EyeForTravel reports that an online survey initiated by UK's Thomson and First Choice has indicated that an "overwhelming 80% of respondents" expect to take a holiday in 2010; similar numbers said the recession will not lead them to change their holiday plans.

About half the people surveyed plan to spend the same amount of money as they did this year; 24% plan to spend more. Of those people who said the recession had changed their holiday plans this year, about 6% said they had considered package holidays this year so as to offer extra security in case an airline collapsed. But that figure more than doubles to 13% for 2010.

46% said they would use the recession to book five-star hotels at three- or four-star prices. Travelers may be traveling farther next year as well – more than 23% said they look to buy a longer flight for the same price as one nearer to home. The proportion of people saying they would consider booking all-inclusive holidays jumps from 10% to 16% for next year.

One downside for UK travelers in 2010 is the Air Passenger Duty tax increases planned by the British government which will come in two stages - from November 2009. These will increase the tax on long haul flights – typically 12 hours or more - from £40 to £80.

The reservations you receive via the BedandBreakfast.com Online program are generated by many different websites, receiving a total of over 100 million guests each month.

If the reservation is made on BedandBreakfast.com, SideStep.com, and Kayak.com, we can give you the guest’s email address because the transaction for these reservations takes place on the BedandBreakfast.com website.

When a guest books through Expedia, hotels.com, or one of their sister companies, the email address cannot be shared with us because of strict guidelines and laws that govern the sharing of a personal email information with a third party. When guests book through Expedia, they complete their entire booking transaction on the Expedia website, unaware that BedandBreakfast.com has supplied Expedia with the B&B information. For Expedia to pass their customers’ email addresses would violate anti-spam laws, and would also raise privacy concerns among their customers.

Originally, when Expedia and hotels.com began listing B&Bs on their websites, they did not even share guests’ phone numbers with innkeepers. When we partnered with Expedia, we successfully negotiated to get them to share this information. In addition, the direct phone number for your property is on each guest confirmation email, along with a request that each guest contact you 48 hours prior to check-in.

We do understand that phone numbers supplied by travelers are not always useful and that it can be difficult to reach people once they have booked. If you are unable to get in touch with a guest who has booked your property through this program, please do not hesitate to let us know. We can submit a request to Expedia and ask them to send the guest an email asking them to contact you.
 
Although we realize that’s not a perfect solution, we are convinced that the benefits of this program far outweigh any drawbacks, and we hope you agree.

Thank you again for being a member of BedandBreakfast.com and for your participation in the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program! We sincerely value your business!

With each online reservation you receive, remember that guests have already accepted the terms of your cancellation policy. Nevertheless, sometimes guests cancel inside of your policy and seek to avoid cancellation fees. Here are some ways to alleviate headaches, avoid a negative review and encourage a positive experience for the manager and guest when this happens.

There is a time and place for an exception to your cancellation policy for the online traveler. What you lose in revenue can come back to you in a future reservation and a happy guest who's a fan of your property.

There are going to be guests who have plans change or personal emergencies that cause them to change the dates of their stay. In some cases there are external factors (flu outbreak, hurricane, wildfire or death in the family) outside of their control. Providing an exception to policy can leave a good taste in their mouths and encourage a future stay.

If you are thinking about giving a guest a waiver, you may want to take these factors into consideration:

• Are all rooms reserved and guests have been turned away?
• Can you rebook the room?
• How long has the reservation been booked?
• Do the guests plan to reserve a future date/are they regular guests who have stayed with you before?
• Will granting an exception keep a guest happy enough to come again?

Many properties offer different options such as rain checks or gift certificates, or allowing another guest to stay on the reservation.

Cancellation policies are in place to protect your interests with respect to the online reservations program. Always remain courteous to guests to ensure a positive experience. In a case where you are not granting an exception to your cancellation policy, please be sure to explain the reasons for your position and inability to offer an exception. Many guests will feel less negative about the fees they owe to your property when they have a better understanding of how it affects you.

Online reservations can provide more guests reservations. They can also provide more inquiries about cancellation policies. Treating each guest inquiry as an opportunity and providing some exceptions can go a long way toward promoting your business in a positive fashion.

How to get more reservations through BedandBreakfast.com, Expedia, hotels.com, SideStep.com and Kayak.com.

1. Load significant room inventory. Consider adding room availability through the next year. The BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations program allows you to display and sell rooms for up to two years in advance. Adding significant availability for dates far into the future can positively impact your placement on Expedia and hotels.com. The more availability you show, the better your chances of appearing prominently on the major travel sites. 
2. Lessen the severity of your cancellation policy. Properties with lenient cancellation policies take more reservations through this program, while those with strict cancellation policies book fewer rooms. Consider setting your “no refund penalty” so that the full amount is charged only within seven days. If you charge a one-night penalty, perhaps do this only within 14 days of arrival. Finally, you might use only one of the available cancellation penalties. For example, don’t use a full amount penalty in addition to a one-night penalty. You can update this setting by clicking on Settings from within the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations Manager.

• Allow same-day bookings. What is your advanced reservations cut-off day? This program is highly effective at filling last-minute rooms. If your Advanced Reservations Cutoff is set at two or three days, it means that potential guests finding you through the online reservations program will not be able to book your rooms in the last minute. Consider allowing same-day bookings, or at least reduce your minimum to one day in advance of arrival. You can update this setting by clicking on Settings from within the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations Manager.  

1. Do you have restrictive minimum-stay requirements? Such requirements during times of otherwise lower occupancy levels can prevent you from getting a booking during a date when you could really use that extra reservation. Consider using minimum stays on peak weekends and travel dates and require just one-night stays at other times. A first-time guest may find you on Expedia and return in the future as a direct reservation.
2. Try new ways to sell rooms in the last minute. Your rooms are a perishable commodity; the revenue on an unsold room is gone forever. If you are nearing a date and have availability, open that room up in the Online Reservations program so that our distribution partners (Expedia, hotels.com, SideStep.com and Kayak.com) can have the opportunity to sell that room. Taking this a step further, consider lowering your rate incrementally as the date nears if you haven’t yet sold that room. You’ll be surprised at what this can do to help you sell rooms that may otherwise sit empty.

If you have questions or would like a free online reservations consultation, contact Online Reservations Support at 800-GO-B-AND-B (800-462-2632), extension 4; 512-322-2700, extension 4 or Reservations@BedandBreakfast.com.

It is hard to believe, but more than half of 2009 is behind us. It is time to start thinking about 2010. We are already seeing many travelers searching for available rooms and booking them for dates in 2010. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to capture these potential customers!

If you have not done so yet, please remember to load your rates and availability for 2010 into the BedandBreakfast.com Online Reservations Manager. If you are connected to our system through RezOvation GT or Webervations, you will never need to load rates or inventory with us, as your system does so automatically. If you have any questions, need any help loading rates and availability, or you would like more information on our connectivity options, please contact us at OnlineReservations@BedandBreakfast.com or 1-800-462-2632, option 4.

We look forward to helping you make 2010 a great year!