Kids go free...unless your single.

[superstarheartbreaker]

AIBU to feel that this is a bit discriminatory?

Just had a fab holiday with Thomsons , just dd and I. I was told that if I book next year early enough then kids under 11 will go free. So I phoned up Thomsons and they said that unless there are two adults then dd can't go free.

As a single parent I am more hard up than a couple I assume. I am able to holiday as my gran left me some cash so I am fortunate but I am on a low income otherwise. I think it's about time that companies acknowledge that single parents represent 25% at least of the population.

I suppose their logic boils down to money.

I have always had to pay for my son as an adult otherwise there are under occupancy charges anyway. Even if we don't go abroad and stay in a caravan in this country I have to pay for a caravan for 4-6 when there is only two of us staying in it. We also have to holiday in school holidays. It's not Thomson's fault.

Of course its money, what else would they be concerned with?
I'm surprised anyone would be surprised that it would need to be 2 adults for kids to go free, thats the standard.

Like pp though, most of the family tickets I've used this summer have been 2ad+2ch OR 1ad+3ch, the latter suits me perfectly.

Monkeyworld do a single parent ticket.

When I was a single parent, I used to have to pay a full adult price for my son. If there were any packages available where I could have paid as 1 adult, 1 child, I never found them. All of which meant we hardly ever went on holiday at all - but then of course there are also families with couples who still can't afford to go away regardless of free child places - us included.

I used to pay for son as an adult and therefore his sister went free, still cheaper for me, but only works if you have more than one kids.

I'm with GetStuffezd
She is spot on.

And of course it's uneconomic to offer that discount for only one paying adult.

As a single parent I've taken my DS abroad a couple of times and always had to pay the adult price for him. I had a quote from Thomas Cook last year for a hotel in Majorca that offered a single parent deal - the travel agent actually said that due to the single supplements they add onto single parent deals it would probably be cheaper for me to book it as two adults, rather than 1 adult and 1 child. She was right - it was over £300 cheaper booking as two adults. I didn't book it, btw.

A bit late now but back in June I noticed that Jet2 holidays had special deals for single parents where the holidays were noticeably cheaper (by a few hundred £s) than putting two adults into the search engine. This was for Majorca, where I fancy going next year. Needless to say they sold out within weeks, but it's something to bear in mind for next year maybe?

Look online rather than call them - it's usually cheaper as you get online discounts plus if you book via Top Cashback or Quidco and get cashback for a lot of travel agents.

Don't worry about it OP. When a 'child goes free' you actually pay as much for all the other bits they add, such as a single room supplement because your child doesn't count.

You might also have to pay the airfare for the child or not have any baggage allowance for them.

Deals don't suit everyone. We've just entered a competition to win a "family" holiday for 2 adults and 2 children. We're trying to decide which of the 3 DCs to leave at home should we win.

Jeeze, what happened to the milk of human kindness?

It's unfair, I agree. In families where there are 2 adults the overall family income is usually higher so they have more disposable cash. The holiday companies are not there to be kind though, they just want money. Book a hotel separately but try and find one where you pay per room, not per person.

Thomson do Single Parent offers but may not be to places that you want to visit.

I have the Thomson Skytours brochure right in front of me and there are deals where you can claim a discount on up to two children if travelling with one adult. Granted, they arent always free but definitely discounted.

I'd love to have another single parent to go on holidays like this with! Perhaps you could post on Lone Parents and see if anyone else is willing to pay and book with you in advance?
It is a bit rough when companies do this - it gets your hopes up and then you realise it is for the 2.4 families, not everyone with kids. It was cheaper for us to stay with friends in Africa than to go for a week in a b&b in Cornwall (inc train fares) this year!

I don't think it's discrimination. Child goes free with two fare paying adults. They could be any two adults. But most offer a child discount.

Even if this is not discrimination per se, I understand that you feel that way. It must be hard enough to raise a kid on your own, no need to be made feel like you are "missing a piece in your family"!

I recently went with DS, SIL and DN to an amusement park and we were told that the "family discount" (2 adults fare purchased, 2 kids going free) only applied to "couples". When asked to clarify what they meant, the guy answered that "well you need your man with you"
Told him that SIL was indeed my "man" and had a bit of work done, IYSWIM... He gave us the discount but I was so gobsmacked that I wrote to the management about their homophobic practices!

Mcmooncup - Really? I have seen lots? At Bristol near us has it. They do tend to be one adult and up to three children though, whereas family ticket with two adults is two kids.

mcmooncup Monkey World in Dorset does a single parent ticket! Unusual I know.

What really gets my goat is in places like Legoland & Alton Towers I have to pay what a family of four would pay for my son & I!

There is no option for a twin room, only a family room.

So a £400 weekend for four is a £400 for two... Single supplement is one thing but give me a break.

Can actually afford to go on holiday

Can't even

When we go away I go AI so I don't have to worry about running out of money. That means my doesn't eat much or drink alcohol dd(10) is giving the hotel a pretty decent profit as she's paid for as an adult. Gauls me a bit when I see how much families with their free kids places are putting away compared to us two, but there's bugger all I can do about it other than not feel bad about us having a big plate of salad as a starter and telling dd to get whatever puddings she wants as we're on holiday!