I had the same thought when reading that line. I think we can treat it independently from the article's main point.
This is a common consumer tactic for reservations of all sorts. (It is a thorn in the side of restaurants, and why you get emails asking you to Confirm them and other appointments)
2 bookings isn't heinous; some people do things like book at multiple restaurants, then cancel all but one right before. (e.g. when their friend group comes to a consensus) It's fine in this case IMO.
It is a point of consternation for consumers more generally, when you can't get a booking because many of the ones are ghosts.
Sounds a lot like the shenanigans in the job market. The number of job ads and applications far outstrips the actual number of places and applicants. It's mostly froth. Come to think of it, huge tracts of our economy are like this.
In high demand restaurants, I've seen them require a fee to make a reservation that is credited to your bill when you come in. This would dissuade the casual multiple bookings, but not that common. I would actually prefer it to be more common.
This is a common consumer tactic for reservations of all sorts. (It is a thorn in the side of restaurants, and why you get emails asking you to Confirm them and other appointments)
2 bookings isn't heinous; some people do things like book at multiple restaurants, then cancel all but one right before. (e.g. when their friend group comes to a consensus) It's fine in this case IMO.
It is a point of consternation for consumers more generally, when you can't get a booking because many of the ones are ghosts.