Booking Window and Unpriced Dates
Three rules decide how far ahead a villa can be booked. The earliest of them wins.
| Rule | Where it comes from | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Your rates | The last date with a rate (seasons, overlays) | Website and every OTA |
| Booking Window | Settings, or the villa's own value | Website and every OTA |
| The OTA calendar | 500 days from today | Every OTA |
Dates Without a Rate Can't Be Booked
A date with no rate is closed everywhere. Your website already refuses it, and Argonautas sends it to every OTA as closed (stop-sell). When you add a rate for the date, it opens again on the next sync.
Before this rule, an OTA kept whatever price it last received for a date you later removed from a season. That price could still sell. It can't anymore.
Price far enough ahead. If your seasons end in six months, your villas can only be booked six months ahead, on every channel.
The OTA Calendar Holds 500 Days
The OTAs receive your rates and availability for the next 500 days. Dates beyond that are not sent, so guests can't book them through an OTA even if they have a rate. Your website is not limited this way.
The Booking Window
The Booking Window limits how far ahead a guest may book: arrivals later than today plus the window are closed on your website and on every OTA. The last open date moves forward one day each morning.
Set the company value in Settings › Property Defaults › Stay rules & times. A villa can set its own on its Property tab, under Guest Experience, by turning off Use company default.
| Choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| Not set (default) | No window. Only your rates and the OTA calendar limit bookings. Airbnb's own "advance notice" setting is left as it is. |
| No limit | No window, and Airbnb is set to allow bookings up to 365 days ahead (its maximum). |
| 30 days to 365 days | Arrivals more than this many days ahead are closed everywhere. Airbnb's setting is set to the same number. |
A villa can choose No limit even when the company sets a window.
Airbnb. Airbnb has its own "how far in advance guests can book" setting. When the window is set, Argonautas keeps it equal to your window, so Airbnb's calendar ends on the same date. This needs Push rates to channels switched on for the villa. Changing it makes Airbnb refresh the whole listing, which can take a few minutes.
In the booking form. An arrival past the window shows as a rule you can override when you take the booking yourself, like the booking notice.
Common Questions
My villa shows closed dates on Airbnb a year from now. Why? Check its seasons. If no season or overlay gives those dates a rate, they are closed on purpose. Add a season that covers them.
Can I open dates further than 500 days ahead on the OTAs? Not today. Your website can still take those bookings when the dates have a rate.
Related
- Channel Integration: connecting villas to the OTAs
- Seasonal Rates: giving dates a rate
- Settings: the company booking rules