How do I book accommodation directly with the owner?
Short answer
Find the place's own website or booking page, check your dates, ask the owner anything you need to know, and pay them directly by card with the price and cancellation terms in writing. The hard part is finding places that take direct bookings in the first place. Airflow Stay, which is launching soon, brings them together on a map and in trip routes, and on Airflow Guest you can already plan a trip and ask hosts about your dates.
Why book direct at all
When you book with the owner you are talking to the person who runs the place. Questions about arrival times, a cot, the road in or a late check-out get a real answer, and requests are far more likely to be met.
It can also change the price. A booking platform charges the host a commission and often charges the guest a service fee as well. Booking direct removes the platform from the middle, and some hosts pass part of that on, or offer something a platform cannot, such as a flexible arrival or an extra night at a lower rate.
How Airflow Stay will work
Airflow Stay is a directory of places that take bookings directly. Each listing is run by its owner. You will be able to search a map, or follow a trip idea, a route through a region with somewhere to stay at each stop, and send your dates to the host. The host answers you with their rate, and you pay them.
Stay is launching soon. Trip ideas and destination guides are published now, a small number of places are already live, and more are being invited.
Booking direct, step by step
- 1
Find the place's own page
Search for the property by name. Its own website usually ranks below the booking platforms, so scroll past the adverts. On Airflow Stay every listing leads to the owner.
- 2
Check dates and ask your questions
Use the availability calendar if there is one, or send your dates. Ask what is included, how to get there and what the cancellation terms are.
- 3
Get the price and terms in writing
A confirmation should state the dates, the total, what has been paid, what is still due and when, and what happens if you cancel.
- 4
Pay by card
Pay through the booking page by card where you can. On an Airflow booking the payment goes to the host's own account through a card processor.
What to check before you pay
- The property exists where it says it does: look for it on a map, and for reviews somewhere other than its own site.
- The name on the payment page matches the place or its owner.
- The cancellation policy is written down before you pay, including what happens to the deposit.
- You have a confirmation with a reference, the dates and the amounts.
What Airflow does not do
- Airflow Stay has not launched to travellers yet, so you cannot search across places there today.
- Airflow does not take your payment or hold it; you pay the host.
- Airflow does not provide a booking guarantee. The cancellation policy and any refund are the host's.
Common questions
How do I find places that take direct bookings?
Search for the property by name to find its own website, or use a directory of places that book direct. Airflow Stay is one, launching soon, with a map and trip routes that lead to the owner of each place.
Is booking direct with the owner safe?
It is when you check the place is real, get the terms in writing and pay by card. A card payment gives you your card provider's protection if something goes wrong.
Who do I pay when I book through Airflow?
The host. Payment goes to the host's own account, not to Airflow. Any fee on the booking is shown before you confirm.
Can I book on Airflow Stay now?
Stay is launching soon. A small number of places are live now, trip ideas and destination guides are published, and you can plan a trip and ask hosts about dates on Airflow Guest.
What if I need to cancel?
The host's cancellation policy applies. Read it before you pay, and contact the host directly if your plans change.