We book our holidays independently using low-cost airlines. With Ryanair's prediction that more budget airlines will go out of business, do you have any advice for pain-free travel? - Julie Peshall, via e-mail

Times travel expert Julia Brookes responds: If you buy tickets direct from a scheduled airline, you need to make your own arrangements to ensure that you do not lose your money if the airline fails. Follow the advice from the Air Transport Users Council (www.caa.co.uk/auc) and make sure that your travel insurance policy includes cover for scheduled airline failure - some policies do, but certainly not all.

Or buy your ticket with a credit card; you will then be able to claim under the terms of the Consumer Credit Act provided the transaction came to more than £100. This protection does not apply to debit cards such as Switch or Delta, so you will just have to swallow hard and pay the premium for using a credit card charged by some airlines. Your money may be protected even if the cost of your travel was less than £100 but you would need to check with your credit card company.

Remember, too, that budget airlines don't always offer the best deal if you factor luxuries such as putting baggage in the hold and priority boarding charges. I checked flights to Nice at the beginning of August from Gatwick, and Air France was cheaper than easyJet.

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