worked so far because half the guests have stayed for 3 nights, half for 1 night.
75% were under 30. I look at it now as introducing a whole new group of guests to the b&b stay. Some who might just skip paying the fee and go straight to booking directly. I can hope.
Obviously they're a more adventurous crowd as they were looking to stay in a stranger's house. So this model might work.
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"75% under 30"
Yep, and as the boomers travel less, we'll need those millennials and younger, so for us Air is good.
We don't lower prices for Air. They're actually higher there seemingly, because the air bite and taxes are included in the listed price. Way cheaper alternatives even in our area, but we are doing well with it.
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I think you are right...air is a good option to introduce the millennials to B+B's. If we were building up our business instead of winding it down we would jump on it and figure out a way to make it work for us. I think it has to potential to drive the big booking engines out of business if enough legitimate B+Bs and inns join.
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I think you are right...air is a good option to introduce the millennials to B+B's.

Air does all the marketing - website, branding, etc. - that we B&B owners (even former ones) wished had been done by a B&B industry website - bandb.com, bnbfinder, BWTS, anyone. Maybe because air started so recently they didn't come to the party with any 'old' database or website. If only one of our industry partners had been smart enough to start it...
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I think as well because Air represents all sorts of properties and descriptions people who use it do tend to read a bit more about what you actually are which works in our favour.