Glossary
Booking lead time
Booking lead time is the number of days between the day a guest books and the day they check in. It tells you how far ahead your guests plan, which decides when to raise or lower prices.
Examples on this page use made-up homes and numbers to show the method. They are not client results.
How to work it out
Lead time = check-in date − booking date
Average it over your last 20 or so bookings, and look at weekends and weekdays separately.
Example
A guest books on March 1 for a stay starting March 22. The lead time is 21 days.
Lead times differ by home. A large house for big groups is often booked months ahead for family holidays and group weekends. A small place for two tends to get far more short-notice bookings.
Why it matters
- Long lead times mean early dates are valuable. Discounting them months ahead gives away money.
- Short lead times mean an empty calendar three weeks out is normal, not a reason to cut prices.
- If your booking window is shorter than your guests’ lead time, they cannot book you at all.
Put it to work
- Guide: Airbnb bookings dropped suddenly: find which step broke
- Service: Co-Hosting, where we set and review your rates, minimum stays and gap nights for you, with nothing to pay upfront.
Related terms
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