Big Changes Coming To Reserve America?

run100 wrote:
My biggest gripe with the reservation systems are the high number of no-shows. Many of the sites we visit hang the "Reserved" tag showing the arrival and departure date. I regularly see no show rates between 20-30%! It's irritating when there's other campers looking for a site, but being turned away because they're "sold out." It's a waste of recreational resources.

The only answer that has ever worked is high cancellation fees and cancelling the entire reservation if they do not show on the first night. What you are seeing is the result of people being able to make reservations at a number of different locations and numerous different dates and then choosing when and where and if to go at the last minute.
If, for example, the cancellation fees were $10.00 making reservations at 5 different locations for the same week would only add $6.00 a night to the cost of the stay at the location they actually decide to visit. They may have made reservations at a beach area, a mountain area, a location near major recreation, a location near children's attractions and an adult destination. The final decision might be decided by the weather forecast and whether or not the grandkids T-ball team is still playing or if the local college football team has a bowl game. $6.00 a night is not a big price to pay for the flexibility. Ramp the cancellation fee up to $50.00 or $100.00 or the even fifty percent of the total stay and people will think twice before making all those reservations they ultimately do not show up for.