Cost of School Holiday Flights

[jkspoff]

We want to escape the horrendous British summer we are having, the worst I can remember for a long long time, for the summery shores of Carvoeiro. The only problem is we have to take holidays just like many other people at school term end, this means significantly hiked up prices on all flights. We are severely penalised for having children school age, for example, Jet2, ThomsonFly, EasyJet etc are offering flights a third the price the week before the hols.
They shouldn't be aloud to do this, and should just be a first come first served standard price. I would be happy to pay slightly higher prices all year round and have the same prices in peak season. To get 4 of us out in October half term would still be nearly £900 !
We need some sun, NOW !!
Come on airlines, give us parents and kids a well deserved break......

[laserblazer]

Just look at it that you are paying the standard price and the flights are discounted to try and attract people out of season. That's what eRichard told me. At least with Easyjet, if you book when the tickets first become available, you can get a good deal. We booked back in November to fly out this Sunday at £166 for two return. If we booked the same flights today it would be £384. We also have October and Feb half-terms booked already.

[wee beanz]

Well, thats the joy and price you pay for having kids! Been there, done it.

[laserblazer]

Well, thats the joy and price you pay for having kids!

And teaching the little s*ds

[Gerry Cullen]

Would it be such a big deal to take the kids out of school for a few days either end of the hols,for most of us these breaks are just for a week or so, they could use their real hols to do a bit of home study....well its an idea...and in fairness the days comming up to the holidays are normally a waste anyway.

[lizzieh]

I have just retired from teaching at secondary level and have always thought that after late spring bank holiday very little quality work is done in school. The children are tired, you don't always have a full class due to parents taking kids on early hols and due to end of term test's the curriculum has been covered. Good luck to anyone who 'widens' their childrens education with a holiday in term time, they most probably couldn't afford it during the school holiday period. Liz

[Lievesleys]

Agree totally:- why should we be penalised for taking children out of school during term time?If the prices were realistict during the school holidays then parents wouldn't have this problem !!!!

[e-richard]

All right, I'll repeat myself. Prices in August are realistic. Its the rest of the year that prices are sold below realistic cost that makes it seem worse.

For those who do not like realistic prices, try buying a 2 week Alpine Ski holiday in August. I'm sure you'll get amazing bargains, and probably even free lift passes .

The operators only have a very short window in which to make their total annual income and holiday makers with or without children won't pay the full ("normal") price to visit the Algarve in February.

[fiona & chris]

i reckon those with property are happy with the current price of flights

[tricky]

Its all about planning ahead. We booked our for flights in July/August last
October when they came on sale. We got five flights for £800
Not bad going in peak season. We are currently waiting for Easter flights to come on sale to book for next year. Many property owners have trouble filing their places in August due to holidaymakers leaving it until the last minute and finding the flight prices are sky high.

I know what Richard is getting at about prices during the rest of the year being cheap and his is right, but as the Algarve is such a family place it does work out expensive if you are bringing the whole clan. Its not so bad for couples but when the little darlings are not contributing to the holiday it seems to get more and more expensive to take a holiday anywhere

Moto is : Fail to prepare, prepare to Fail!

[Bruce Wallis]

It's a truism that all holiday companies hike their prices during the school holidays. We villa owners are also guilty of that. It's the law of supply and demand.

There are flight deals to be found, even now. You just need to be prepared to search around for them. Check out some of the holiday companies like Thompson and My Choice. I got return flights on Monarch last week for £50 return, and I only booked a month ago.

If you register with the sites such as Easyjet and Monarch, you can pick up promotions.

Of course the airlines discount out of season, especially with Easyjet. I booked flights in early November from LGW for just £7.50 each way. mind you the taxes trippled that!

It's also interesting to note that Easyjet always seem to publish late, especially from Gatwick, and when they do BA and Monarchs ( who publish earlier, but high), prices come tumbling down to more or less match Easyjet.

[biffa]

I see e-richards argument but would it not be better to spread the cost over the yera. The prices especially at half term really do penalise families. The UK Government does not want parents to take kids out of school so it is a no win situation. We are well experienced in booking early as we live in Cvo but have two children boarding in the UK but no matter how early you book for half term you will pay through the nose.

Thre very polite letters to EasyJet over the last 12 months asking them to explain this prejudicial policy have brought nil response.

Maybe with Mr Stelios it is a case of Bewrae of Greeks bearing gifts!!

[Bruce Wallis]

Biffa....want to know when the school holidays are before the school calender is published? Get any holiday brochure .....the half terms are the sudden high spikes early on, and the summer holidays where it suddenly plateus up to the max.

The Govt could have no effect. These are cold blooded commercial decisions by the airlines and holiday companies. To expect the prices to be averaged out is lovely but niave! All they would do is push the prices up for the other dates....and they would if they could.

The teachers take their high minded approach to parents over taking kids out, not for REAL educational reasons....most responsible parents wouldnt dream of taking thier kids out at crucial times........it's more the fact that because the teachers are working, and cant do the same themselves!

[e-richard]

Well, if the prices were to be equalised over the year, and the operators were to maintain a similar ANNUAL income, then the price would have to be only marginally lower than peak rates - throughout the year.

Peak time rates are partially a result of school holidays, but substantially also related to the weather. Bookings in Feb to the Algarve do not come at the same rate as they do in summer.

But there has to be some merit in this discussion of spreading the cost. I note that Airlines, Car Rental companies, Villa Rentals, Hotels, Package Holidays all have wildly seasonal rates, while restaurants and bars who also rely on tourist trade maintain equal costs throughout the year. If they can do it, why not the rest of the industry ?

The problem is how to effect such an enormous social, cultural and economic change in the tourist industry and a change in the perceptions of the buying public. It would require mammoth co-operation among the various operators (air, car, accomodation etc.), probably led by a handful of the very largest who would have to work together to change the whole pricing methodology.

Trouble is that if they met to discuss a global agreed change in charging methods, they would probably be prosecuted for price fixing

[Bruce Wallis]

Richard....that sounds very good in theory and principle....in reality the objective is to maximise revenue in a seasonal competetive industry, which now has a fixed modus operandi.

Or to put it in another way...Canute couldn't stem the tide either

Love from Banstead (North Surrey)