Thanks to the internet, you may make a reservation with a few keystrokes, and it is not difficult for each of us to work as our travel agents. A far-too-common occurrence is an exception. When you pick up your rental vehicle, check into your hotel, or board a bus, train, or aircraft, you find that your reservation won’t be fulfilled. And it may be pretty inconvenient as well as annoying. Recently, that happened to me. You’ve meticulously chosen the ideal hotel and booked a reservation. When you finally arrive, though, nothing goes as expected. Maybe they will give you a bad room. Perhaps they’ve entirely misplaced your reservation. Here’s what to do if one of these or other tragedies occurs.

Getty Images/Moment/Virojt Changyencham

It could appear that the number of false reservations has grown in recent years. Technology has both helped and made the bookings process worse, although “no-shows” and “bumping” have been a problem for the travel business since sailing ships and stagecoaches. An unrespected reservation is referred to as being “walked” in the hospitality sector or leaving the property. Recognizing red signals before making a reservation: being charged in full, upfront, without your express consent, websites that are not secure, begin with HTTP:// rather than HTTPS:// Last but not least, avoid visiting sites that have the name of the hotel in the URL, such as those having “national” before the name of the hotel. All in all: Make reservations, stand up for your rights, request alternatives, etc.

Given the growing cost of living, you might want to think twice before splurging on an all-inclusive vacation and instead go for a self-catering getaway. Although there might be excellent all-inclusive offers, self-catering often has lower upfront fees. Most high street and online brokers in countries like the UK provide you with additional layers of safety through ATOL and ABTA programs. Before making a reservation, you should know what they cover. Protect your trip, so you are covered if your booking firm goes out of business or your flight is canceled.