Air Procedural Question

[Breakfast Diva]

I got an Air inquiry for our cottage for 3 nights. They wanted to know if there could/would be a discount if we treated it like a vacation rental with no breakfast or housekeeping. I responded back with a 'special offer' for him. Air gave me a message saying he had 24 hours to respond to my offer. Sounded reasonable.
The reservation was for a weekend that will fill up and I didn't want to overbook the cottage, so I went into ResKey and made it unavailable. I have Air & ResKey linked by ical. Many hours later the guy from Air tries to book my special offer but is told that it's not available on those dates. He writes me me the problem, I go in and open up the dates again on both ResKey & Air, refresh everything and it still won't go through for him.
After many frustrating e-mails between the two of us (all on Air), I finally tell him to just do a search of my b&b's name on the internet and book from ResKey. I then denied his Air request. I don't know how good the filters on Air's message system are, but I don't want to be caught denying reservations and them having proof that I told the guest to book direct.
Any ideas of what I should have done differently? Worse than getting kicked off Air would be to have a double booking!

 

[Jcam]

I had a chap like this was fricking determined to book with air - had a standard twin on their but only had a superior room available and was not going to sell it at £30 a night cheaper to suit him. Basically said ring and we will do it over the phone but he just wouldn't - no idea why. So in the end said I will have to decline your reservation, put it on at the superior price then you will have to book it right away to make sure you have it - took 4 days to get sorted was tearing out my hair!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I had a chap like this was fricking determined to book with air - had a standard twin on their but only had a superior room available and was not going to sell it at £30 a night cheaper to suit him. Basically said ring and we will do it over the phone but he just wouldn't - no idea why. So in the end said I will have to decline your reservation, put it on at the superior price then you will have to book it right away to make sure you have it - took 4 days to get sorted was tearing out my hair!.

Fortunately, in the end this guy did make his reservation directly through us. After he read our reviews online had also decided he wanted to go with our regular rate and have breakfast included. It still saved him some money though because he didn't have to pay the Air commission. Worked out well all around.

 

[Morticia]

Have you contacted John to ask if there is an issue on rez key? Maybe the two systems don't sync up quickly enough.

 

[2cat_lady]

I feel your pain BD. The Air calendar just does not sync as often as the others, even with the channel manager. Twice when corresponding with guests I did exactly the same as you did. I basically had to 'real time' them with emails by unblocking rooms and then blocking them when I got the Air confirmation. When my channel manager finally synced the reservation, I had blocked it manually from my end. Only got an error message but the initial reservation from Air's end went through by their accounts. Confusing? Yah! Wish they would just get with the program.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

Have you contacted John to ask if there is an issue on rez key? Maybe the two systems don't sync up quickly enough..

I manually did the sync so it was immediate, but Air still wouldn't let him use the special offer. I saw on the Air calendar and ResKey calendar that both showed open. It's a mystery. And a pain.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I feel your pain BD. The Air calendar just does not sync as often as the others, even with the channel manager. Twice when corresponding with guests I did exactly the same as you did. I basically had to 'real time' them with emails by unblocking rooms and then blocking them when I got the Air confirmation. When my channel manager finally synced the reservation, I had blocked it manually from my end. Only got an error message but the initial reservation from Air's end went through by their accounts. Confusing? Yah! Wish they would just get with the program..

There's got to be a better way. I don't know what it is though

 

[OnTheShore]

I suspect that the special offer gets "blocked" by air's system when the calendar is blocked, but that unblocking the calendar does not unblock the block that's been put on the outstanding special offer. Probably what you would have to do is cancel the old special offer and issue a new one (and leave your calendar unblocked).
Do you all really get such rapid fire reservation requests that a double booking in this situation is a real risk? (Just curious).

 

[2cat_lady]

You would think you've got some time in between for those reservations although I was proved wrong this weekend.
Was fully booked this weekend by hockey people--parents and kids. When there's a tournament in town, the people are desperate for accommodations and I break my own rules by allowing a child in the room with the parents. One room cancelled due to illness and before I had a chance to switch one family to the bigger room to give them some more space, the room got grabbed up by a couple that were skimming through B**king's site. The cancellation was made by phone while I was mobile, DH was driving, and I managed to get an internet signal long enough to do that. But when we stopped in town, the empty room was gone!

 

[Breakfast Diva]

I suspect that the special offer gets "blocked" by air's system when the calendar is blocked, but that unblocking the calendar does not unblock the block that's been put on the outstanding special offer. Probably what you would have to do is cancel the old special offer and issue a new one (and leave your calendar unblocked).
Do you all really get such rapid fire reservation requests that a double booking in this situation is a real risk? (Just curious)..

I suspect that the special offer gets "blocked" by air's system when the calendar is blocked, but that unblocking the calendar does not unblock the block that's been put on the outstanding special offer. Probably what you would have to do is cancel the old special offer and issue a new one (and leave your calendar unblocked).
Do you all really get such rapid fire reservation requests that a double booking in this situation is a real risk? (Just curious).

I tried canceling the special offer. He said it still wouldn't go through.
Especially in the busy season, we do get rapid fire reservations that would put us in a horrible situation. Because our rooms are all very different from each other, guests book the room they really want. If someone books the "Sunrise Room", they would be very unhappy to be in the "Lakeside Room". Different amenities, etc. Often, we would only have 1 room left and then even be able to offer the double booked guest an alternative.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

You would think you've got some time in between for those reservations although I was proved wrong this weekend.
Was fully booked this weekend by hockey people--parents and kids. When there's a tournament in town, the people are desperate for accommodations and I break my own rules by allowing a child in the room with the parents. One room cancelled due to illness and before I had a chance to switch one family to the bigger room to give them some more space, the room got grabbed up by a couple that were skimming through B**king's site. The cancellation was made by phone while I was mobile, DH was driving, and I managed to get an internet signal long enough to do that. But when we stopped in town, the empty room was gone!.

You would think you've got some time in between for those reservations although I was proved wrong this weekend.
Was fully booked this weekend by hockey people--parents and kids. When there's a tournament in town, the people are desperate for accommodations and I break my own rules by allowing a child in the room with the parents. One room cancelled due to illness and before I had a chance to switch one family to the bigger room to give them some more space, the room got grabbed up by a couple that were skimming through B**king's site. The cancellation was made by phone while I was mobile, DH was driving, and I managed to get an internet signal long enough to do that. But when we stopped in town, the empty room was gone!

 

[Morticia]

You would think you've got some time in between for those reservations although I was proved wrong this weekend.
Was fully booked this weekend by hockey people--parents and kids. When there's a tournament in town, the people are desperate for accommodations and I break my own rules by allowing a child in the room with the parents. One room cancelled due to illness and before I had a chance to switch one family to the bigger room to give them some more space, the room got grabbed up by a couple that were skimming through B**king's site. The cancellation was made by phone while I was mobile, DH was driving, and I managed to get an internet signal long enough to do that. But when we stopped in town, the empty room was gone!.

I've been on the phone with someone dithering about the price (last room!!!) or about something and they finally say ok and, oops, the room was booked by someone online who wasnt dithering!
It can be cutthroat some days.

 

[Copperhead]

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

 

[Breakfast Diva]

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.

 

[Copperhead]

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.
.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.

I thought so. I have a real problem with that.
And you have brought up a big issue dealing with that. One that Air should be made aware of. Their concept was designed for a different type of property... and usually one that does not have multiple ways to book.
Now rethinking times I will populate a room on Air. Times I believe I can rent my rooms without using them, I will show no avail. on their site. I don't hold a room without a CC for someone who calls direct, either.

 

[Breakfast Diva]

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.
.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.

I thought so. I have a real problem with that.
And you have brought up a big issue dealing with that. One that Air should be made aware of. Their concept was designed for a different type of property... and usually one that does not have multiple ways to book.
Now rethinking times I will populate a room on Air. Times I believe I can rent my rooms without using them, I will show no avail. on their site. I don't hold a room without a CC for someone who calls direct, either.
.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.

I thought so. I have a real problem with that.
And you have brought up a big issue dealing with that. One that Air should be made aware of. Their concept was designed for a different type of property... and usually one that does not have multiple ways to book.
Now rethinking times I will populate a room on Air. Times I believe I can rent my rooms without using them, I will show no avail. on their site. I don't hold a room without a CC for someone who calls direct, either.

99.9% of the time the guest sends an inquiry which you can accept or decline, or an actual reservation that if you accept, air will charge their card when you accept it. Having ResKey synced with air is a huge convenience. If I had to manually update air, I wouldn't do it. This special offer I made would be very rare. Most reservations I've had have gone smoothly.

 

[Skamokawa]

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.
.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.

I thought so. I have a real problem with that.
And you have brought up a big issue dealing with that. One that Air should be made aware of. Their concept was designed for a different type of property... and usually one that does not have multiple ways to book.
Now rethinking times I will populate a room on Air. Times I believe I can rent my rooms without using them, I will show no avail. on their site. I don't hold a room without a CC for someone who calls direct, either.
.

So are you required by Air to hold the room for 24 hrs for the person to decide?

I believe so, because I'm the one that offered the special from his inquiry. If he had clicked the accept button before the sync, Air would have charged him right away.

I thought so. I have a real problem with that.
And you have brought up a big issue dealing with that. One that Air should be made aware of. Their concept was designed for a different type of property... and usually one that does not have multiple ways to book.
Now rethinking times I will populate a room on Air. Times I believe I can rent my rooms without using them, I will show no avail. on their site. I don't hold a room without a CC for someone who calls direct, either.

99.9% of the time the guest sends an inquiry which you can accept or decline, or an actual reservation that if you accept, air will charge their card when you accept it. Having ResKey synced with air is a huge convenience. If I had to manually update air, I wouldn't do it. This special offer I made would be very rare. Most reservations I've had have gone smoothly.
.

Late to this discussion but I just had an Air inquiry with a twist. I replied via 'reply' rather than 'special offer' and let them know 'more information can be found by searching for (our place name)' No mention of the words net, online or web. The twist was they wanted a month's rate for a week then two weeks, separated by an already booked time. We'll see what they do. Last week I had a couple who found us on Air but figured out to book from our site. I'm surprised more don't do that.

 

[Skamokawa]

I had a chap like this was fricking determined to book with air - had a standard twin on their but only had a superior room available and was not going to sell it at £30 a night cheaper to suit him. Basically said ring and we will do it over the phone but he just wouldn't - no idea why. So in the end said I will have to decline your reservation, put it on at the superior price then you will have to book it right away to make sure you have it - took 4 days to get sorted was tearing out my hair!.

He may have had one of their discount coupons and could only use through their system