Answers · Getting found by travellers
How do I get my holiday rental found by travellers without relying on Airbnb?
Short answer
Travellers find a holiday rental in five ways: a booking platform, a search engine, a map, a recommendation, or a trip they are already planning. Relying less on Airbnb means being present in more than one of those. List on a second platform, have a page of your own that returning guests and searchers can book from, and list on Airflow Stay, which is launching soon and will show travellers places that book direct, on a map and as stops on published trip routes. Listing on Stay is free and uses the property record you already have in Airflow.
The risk of one source
A host with every booking from one platform has one set of rules, one ranking and one fee that can change without notice. A drop in ranking or a suspended listing empties the calendar, and the guests you hosted last year belong to the platform, not to you.
The answer is rarely to leave Airbnb. It is to add other ways of being found, so that no single one decides whether you have a good season, and to make sure each new guest has a way back to you directly.
How to do it with Airflow
- 1
Put your property in Airflow once
Name, location, photos, rates, minimum stay and calendar. That one record feeds your booking page, your website, your guest portal and your Stay listing, so nothing is typed twice.
- 2
Keep the platforms you have, in one calendar
Airbnb, Booking.com and Vrbo bookings arrive from their confirmation emails, and calendar links block the dates both ways. Adding a second platform no longer means a second calendar to watch.
- 3
Publish your own booking page
A page of your own gives returning guests, people who search for your property by name and anyone you send a link to somewhere to book and pay you directly.
- 4
Switch on your Airflow Stay listing
Listing on Stay is a switch, not a second set-up. Once Stay launches, travellers will find your place on a map or as a stop on a trip route, and their enquiry will come straight to you with their name and email.
Where each kind of traveller finds you
The five routes, and what covers each one.
| Browsing a booking platform | Your Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo listing |
|---|---|
| Searching by name or place | Your own website or booking page, and your map profile |
| Coming back, or told by a friend | Your booking link and guest portal |
| Planning a whole trip | Airflow Stay trip routes and the Airflow Guest planner (Stay is launching soon) |
| Booking through an agent | Agents you work with, recorded on the booking in Airflow |
Every one of these ends in the same Airflow calendar and the same accounts.
What Airflow Stay is
Airflow Stay is the marketplace side of Airflow: places that book direct, shown on a map. It also publishes trip ideas, routes through a region with somewhere to sleep at each stop. A traveller reading one is planning a journey, and your place appears as the stop that fits a night on that route, which is a better position than being one result in a long list. Trip ideas are already published. The places along them are being invited now and will open for booking when Stay launches.
What listing on Stay costs
Listing is free. There is no subscription for the listing and no charge for enquiries that do not become bookings. Airflow takes a commission only on bookings that come to you from Airflow Stay and Airflow Guest, at a rate that depends on your plan and is shown on the pricing page. The guest pays you, and you get their name and email, so their next booking can come to you directly.
An honest note on timing
Stay is new and has not launched to travellers yet. Listing today costs nothing and puts you in from the start; it does not mean bookings next week. The other steps on this page work now, and Stay adds to them as it grows.
Other ways to do this
Airflow is one option. These are the others, and when each is the better choice.
- A second booking platform
- Booking.com and Vrbo reach different travellers from Airbnb. More reach, another commission and another set of rules. Calendar links are essential once you are on two.
- A complete Google Business Profile puts your place on the map and collects reviews you own. It is free and often overlooked by single-property hosts.
- Regional and specialist sites
- Local tourism boards, regional directories and specialist sites for walkers, divers or families can send well-matched guests for a small annual fee.
- Social media and your own guest list
- Past guests are the cheapest source of future bookings. A simple email once or twice a year with your booking link does more than most advertising.
What Airflow does not do
- Airflow Stay has not launched to travellers yet, and Airflow does not promise a number of bookings from it.
- Airflow does not run advertising or search engine optimisation for you.
- It does not list your property on Airbnb, Booking.com or Vrbo for you; those listings stay in your own accounts.
Common questions
What is Airflow Stay?
Airflow Stay is a marketplace for places that book direct, with a map and published trip routes that have a place to stay at each stop. It is launching soon. Hosts can list now, free, from the property they already have in Airflow.
How much does it cost to list on Airflow Stay?
Nothing to list. Airflow takes a commission only on bookings that come from Airflow Stay and Airflow Guest, at a rate that depends on your plan. The rates are on the pricing page.
Is Airflow Stay open to travellers now?
Not yet. Trip ideas are already published, places are being invited now, and booking opens when Stay launches. Listing now means your place is there from the start.
Do I have to leave Airbnb to list on Stay?
No. Most hosts keep Airbnb. Bookings from every source land in one Airflow calendar, and calendar links keep the dates blocked on each platform.
Who owns the guest when a booking comes from Stay?
You do. You receive the guest's name and email and deal with them directly, so they can book with you again without a marketplace in between.
How will travellers find my place on Stay?
By searching the map, or by following a trip idea, a route through a region with a stop for each night. Your place appears where it fits the route and the dates.
Try it on your own bookings
Forward a few booking emails and look at what Airflow builds from them. A card is needed at sign-up.
Start with Airflow See plans and pricing