underbooking

Too few reservations

Underbooking is accepting fewer reservations or commitments than capacity allows—the opposite of overbooking.

Airlines, hotels, and venues underbook when they want to ensure availability or avoid the chaos of turning people away.

The practice sacrifices potential revenue for operational comfort: The theater's chronic underbooking left half the seats empty on opening night.

vacancy

unfilled

Not occupied or completed

vacantWithout an occupant
unoccupiedHaving no occupant
availabilityState of being obtainable

gaps · no-shows · cancellations · unreserved · surplus · underutilized · overcapacity

revenue

shortfall

Failure to reach quota

lossBeing without something
wastageLoss through inefficiency
underperformanceFailing to meet expectations

underutilization

strategy

pricing

Establishing monetary amounts charged

forecastingEstimating future conditions
allocationDistribution of shares
optimizationMaximizing efficiency or performance

opportunity

discounts

Subtractions from full price

bargainsGoods at reduced prices
off-peakOutside busiest hours
standbyReady substitute awaiting use

hospitality

hotels

Commercial lodging establishments

airlinesCommercial flight operators
restaurantsCommercial dining venues
venuesSites for events

rentals · tours · events · theaters · cruises · resorts · accommodation

Opposites

reservation volume relative to capacity

underbookingoverbooking

Accepting excess reservations

oversubscription · overselling · double-booking · overcommitting · overcommitment

Family

book, books, booked, booking, overbook, overbooking, rebooking, overbooked, prebooked

Familiarity: Top 500,000
Profile: Used worldwide · Timeless · Rated G