Bókanir

Bókanir refers to the act and the records of reserving a service or resource for a given time. The noun derives from the verb bóka, meaning to book.

Common domains include hospitality (hotels and guesthouses), dining, travel (flights and car hire), events (concerts and conferences), and professional services such as medical appointments and hairdressing.

Bookings can be made offline by telephone or in person, or online through booking engines, websites, and mobile apps. Systems manage capacity, hold times, deposits, and cancellation rules, and may provide reminders and calendar integration.

Advantages include improved planning and resource management, reduced double-booking, and the ability to offer dynamic pricing, while challenges involve no-shows, late cancellations, and fraud risks, which are often addressed with deposits, cancellation windows, or penalties.

Data protection and consumer rights apply to booking information, and Icelandic law aligns with broader European data protection regulations (GDPR).

Etymology: the term comes from the verb bóka, to book; bókun denotes the act, and bókanir is the plural.

See also: reservation system, booking engine, appointment scheduling.