To feel this is a bit sneeky of the travel agent

[mayaknew]

Booked a family holiday via a popular online travel agent.

Board basis half board

I was looking through the booking to price adding extra luggage and I noticed that the information on meals was breakfast and lunch !!

I've never in my life heard of half board being lunch! I've looked it up and it apparently can be lunch but never would I have expected that. It didn't specify this at time of booking and I certainly wouldn't have paid what I paid for lunches.

I feel a bit ripped off if I'm honest. This is our first holiday in 9 years.

What! Having worked in travel (including writing web content/brochures), I’ve never heard of it. Very unusual.

Another who works in travel and has travelled a lot. It’s traditionally breakfast and evening meal although some hotels will allow you to switch evening meal with lunch on occasion. Which agent is it? I would email the hotel direct to see what options they provide.

I've never heard of half board being anything other than breakfast and dinner, and would definitely be querying this.

And seeking to change the booking - I'd rather be on B&B than tied to lunch in the same place every day

It would seem really odd to me for it to be lunch. You couldn't go out for the day without sacrificing the meal you had already paid for. Weird

Id be so annoyed.

I'd be annoyed. We are out and about during the day, so if we went for half board I'd expect it to be in the evening.

Yes, I think you made a very fair assumption there Op. I've travelled a lot and half board has always been breakfast and dinner.

When we've gone half board it's always been breakfast and evening meal. It would never have occurred to me that it could mean lunch, so thanks for the warning. I hope you get it resolved.

I would expect it to be breakfast and dinner. I would complain.

I too would expect breakfast and evening meal. Lunch is bizarre.

I definitely think they’re either banking on lots of people not bothering or they’ll offer crap options like a few sandwiches and some fruit. That’d be just about acceptable on AI but not half board. Hopefully your tweet will help.

How odd! I've been on lots of half board holidays (and have a UK one booked for October) and it's always been breakfast and evening meal. How can you have lunch there if you're out exploring during the day?!

If you have half-board, the default option is breakfast and dinner, on the assumption that as you’re on holiday, you’re going to be out and about during the day - day trips etc. Occasionally you might find hotels which are flexible about which meals they offer, but it’s unusual!

Half board to me has always been dinner.....occasionally I've stayed somewhere where you could swap dinner for lunch when abroad ...

I recently booked a holiday and all the half board options were breakfast and lunch so we paid a tiny bit more for all inclusive. It seems to be the way they do it now

I'm with you - I have often gone half board and it has always been breakfast and dinner.

Breakfast and lunch not only means they are supplying a smaller meal, but that a lot of the time you won't even be there to eat it because you will be away sightseeing/ lodging on the beach FOR THE DAY.

It really restricts your holiday if you have to get back for lunch - and pushes the price up if you don't and you eat out twice in a day.

I think thats awful of the travel agent and lunch will probably end up as a packed lunch or nothing at all, depending on how flexible the hotel is, plus you will incur charges for dinner you wern't expecting.

Usually with online bookings is clearly states whether it’s breakfast and lunch or breakfast and evening meal. The onus is on you to check all details thoroughly.

I've never seen half board NOT be lunch -which is why I never do it as it seems pointless when I'd never actually be there for lunch. I always assumed this is why it was offered. It's cheaper for the hotel as a lot of people wouldn't bother/would eat less so close to breakfast 🤷‍♀️

I was going to say this. We were self-catering in an Italian apartment which also offered a half board option. At lunchtime all the Italian guests would hop up from the pool and go to the terrace where they would have a three course lunch. Then in the evening they just seemed to have a small meal or the restaurant serves pizzas.

Haven't done half-board is a very long time, but it was always breakfast and lunch on the continent. Lunch often being a pack-up.

Half-board = breakfast and lunch

Dinner, bed and breakfast = breakfast and evening meal (evening meal on the check-in night matched to breakfast the following morning)

HB in my experience has always been breakfast and dinner.

I was looking at a half board option with tui, it clearly states on there what you are getting, not sure what company you’re travelling with.

I have always know half board to be breakfast and evening meal. I haven't travelled extensively on a hb basis, but in places such as Spain and Tunisia it was breakfast and evening meal. Lunch was always an icecream or a coffee and pastry in town 🙍‍♀️
From above responses it obviously varies depending on countries.
Is there an option to upgrade to full board or change the hotel?

The hotel are pulling a fast one! They’re charging people for lunch knowing that probably about 80% of them won’t have it!