Cancellations and booking window

Updated on 2026-09-30

At the bottom of Management → Insights → Statistics there are two blocks about timing: how often and how late bookings are cancelled, and how far in advance guests book. Together they tell you whether your cancellation policy and your pricing strategy are right.

Cancellations

Cancellations block with the number of cancellations, the cancellation rate, the lead time until arrival and the breakdown per channel

Figure	Meaning
Cancelled	The number of cancelled bookings with arrival in the selected period.
Cancellation rate	Cancelled divided by cancelled + confirmed.
Average lead time and Median	How many days before arrival bookings were cancelled on average. The median is the middle case and is less skewed by a single outlier.

Lead time until arrival divides the cancellations into buckets: 0-1 day (no-show), 1-7 days, 8-30 days, 31-90 days and 90+ days. Per channel shows how many bookings were cancelled and confirmed per channel, with the rate.

What do you do with it?

Lots of cancellations in the last week? Then every late cancellation costs you a night you can no longer sell. Consider a stricter deadline or a non-refundable rate.
One channel stands out? Many OTAs allow free cancellation until just before arrival. Compare their rate with your direct bookings.
Lots of no-shows? Ask for a deposit when guests book; see Asking for a deposit.

Booking-to-stay lead time

Booking-to-stay lead time block with average, median, the distribution and the average days per channel

For every confirmed booking (so excluding cancellations), BedFlow counts the number of days between the moment of booking and arrival.

Average and Median in days, with the difference vs last year.
Bookings: the number of bookings this is calculated on.
Distribution in buckets: 0-3 days, 4-14 days, 15-60 days, 61-180 days and 180+ days.
Per channel: the average number of days per channel. Guests from Booking.com often book later than those who book directly.

What do you do with it?

Is the booking window getting longer? Then an early-booking discount works: guests who plan far ahead book more readily with a small advantage.
Is the window getting shorter? Keep rooms open longer for last-minute bookings and adjust your rate for the coming days in the rate calendar.

Which period?

Both blocks follow the year you select at the top of the page, by arrival date. For the current year, BedFlow counts up to today and compares it with the same period last year, so half a year is never set against a full year.