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Original poster

To be furious about these prices

167 replies

Atissue123 · 09/01/2025 19:06

Seriously...

Flight to Corfu (3.5 hours away) during May half £905 PER PERSON (Jet2)
....The week after £307 (also JET2)

There are some marginally cheaper ones if you go Fri-Fri or whatever (still £750 per person) This is flight only, no seats, bags or meals, no accommodation included.

I am outraged. Why is having school age children penalised in this way by airlines? Who can afford to spend almost £4000 just on flights?

I realise I am lucky to even be able to afford a holiday, but it won't be this!

OP posts:
Aswewalkinfieldsofgold · 09/01/2025 20:46

That is a huge amount and I'm surprised because we go to Málaga every year in August and it's around £170 per person.

Londonrach1 · 09/01/2025 20:46

supply and demand! Yabu and Abit stupid if you don't see why the prices are different

HappyPanda613 · 09/01/2025 20:47

Oh those prices are scandalous. Things really are getting much more expensive.

Papyrophile · 09/01/2025 20:48

We had a caravan in France for several years and went for every holiday between Easter and November. Sometimes the weather was idyllic and sometimes it wasn't. It was always different and enjoyable because the weather changes made us think of new places and diversions. Holidays are not (for me) about going to lie in the sun and swim.

westisbest1982 · 09/01/2025 20:49

Wow - who’d have thought businesses are concered about making profits instead of accommodating to people who can’t or won’t pay their prices which are based on supply and demand? What a shocker!

LittleRedRidingHoody · 09/01/2025 20:49

From where though? London has flights from £500 each - £270 if you'll consider a (very nice) layover each way. Might well be cheaper to look at coming down/up to London and flying from here.

Agree with others this is how airlines are making their money - I doubt they're making huge profits the weeks when flights are £100 each.

sometimesmovingforwards · 09/01/2025 20:49

I’m going to guess our OP’s education didn’t cover even basic Economics…

meganorks · 09/01/2025 20:50

I've always found that may half term to be more expensive than the summer. Because you are restricted to that one week. In the summer, with 6 weeks to choose from, you can shop around a bit more

anniegun · 09/01/2025 20:55

Killing the planet is finally becoming more expensive.

HollyKnight · 09/01/2025 21:08

That's why we had a caravan growing up.

LuluBlakey1 · 09/01/2025 21:09

That's capitalism!

BeAzureAnt · 09/01/2025 21:12

Atissue123 · 09/01/2025 19:06

Seriously...

Flight to Corfu (3.5 hours away) during May half £905 PER PERSON (Jet2)
....The week after £307 (also JET2)

There are some marginally cheaper ones if you go Fri-Fri or whatever (still £750 per person) This is flight only, no seats, bags or meals, no accommodation included.

I am outraged. Why is having school age children penalised in this way by airlines? Who can afford to spend almost £4000 just on flights?

I realise I am lucky to even be able to afford a holiday, but it won't be this!

Well, you could go to Skegness and stay at Butlins. Kids would probably have a ball. 😁
Seriously, OP, supply and demand.

BrokenHipster · 09/01/2025 21:16

the80sweregreat · 09/01/2025 20:34

Holidays / flights / mini breaks will only be for the very rich soon
A bit like it was in the 60s

Absolute rot. Don't pick main school holidays and theres epic bargains to be had.

samarrange · 09/01/2025 21:16

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/01/2025 20:43

It's a recent blip, cheap holidays. I'm early 50s and we went to bloody France on a bloody ferry and stayed in a bloody campsite. Every year. I still can't happy camp.

Then the UK enjoyed cheap foreign holidays for what, 20 years. Now it's back to normal. Rich people go fancy places. Camping in France for the proles.

I'm old enough to remember when a midweek return flight from London to Amsterdam was £1000. It was the 1980s, so that's £1000 back then, when a Mars Bar cost 20p. But to be fair you did get a cup of coffee and a cheese roll.

BrokenHipster · 09/01/2025 21:25

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/01/2025 20:43

It's a recent blip, cheap holidays. I'm early 50s and we went to bloody France on a bloody ferry and stayed in a bloody campsite. Every year. I still can't happy camp.

Then the UK enjoyed cheap foreign holidays for what, 20 years. Now it's back to normal. Rich people go fancy places. Camping in France for the proles.

No it's not.. there are still endless cheap holidays available.

the80sweregreat · 09/01/2025 21:25

I work term times ( not a teacher ) and haven't much choice over the holidays :(
I still believe that ( over time) the prices will just be out of reach for many people , but it is just my opinion

Turophilic · 09/01/2025 21:33

they could just run an extra flight couldn’t they, if the demand is so high.

This is ignorant nonsense. The extra flight with a plane they keep in their back pocket along with spare qualiflied flight crew, the empty slots at Corfu airport at a peak time, and all those extra hotel rooms whipped up out of the air to exist for peak times only?

They are expensive because there are only so many flights (and planes and seats inside those planes and crews to staff them) available. Everyone and his dog wants to travel in the same few weeks. So the prices shoot up, subsidising those same routes when seat demand is lower.

It's not profiteering, it's running the business. If all flights were pegged at off season prices, the airlines would go bust in weeks and no one would be flying anywhere.

Viviennemary · 09/01/2025 21:36

Because they want to maximise profits. Children should be allowed say 2 weeks off during the school year IMHO. Other countries don't have these draconian rules in place.

Fedupmumofadultsons · 09/01/2025 21:40

I read once the higher prices are actually nearer the true cost the cheaper cost just to get you in .think easyjet can it really be say £49 pounds to say amsterdam probably not.thats probably just raxes

monkeysox · 09/01/2025 21:41

Atissue123 · 09/01/2025 19:06

Seriously...

Flight to Corfu (3.5 hours away) during May half £905 PER PERSON (Jet2)
....The week after £307 (also JET2)

There are some marginally cheaper ones if you go Fri-Fri or whatever (still £750 per person) This is flight only, no seats, bags or meals, no accommodation included.

I am outraged. Why is having school age children penalised in this way by airlines? Who can afford to spend almost £4000 just on flights?

I realise I am lucky to even be able to afford a holiday, but it won't be this!

Try being a teacher

Porcuporpoise · 09/01/2025 21:43

ChrisS36 · 09/01/2025 19:07

Supply and demand. That how a market functions.

First post nails it.

AllProperTeaIsTheft · 09/01/2025 21:47

It's certainly bloody annoying, OP. My youngest will be leaving school at the end of next year. Unfortunately though, I've been a teacher for 30 years and will still be bound to school holidays until I retire!

KarmenPQZ · 09/01/2025 21:49

Look it at over your lifespan. You benefit from cheaper than market value flights for many more years than you’re penalised.

JudgeJ · 09/01/2025 21:52

Atissue123 · 09/01/2025 19:06

Seriously...

Flight to Corfu (3.5 hours away) during May half £905 PER PERSON (Jet2)
....The week after £307 (also JET2)

There are some marginally cheaper ones if you go Fri-Fri or whatever (still £750 per person) This is flight only, no seats, bags or meals, no accommodation included.

I am outraged. Why is having school age children penalised in this way by airlines? Who can afford to spend almost £4000 just on flights?

I realise I am lucky to even be able to afford a holiday, but it won't be this!

Economics, plain and simple, as at other times of the year prices fluctuate. You'll be expecting Mother's Day flowers even though they will be half the price the following Sunday.

Deliaskis · 09/01/2025 21:53

I think you're just making expensive choices OP. I just booked a week in a lovely boutique style hotel on nearby Levkas island with Jet2 holidays, including flights from NotLondon, bags/ seats booked etc, transfers, B&B accommodation, for less than the cost you're quoting there for just flights. Saturday for 7 nights in May half term.