Inquiries vs. Booking Request

Quick Navigation Index

• What Is an Inquiry?

• Inquiry Flow (Step-by-Step)

• What Is a Request to Book?

• Request to Book Flow (Step-by-Step)

• How to Accept or Decline

• Calendar Blocking Differences

• Accepting or Rejecting: Inquiry vs. Request to Book

• Message Threads Explained

• Key Differences at a Glance

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What Is an Inquiry?

An Inquiry is a message sent by a guest before they are ready to book.

Guests typically send inquiries when:

• The dates are unavailable

• They want to ask a question

• They’re hoping for a special deal, promo, or custom offer

Important things to know about inquiries:

• Dates do NOT need to be available

• The calendar is not blocked

• No payment is involved

• The guest is not committing to a reservation

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Where Inquiries Come From

Inquiries can come from the following channels:

• Airbnb

• Vrbo

• Booking.com

• Other connected OTAs

Tip: Regardless of the channel, inquiries always behave the same way—no calendar block and no expiration timer.

Inquiry Flow (Step-by-Step)

1. Guest sends an inquiry

   • Dates may be available or unavailable

   • Guest asks a question or requests a deal

2. Host replies

   • Answer questions

   • Offer a custom deal or special request (if applicable)

3. Optional: Convert inquiry into a booking

   • Host sends a special offer

   • Guest accepts and completes the booking

   • Hosts have the option to pre-approve an inquiry on Airbnb as well to allow that guest to book when they are ready.

4. If booked

   • A new booking message thread is created

   • The original inquiry thread remains for reference

Tip: Inquiries are great for upselling, offering discounts, or clarifying expectations before a booking.

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What Is a Request to Book?

A Request to Book means the guest is ready to reserve the property.

Guests send a request to book when:

• Dates are available

• They want to confirm the reservation

• Instant Book is not enabled, or

• The guest does not meet minimum requirements (common with Airbnb)

Important things to know about requests to book:

• Dates must be available

• Host approval is required

• There is a validity period to respond

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Where Requests to Book Come From

Requests to book can come from:

• Airbnb

• Vrbo

• Jurny Booking Engine

• Other supported booking channels that require host approval

Note: Channels with Instant Book enabled may bypass requests entirely and create confirmed bookings immediately.

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Request to Book Flow (Step-by-Step)

1. Guest submits a request to book

   • Dates are available

   • Guest agrees to pricing and house rules

2. Calendar is temporarily blocked

   • Dates are held while awaiting host action

3. Validity period begins

   • Host has a limited time to accept or reject

   • If no action is taken, the request expires automatically

4. Host decision

   • Accept → Booking is confirmed

   • Reject → Dates are released back to the calendar

Caution: If the request expires, the guest must submit a new request to book.

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How to Accept or Decline a Booking Request

You have a few options to accept or decline the request from your Jurny account!

1. From the Jurny Inbox

   1. Open the reservation from your Jurny inbox
   2. On the upper right side of your screen, you can click the gear icon & you'll have the option to either accept or decline. 

2. From the Reservations page

a. Open the reservation from the reservations page of your Jurny account.

b. Once the booking is open, you should see the accept & decline button from the summary page.