People moaning about holiday prices in school holidays

[Vodkamartine]

Say holiday to some hotel or centre parks cost 1,000 for them to make a profit. in the holidays they will fill the spaces easily on January week day they won't. so they put the price down it's just sale and demand why don't people get this. Everyone i know keeps moaning that holiday company's are mean and keep pricing them out.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

There is barely any profit for tour operators in low season. If anyone thinks they're raking it in selling a weeks all inclusive for £300 in March they're very wrong, the profit they make is all in peak weeks. If people didn't pay it they'd reduce the prices but raise them in low season to balance it.

[ShatnersWig]

The logic and reasoning get trotted out every couple of months when this subject crops up for the umpteenth time. You'll still get loads of people frothing at the mouth about it though, so be prepared.

[EnglishGirlApproximately]

I'm a travel agent I'm used to it

[CactusFred]

From this September for the next 14 years or so we will have to go on holiday in peak times and the price increases do stick in my throat - but it means I will have to consider cheaper options like camping which isn't the end of the world.

It's not so much the money that bothers me as having to holiday when everyone else is- hate crowds!

[Huldra]

In my life hopefully I will have more years of being able to take cheap out of season holidays than I will have to be tied to them.

[RainbowsAndUnicorn]

It's very simple logic that bypasses many.

A holiday is a luxury, if you want one then it's going to cost money. If you have children in school you accept that it's peak time and will cost more. Hardly rocket science but society has become very entitled and people want everything for free or very little.

[That1950sMum]

Totally agree. It is market forces. More people want to go at those times so prices go up.

Like any other luxury, if you can't afford it then you have to do without!

I have never been able to understand why some people moan as if holiday companies have a moral duty to provide a product they can afford.

[Eolian]

I agree OP, and dh and I are teachers, so have always had to stick to school holidays before we had dc and will have to until we both retire.

[Tobuyornot99]

This baffles me too. Flowers are more expensive on Valentines / Mothers Day. Marker vendors put the price of umbrellas up when it rains. Supply and demand is hardly a hard concept to grasp.

[TrollMummy]

There's no doubt that the prices in peak times are crazy. However, the days of being completely reliant on travel agents and package deals are over and thanks to the internet with a bit of research and advance planning it is possible to keep costs down in school holidays. We've managed to get away every summer for the last few years for less than half what we would have paid booking it as a package holiday.

[LittleLionMansMummy]

While I agree to an extent, I suppose many parents feel that their choices are closed off at every avenue. They no longer have the option to take their children out of school to avoid the high prices because they're fined/ slapped on the wrist etc. Yes, a holiday is a "luxury" but it can also be a fantastic educational opportunity.

[birdladyfromhomealone]

It costs the same to maintain our Spanish holiday rental in Jan or Aug.
But we only get interest for August so that's when we charge the higher price.
August is always full and June available. I wish it was spread over the year but its only August that attracts the holiday makers.

[TheWildRumpyPumpus]

I don't think there's anyone who doesn't understand WHY prices go up in school holidays is there?

We just have to cut our coat according to our cloth. We've had UK based self catering holidays for the last 4 years so this year are pushing the boat out and heading to Mauritius. It'll be another 4 years till we can do anything similar again

[BaggyCheeks]

Yes, a holiday is a "luxury" but it can also be a fantastic educational opportunity.

The key word there being "can". Most people going for a week all inclusive in Fuerteventura aren't going so they can soak up the local culture and practise their Spanish.

[wizzywig]

I didnt grow up with the idea that you had to go away every year so i dont understand why people get annoyed about prices going up. I just save up and go on holiday (ie, abroad) every 2-3 years. And i do some day trips, get merlin passes and accept that my kids will be bored, but its good to be bored

[Megatherium]

While I agree to an extent, I suppose many parents feel that their choices are closed off at every avenue

Not really. Unless you're someone like the Radfords, it's only for a few years and then you reap the benefits of lower off season prices for the rest of your life.

[irregularegular]

I think you can entirely understand it (I teach Economics...) and still have a moan about it! It is quite galling when you book school holiday week and see just how much cheaper it would be in term time. I can't wait to start booking those June and Sept holidays in a few years!

I don't think the prices should be regulated though. It's a pretty competitive market. Accommodation at least, is very competitive. Not all flights.

[Huldra]

I was being flippant earlier, I do feel sorry for people in occupations like teaching. Some company needs to give a discount for teachers travelling without children in august.

[MinesaLattecino]

Yes, this drives me crazy.

As does the argument that school holiday prices are the 'true' price and that holidays are discounted in the other weeks.

Holiday companies need to make a profit, how they distribute their charges over the year is completely up to them. Some holidays which appeal largely to preschoolers actually don't have much lower prices during June because they know there is demand there.

I will admit to wincing at the Centre Parcs price difference between holidays and non holiday weeks, but i don't morally judge them for it!

[Iamastonished]

“It's not so much the money that bothers me as having to holiday when everyone else is- hate crowds!”

I so agree with this

“Yes, a holiday is a "luxury" but it can also be a fantastic educational opportunity.”

This argument gets trotted out every time. I suspect that of all the holidays abroad that families take only a small percentage are actually educational.

I agree with all the points on here. Some people seem to take it as a personal affront that holidays cost more at peak times.

[Edsheeranalbumparty]

Center Parts is a complete rip off at the best of times though. It still baffles me that a many people pay to go there - you don't even get anything extra included apart from the pool, and the prices of the activities are

[Sirzy]

A camping holiday in the UK can be just as, if not more, educational than a week in the sun somewhere.

The problem seems to be some people think they have a right to a couple of weeks in the sun each year. Sadly there is no such right!

[EweAreHere]

Completely agreed Edsheeran. I am amazed and baffled by how much people pay to go to CP any time of the year! The activity prices are insane!

[Edsheeranalbumparty]

A camping holiday in the UK can be just as, if not more, educational than a week in the sun somewhere.

Absolutely. Playing in the pool/on the beach all day and running around The Rose and Crown all evening wired on coca cola whilst your parents get pissed on Sangria may be super fun and create great memories but educational it ain't!

We actually have both types of the above holiday planned for this year, although during the summer holidays

[LittleLionMansMummy]

Sweeping generalisations in relation to educational holidays here! The reason the argument gets 'trotted out' is because there's usually some substance. As full time working parents, we consider a holiday essential for our family. No, it doesn't have to be abroad and no, we actually haven't taken time out of the school term to have one (we are fortunate that we have a comfortable income).

It gives us a big chunk of time to spend together creating memories and connecting with each other when normally we are confined to weekends. And while the Spanish seaside resorts where everyone speaks English are not our choice of holiday, who is anyone to pass judgement on the educational validity of such holidays? If you're engaged parents (and I do accept that some aren't) you'll use whatever opportunity you're given to allow your children to continue learning while they're away from school. My son has learned how to collect and cook food from the sea, he's learned how to say please and thank you in French, he's learned about geography and modes of transport and he's learned how to swim. He's done none of this at school. His teachers say his general knowledge is well above average for his age.

The prices do stuck in my throat. I understand them, but they do. But I mind more about threats hanging over my head if I chose to take my child out of school for a few days during term time when his attendance and progress is otherwise excellent.