[Closed] School holiday and Term time holiday price hiking

You can guarantee that rather than forcing holiday companies to be fair, they will do something ridiculous, such as the suggestion of staggering school holidays

Its not money grabbing it's simple supply and demand. In any case the UK government cannot make a policy which impacts other countries which is where many people take their holiday. The UK should do what the French do and stagger holidays, for example Feb half term week holiday is spread over a month from mid Feb to mid March depending upon region.

You can guarantee that rather than forcing holiday companies to be fair, they will do something ridiculous, such as the suggestion of staggering school holidays

Living on the Isle of Wight, I am self employed and also work on the mainland so I get stung big time for ferry prices in summer.

Move to the mainland?

As a parent of two small children, I'm struggling to see anything wrong with it. Supply and demand, as Jambalaya says. And it'd be most amusing seeing the UK govt trying to legislate foreign holiday prices.

Course, they could always put out-of -school-holiday prices up to equalise things.

Most of my work is on the island so if I moved to the mainland, the ferry costs would be higher as islanders get discount.

Taking kids out of school for holiday this spring. Can't afford to go in summer holidays. They'll cope with missing 10 days school just fine. School obviously denied permission but cest la vie.

The price of holidays during school holidays just punishes the less well off. Can't afford to go outside term time so no holiday. For the more affluent it doesn't matter, so it's obviously fine for poorer kids to go without holidays...

Sounds like a right wing policy to me.

Usual dim argument.
ever considered that prices drop at times of low demand and the higher price is the norm?
Anyway it would be totally wrong to equalise prices. supply and demand is right. Individual whim is not.

Usual dim argument.

+10,000

Plus it's not as if having children is compulsory.

It's a nice try but I'm not sure it will work long term. It was the same situation before taxes were introduced. The reality is that airlines rely on the peak season to make their money with the best deals being in the off peak season to stimulate business and try to fill empty planes. Just like other ticket selling industries. The airlines will not necessarily pass on all the savings from taxes to the consumer. I think they'll use the tax savings to cheapen off-peak tickets to attract more people to fill their partially empty planes in the off-peak season. The planes are already full during the peak season, so no real competition to start a price war.

As a parent I'd love a more sensible pricing policy, but planes are very expensive and airlines will not saddle themselves with too much overcapacity.

So when I look at holidays that cost £300 during term time when can't take my kids out of school. It's ok to charge nearly a grand for exactly the same holiday during school holidays. If that's not money grabbing, I don't know what is.

Same goes for the ferries to/from the IOW same journey can cost £20 at 7am but nearly £100 a couple of hours later.

It's charging a vastly exaggerated premium for the period of time that most people can travel.

[i]Taking kids out of school for holiday this spring. Can't afford to go in summer holidays. They'll cope with missing 10 days school just fine. School obviously denied permission but cest la vie. [/i]

How much are you actually saving?

And not sure how many folk know, but we in Scotland usually have different holiday times to England. So does that mean that the holiday firms have to make it as expensive in June/July as it is in July/August?

Its nearly half price, had we not took advantage of it the kids wouldn't have a had a holiday this year. Not really fair on them, most of their peers will have a holiday, its important that my kids do too, if that means during term time then so be it. They're 8 & 4, they aren't missing GCSE revision....

The price of holidays during school holidays just punishes the less well off

Surely the less well off dont buy holidays at all. My heart is bleeding for you!

Taking kids out of school for holiday this spring. Can't afford to go in summer holidays. They'll cope with missing 10 days school just fine. School obviously denied permission but cest la vie.

Presume you will be fined as well? If school are following the correct procedure it should be an automatic Penalty Notice of £60 for each child to each parent - so if 2 kids £240 (going up to £120 per parent per child if not paid within 21 days). Of course this still might mean the holiday is cheaper, depending on the saving you are making. 😀

I'm sure I'll be fined, I'll live with that. Still much much cheaper.

Still much much cheaper.

You can guarantee that rather than forcing holiday companies to be fair, they will do something ridiculous, such as the suggestion of staggering school holidays

They already are.

Surely the less well off dont buy holidays at all. My heart is bleeding for you!

Actually, we as a not very well off family either don't, or we go camping on the fly, day by day as we can't afford to book anything.
Due to the price hiking and school fines, we are stuck either way.

Leicestershire school hols are a week earlier than anywhere else... handy...

I signed the petition re the banning of term time absences. The "group" who got the 250k? signatures emailed yesterday to say they were disappointed that the debate was leaning more towards the pricing of holidays and not their initial reinstatement of the 10 days leave that was stopped recently. Personally we would consider the odd day but not two weeks away in term time.

Clipper, it's frustrating I know, but it's a reality. Airlines are not laughing all the way to the bank. The majority of them hardly make any money at all. Even when giants like BA post profits of £350 million pounds, well that just about buys 1 A380, and they've bought a fleet of them as well as a huge fleet of other aircraft. Hardly money grabbing.....teetering on the edge of bankruptcy more like.

Airlines have to buy aircraft to support a schedule of varying demand so they have to price high in the peak times so they can afford to run loss making services in the off peak times. Grounding aircraft in off peak times is not an option as they're supporting a network and a grounded aircraft cost hundreds of thousands of pounds a day. They need to maximise the flying as much as possible.

It's a bummer for us parents (and non parents too) but a reality.

Charging high prices for peak use periods is a standard method of restricting demand for limited capacity services. Its used in all industries with those kinds of restrictions.
Its not [i]blatant profiteering[/i] you're just getting a bit DailyMail on us.

Nothing will change.
Just the govt keen to be seen to do something for the popular vote.
Nothing will change.

I predict some classic trolling on here later though.

Just to clarify, it's not just airlines, were going with euro camp, driving over, they're still charging over twice for a couple of weeks later.

I was going to make a joke about politicians getting involved from the title and then saw the OP and read that they were????? Bizarre.

Prices go up when demand is at its highest. Which bit is news worthy?

One day makes a difference not just weeks. Easter holidays as an example. Fly east mids to Tenerife on either Good Friday easter sat/sun, was 300 more just for the flights.

As above. The prices aren't hiked up in the holidays, they're discounted outside of them. Holidays are not priced on a cost plus basis, they are priced to give the industry enough money over the year to get by. And they generally only just get by.

It's one thing charging higher prices at times of higher demand, but some of the price hikes are bonkers! We are going to Portugal in May half term and we were quoted £3000 for 2 adults and 2 kids for a 2 hour return flight for a week.

Yep, blatent profiteering, only last year Thomas Cook was rolling in it:

Travel group Thomas Cook has announced it will cut 2,500 jobs in the UK and close almost 200 stores as it attempts to revive its profitability.
For the last financial year to September, the firm reported pre-tax losses of £485.3m.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21686547

A holiday is not a right, it's a privilege if you can afford it.
People seem to think they are owed 2 weeks away at a price that suits them and grizzle when companies sell a non-essential for a profit.
It's not milk/bread/electricity/healthcare/housing but a vanity purchase.
Deal with it.

A holiday is not a right, it's a privilege if you can afford it.
People seem to think they are owed 2 weeks away at a price that suits them and grizzle when companies sell a non-essential for a profit.
It's not milk/bread/electricity/healthcare/housing but a vanity purchase.
Deal with it.

Thatcher is alive and well!!!!

To be fair he does have a point!

It's not like anyone forced you to have children....

Red funnel ferries blatantly price hike. No it isn't the normal price with off peak being cheaper. £80 one way from the mainland? That sound ok for a 1 hr ferry?

Taking children out of education to obtain cheaper luxury goods.

Pretty ****ing disrespectful if you ask me

I don't have kids but I sympathise with those of you who have. Staggering kids holidays does seem like a sensible idea, but then when have the (this) Government ever done anything sensible.
So with that I think you've got a long old fight on your hands, sorry.. 😐

To be fair he does have a point!

It's not like anyone forced you to have children....

Erm, yes they did. My wife. Wasn't my idea!

And even if she didn't, you certainly don't think 'hang on, if we have these kids, we really need to consider that the Tories may change the regulations in 9 years time which means that, should we not be as affluent as we'd like, we won't be able to give the kids a holiday without taking them out of school and therefore incurring a fine..?'...

I got on a train the other morning in rush hour. The bar stewards charged me twice as much compared to when its quiet. How dare they charge more at peak times.
Supply and demand.
I don't have kids, please don't ruin my really cheap term time holidays. 😀

I'm a teacher, so have to take holidays during school holidays. This year, we're taking our kids (8 and 10) for their first foreign holiday, during May half-term. For the last ten years, we've gone to Scotland during the summer.

A foreign holiday is a luxury, not a right.

I manage to have a holiday most years during school hols and I am hardly made of money even now we have an ankle biter. Doesnt cost that much to go to wales camping. Holidays abroad are hardly a necessity. If holidays were different in different areas you'd always have people on the borders who end up with kids in different schools. Not sure how much of a problem that would be in reality though.

I'm not a teacher, so I don't earn teachers wages, don't have a teachers pension, and have no need to be sanctimonious with regards unauthorised school absences.

I do have to do the best I can for my kids. So I'll give them a holiday, because they deserve one, it's not their fault that I'm a ****up.

If holidays were different in different areas you'd always have people on the borders who end up with kids in different schools.

We've had that here, when Easter has been at odd times and different authorities made different decisions. A colleague whose wife taught over the county boundary lost Feb half term and a week of Easter of holiday time together, as well as the two weeks we're out of synch every summer. We had lots of attendance issues with families taking kids on holiday in the 'overlap' weeks, too.

I'm not a teacher, so I don't earn teachers wages, don't have a teachers pension, and have no need to be sanctimonious with regards unauthorised school absences.

I do have to do the best I can for my kids. So I'll give them a holiday, because they deserve one, it's not their fault that I'm a ****.

Someone's bitter.

This teacher's pay isn't enough to take his family on a Eurocamp holiday to France for a fortnight.

I'm sure I'll be fined, I'll live with that. Still much much cheaper.

So I'll give them a holiday, because they deserve one, it's not their fault that I'm a *.

I don't have kids. I take my holidays when I feel like and get some great deals - wanna hear about last year and the 4 star hotel that chucked in a couple of days scuba diving beacuse it was out of kiddie season?

If you have to do your best for your kids keep them in school and spend time with them doing something cheaper. Simples. Or earn more. Or you could become a teacher and have a massive salary and gold plated pension, plenty if jobs out there.

Someone's bitter.

This teacher's pay isn't enough to take his family on a Eurocamp holiday to France for a fortnight.

For £580 quid?? Yes , I am a total big licks...

Fwiw, even an nqt prob earns two or three times what I do.

I'll have absolutely no regrets or remorse about my kids enjoying 10 days in France, none whatsoever.

If you have to do your best for your kids keep them in school and spend time with them doing something cheaper. Simples. Or earn more. Or you could become a teacher and have a massive salary and gold plated pension, plenty if jobs out there.

Again, they'll recover, they are 4 and 8. Plus my kids see far more of their dad than most. Life's good. I've forsaken my career so I'm there for my kids, maybe more dads should do the same....

Holidays abroad are not a necessity but many parts of the UK are horribly crowded during UK school holidays. Imagine how much more crowded they would be if no one had the luxury of a foreign holiday?
We decided to have a day in York one Easter holiday but York was stuffed full of holidaying families that it was horrible.

Surely you just go on the holiday you can afford?

I can afford foreign holidays because I live in a house the size of a postage stamp, with a communal garden, and I drive an old, small car. It's about priorities.

Fwiw, even an nqt prob earns two or three times what I do.

If you're on between £7000 and £10000 a year, you probably shouldn't be going to France for your holiday.

Why's that? 😕

You 'probably' should spend less time making pointless assumptions.

So I'll give them a holiday, because they deserve one

Deserving or not they get loads of holiday, 6 weeks in the summer, Easter, Christmas and a few weeks interspersed throughout the year.

Because if that's your family income, shouldn't you be spending it on food and a home?

Whatever, this teacher's got to get back to marking. Which is also how I spent part of my 'holiday'.

Plus my kids see far more of their dad than most. Life's good.

Supply and demand, what a crazy notion on which to base price!

I'm just off to convince someone to sell me a bottle of rare wine and a vintage car for the price is some plonk and a Fiesta, only fair after all.....

Hope your mrs earns a bit more than 7-10k

I can afford it, not during school holidays though.

Hope your mrs earns a bit more than 7-10k

Why?

Because otherwise you wouldnt be able to afford to feed those poor little mites of your let alone take them to France on holiday. Either that or you are just talking shite.

This post is going the way I thought and ioddrik is bearing the brunt of the teachers and folks who don't have kids. His kids are young but in my eyes neither need a holiday or will suffer by having one. We've took out kids out of school just once for a week in the last 7 years. That was for a big family occasion and was when the eldest was 9. Now the eldest is at "big school" it will only be the odd day here and there.
I recently waited two weeks to be granted permission to take [u]my[/u] daughter to a family wedding in term time, softly softly catchy monkey was my approach and it paid off with the permission being granted.
However she's excelling at school so far and hasn't missed any other time off, I'm sure it helps...

Could be. Or just railing again sanctimonious fools who spout nonsense. I'll take the girls on holiday. People carp judgemental opinions on Internet forums. But the world keeps on turning. Strange eh....

People carp judgemental opinions on Internet forums.

And ill-informed ones too.

Shouldn't you be 'marking'...?

The world keeps on turning even if some poor people can't afford to take their children on foreign holidays.

Shouldn't you be out at a second job to pay for a school holiday break?

I believe you raised the issue as a massive whine and then went on to hine that you earn less than half an nqt's wage (22k I think). Forgive me for not giving a **** about your non existant problems.
Wrightyson sems very sensible, shame the rules are so inflexible imo but its not the teachers fault.

I'm just off to convince someone to sell me a bottle of rare wine and a vintage car for the price is some plonk and a Fiesta, only fair after all.....

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Shouldn't you be out at a second job to pay for a school holiday break?

I have one, full time dad. Best job in the world. Beats money, material wealth or career ambition every time. More dads should try it.

I believe you raised the issue as a massive whine and then went on to hine that you earn less than half an nqt's wage (22k I think). Forgive me for not giving a **** about your non existant problems.
Wrightyson sems very sensible, shame the rules are so inflexible imo but its not the teachers fault.

I don't think you'll find anywhere I was looking for sympathy.

I have one, full time dad. Best job in the world. Beats money, material wealth or career ambition every time.

Yep, because I can spend all those extra mornings, afternoons and evenings with them. And they learn more from me than they will from a miserable teacher can teach them in the ten days they'll miss.

I missed 3 months off school when I was 10 with hepatitis. I'm still here, I didn't turn into someone who lost the ability to read and write in the time off. I imagine my daughters will just about cope with 10 days off. And plus, it isn't even both kids, the younger one is in nursery.

My oldest one is well clear of everyone in terms of academic ability in her class. I'll take a bit of credit for that as she doesn't get to see me for an hour a day once I'm back in from work. Something for me to be sanctimonious about.

I don't understand what there is to complain about. We live in a capitalist society where price is driven by demand, the more people want something then the higher the price. It's called economics. Why should the government get involved in price fixing to suit people with kids. We have a child, holidays cost more during school holiday, that's the way it is.

I bet you're a joy at parents evening!
You could always try home learning seeing as you are so awesome.

I missed 3 months off school when I was 10 with hepatitis. I'm still here

I never had a family holiday while at school, I'm still here to point out the obvious narcissism and sense of entitlement.

I missed 3 months off school when I was 10 with hepatitis. I'm still here, I didn't turn into someone who lost the ability to read and write in the time off

maybe not, but you do seem to be someone who doesn't understand the most basic rules of supply and demand, which most 15 year olds can grasp.
Still, you're poor, you're happy and you want the same for your kids, and poverty isn't the hardest thing in the world to acheive, is it, so you probably think you're a success.

While I have some sympathy for those who have a genuine complaint others don't convince me.
A mate at work struggles to take his family for a week at Butlins in school holidays and I understand his frustration
BUT
Contrast that with a woman on local tele tonight who took her kids out of school for a holiday in Mexico, apparently going in term time cost her around £5,000 but if she went in the school holiday it would be £7.500
FFS .... Hasn't she heard of European holidays ... I'm sure my mate would have a dream family holiday for £5 k even in the school holidays

I am awesome. No really.

Don't know what you're trying to achieve now ioddrik 🙄
You've made your decision and that's that.
I too would love to spunk 5k on a holiday but I guarantee we'll be having a blast at Easter with it just costing us the four flights. Not what you know but who 😉

Never seen a thread with so many people behaving like clowns.

Good for you!

No surprises that this tightening of the holiday regulations came in under Gove's watch.