Pickup

Pickup refers to the number of new reservations gained over a given time window — typically the past 1, 3, 7, or 14 days — for a specific arrival date or period in the future. It is one of the most-watched daily metrics in revenue management.

How pickup is used

Pickup tells the revenue manager whether demand is building, holding, or eroding for upcoming dates:

• Positive pickup — net new bookings exceed cancellations; demand is healthy
• Flat pickup — bookings and cancellations are balanced
• Negative pickup — cancellations exceed new bookings (a "wash")

A daily pickup report comparing the past 24 hours' net change is the heartbeat of most revenue management routines.

Pickup vs pace

• Pickup — change over a recent period (last X days)
• Pace — comparison of on-the-books reservations against the same point in time last year, last month, or against forecast

Together, they let revenue managers see both velocity (pickup) and trajectory (pace).

Why it matters

A revenue manager who sees pickup soften 30 days out for a normally strong date can react by lowering BAR or opening promotional rate plans. A manager who misses softening pickup until 7 days out has far fewer levers to pull.