AIBU to think people must be a bit naive

[bicuriousgeorge]

to think that petitioning the government to fix holiday prices during school holiday's is a good idea.

I mean we live in a free market, why would we want government intervention on what a company can charge for something? If they did intervene where would price fixing stop?

As a general ruling fixing prices tend to result in a reduction in supply.

Bonsoir

Would you mind telling us what the three zones are in terms of dates roughly?

It wouldn't surprise me if any politicians were part of companies that owned the holiday companies, where it would be in their interest to stop parents taking holidays in term time. But maybe I'm cynical.

Seff

Really?

You honestly can't think why else they might be trying to stop kids going out of school?

Bonsoir Staggering term-times is a good idea. If I remember correctly, each "county" chooses their own term-time.

Woodburnerbabe look at eurocamp and then contact the campsite you like direct. Much cheaper!

Sorry for thread hijack

I think we have to stop thinking of school holidays as "expensive" and start thinking that's the proper price but that you get a discount if you go at an unpopular time. In the same was that a restaurant might have deals on Mon-Thurs, the cinema is cheaper on a Tuesday and double glazing discounts are available in the winter.

Zone A: 1 March - 17 March and 26 April - 12 May
Zone B: 22 February - 10 March and 19 April - 5 May
Zone C: 15 February - 3 March and 12 April - 28 April

So the winter holiday season is from 15 February to 17 March and the spring holiday season is from 12 April to 12 May.

My opinion isn't that they are naive, but that they are fucking idiots who don't understand how supply and demand works.

If lots of people are chasing something of which there are a finite number (in this case holidays) the price will rise.

If fewer people are chasing the item, then the price will fall.

I grasped this concept as a pre-teen (it was explained with smarties)

Bonsoir
Thank you for that, so do they not get any time off in July/August?

Oh they get all of July/August!

But parents tend not to... The heart of the summer holiday season is mid-July to mid-August. It is getting more and more difficult for families to take holidays outside that time and hence prices go up and up.

However, a lot of French people go back to a family property (may be very run down and in joint ownership) in France and take more expensive holidays abroad in winter.

Bonsoir
Right so not so different to the UK then, as it's the summer holiday's most people are complaining about.

I've had this petition on my Facebook wall a number of times by different people. I've not signed it.

I enjoy the challenge of finding an affordable holiday during the school breaks. We have at least a one-week holiday a year and I aim to spend around £1,000. I haven't failed so far, mainly because we go in the May half term.

I would be very disappointed to have that goal taken away because school holiday prices have dropped.

Having said that, there are noises from the government about reducing the length of the school summer holidays and zoning them...

And few UK people have a family property to holiday in. So not comparable at all.

I would have thought that in the UK it would be perfectly possible to zone the 6 week holiday such that:

Zone 1: mid-June to end-July
Zone 2: end-June to mid-August
Zone 3: mid-July to end-August
Zone 4: end-July to mid-September

That would make a 3 month holiday season.

I'd invite these people to start their own holiday business with a guarantee to keep prices level throughout the year.

I suppose I just get annoyed by the general response, on any issue, of "The Government ought to do something"

Unless you can specify what that something is, why it has to be the Government which must do it and whether it is worth the actual or opportunity cost to the public purse of bringing in the Government, then not enough thought has gone into it.

I would not be interested in using a nationalised holiday provider.

Interesting point bonsoir. sensible as well. the only issue I suppose is if you have kids in schools in different areas. not the case for us any more but our senior school is out of county so could have had juniors off in one zone and seniors in another. have seen longer school days suggested and more school hols. set up the zone petition though and I would sign that. as for making hols cheaper in school holidays what the wonderful Mr Gove has actually done is make them more expensive because there are so few family holidays now out of school hols.

I don't think it's that outrageous a suggestion actually.

I doubt Butlins pay their staff three times the wage in August, so why charge three times the price.

Accepting the way things are just because the capitalists say so is for mugs.

Bonsoir

I would bet that the zone idea would have some Uk parents moaning because; "Zone 2 has the best dates" and "how are we meant to find a holiday on a beach in June or September, it'll cost us more because we have to go further afield"

Crowler

I was thinking the same thing. Price fixing on builders charges perhaps? because it's not fair they charge more if the job is small or if you live in a certain area. The concept is simply flawed and I cannot believe how many people I have heard thinking it's a good idea.

saucy jack, no they don't pay 3 times the wages in the summer but they do use the summer money to subsidise out of season prices. fixed costs remain the same (obviously they are fixed costs!!) and you will often find even with quite large companies that they only meet fixed costs out of season knowing that in season is when they make their profit. Gucci don't pay their handbag makers 10 times what m and s do so should we just pay for things according to their true cost or what we think their value is.

Saucyjack

You are missing the bigger picture. Companies will always use yield management to decide on pricing. Of course they don't pay their staff 3 times as much peak season, what a simplistic way of looking at things. They need to charge what people will pay and for part of the year (when they are quiet) they may be making a loss or just breaking even.

Do you drink in happy hours?

Do you agree that it's good that supermarkets can sell their items cheaper when the sell by date is nearing?

It's simply supply and demand.

Oh dear Saucy you've demonstrated said exactly what's wrong with wanting the prices fixed. It's nothing to do with what it costs to provide the holidays and everything to do with what people are prepared to pay.

You know when you put something on EBay, if no-one wants it it will go for 99p or less. If there are loads of people wanting it the sky's the limit. Does that mean you've over charged if you accept the higher bid? After-all it makes no difference to how much the item cost you. Exactly the same for holidays. It's why food prices go up in times of shortage too and whilst I might support government intervention there, for holidays, really?

Train tickets are more expensive peak time

The list goes on....

If companies don't have the autonomy and flexibility to charge what they can get, then companies will go under and supply will fall as will jobs.

In France the "zones" are very large, to prevent the issue of siblings having different holiday dates, and they rotate so that the same zone doesn't have the same period each year.

No system is perfect but I do think that extending the tourist season is quite inspired.