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.

I just think it's really odd that people think if there were rules limiting the difference in price between peak and off peak that would mean the peak prices would fall. Surely that's what the holiday companies would love to charge all year round, if they could charge that and fill their holidays all year round, they would. It would just mean off peak prices would rise, it wouldn't make the peak times any more afforable.

All these people would do would be make the prices for those who can go off peak higher. It's not going to make holidays any more affordable for families, just mean that more people without young families are also having to have staycations. But then, I suppose misery does love company...

There is something that I am unhappy about!

Start a (poorly-written, poorly-explained, poorly-though-through) petition.

maybe while they are fixing holiday prices they could also stop the prices of flowers increasing around valentines and mother's day and make chocolate cost the same when shaped into easter eggs per gramme as a bar.

some people just do not live in the real world

Oh the plethora of petitions annoy the crap out of me on 2 points:

1 - actual valid arguments get lost in the mill. Stop being so entitled to your "right" to a holiday and start signing the Group B Strep petition to have all mothers tested for a hugely common life threatening infection in newborns. No? Sorry too busy getting het up about being priced out of a flight to Alicante

2 - Who are "they"? Does David Cameron himself have the power to call up the Chairman of Thomas Cook and say "here now mate cap those prices ok?" Job Done.

Im always surprised there seems to be universal support for rent controls whenever there is a thread about landlords. Another solution that sounds good until you think about the consequences

How about vast Government owned and run holiday camps in obscure parts of the country where the population could have a holiday for a fixed price all year long?

They could be used to disseminate the austerity ethos, the main building material used would be cheap concrete, the electricity would be supplied by wind turbines, there would be no more than 5 inches of water in the swimming pools...

lilly I don't think the situations are directly comparable, shelter is a basic human right, a foreign holiday isn't.

Especially when the position of landlords and tenants isn't one of equals there needs to be fairness in what van be charged.

Rent controls once worked in thos country and are in widespread operation in mainland Europe.

I completely agree with Bonsoir. Petitioning to have a system like they do in France with staggered zones on rotation would be far more worthwhile and not affect the free market at all. Not that the petition currently doing the rounds would ever come to light!

YANBU. Nice to see some sensible debate on this here!

I don't understand what all the fuss is about. If you can't afford to go abroad, then don't. If people are that desperate, then save up and go abroad every few years and don't go on holiday during the years you're saving.

I've got 4 school-age children and have booked 3 holidays for 2014 - Holidays for 6 people at Easter, May half term and August have cost a grand total of £600. My kids aren't bothered in the slightest that we're not flying abroad.

How about petitioning the Govt to reduce the air passenger duty it charges? This is something that is in the Govt's control. If you look at the airfare a large proportion of the airfare is actually made up of govt taxes ours and overseas. Our Govt could reduce the taxes it charges but let's face it they won't.

Monka
"How about petitioning the Govt to reduce the air passenger duty it charges? This is something that is in the Govt's control. Our Govt could reduce the taxes it charges but let's face it they won't."

And where would they make up the shortfall of income from airtravel tax.

It's also not been mentioned but oil is a finite resource, limiting it's use by way of taxation for luxuries is not all bad IMO.

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/46455
here's one.

Monka? This govt us cutting taxes (dint necessarily think that's good bt tgats a whole other thread) Where would you rather air taxes were paid?

Over 133 thousand people have already signed that petition. Sigh.

I know, that's what I don't understand

YANBU. What a refreshing thread. Was totally expecting it to go the other way. I'm heartened to see how many enlightened folk there are out there (unlike some of the friends of friends on DH's FB feed who have had him ranting about ignorant attitudes on this very subject)

It's not just about prices abroad!

The schools in my county have summer holidays just slightly different to the main holiday period in the South. IE, we start one week earlier, and finish one week earlier.

DP and I can afford a family holiday for the DCs and us, by taking it in that one week, when the bulk of schools aren't off. It is cheaper, as it's just out of the "main season".

Sadly, the county is running a consultation on whether to harmonise their holiday dates with other counties. I have provided a full response in the hope they don't change their system I really, really hope the system remains the same.

I rather like Bonsoir's staggered holidays on a rotational basis. That would provide some help.

But overall, I am totally aware of supply and demand, and don't see how any Govt can fix prices. Some people really don't get this.

Nooo, not shorten the summer holiday. It's short enough as it is. DS1 loves the respite from school and I think the summer holiday is what keeps him going all year to be honest. I'd definitely like a longer summer holiday. Other countries manage it. As for petitioning about holiday prices, naive but well meaning probably.

Sadly, a lot of people are not that bright.

Let's say the Government do "something" about the prices. What are these people going to do when their children are no longer at school and wish to take a cheap holiday during term-time? Complain that there are no cheap holidays??

I read someone complaining that the Government should do something because the price of holidays in Turkey had risen, and it was an outrageous rip off.

The zoning idea would be something the government could do and it might help a bit. It wouldn't work for GCSE / A level years but that's not the end of the world.