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AIBU?

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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:
Turophilic · 09/01/2025 22:36

2boyzNosleep · 09/01/2025 22:23

FFS what a childish response. If you reread my post I said it may be a naive pov- 2nd from last sentence. Now you do your bit and buy YOUR own airline or resort and run it how YOU want 😝

Edited
Show quote history

So because you admit, somewhere in your post, that you might be talking absolute rubbish from a business point of view, no one can tell you you're talking absolute rubbish?

Do you really think people will pay more than they already do for the 'slightly offpeak' trips to reduce costs for those wanting to travel in school holidays?

Airline prices change day on day, depending on which flights are popular and will fill up, and those unpopular that they can only fill by selling seats very cheaply. A Friday costs more than a Wednesday because people want to minimise their annual leave, a Sunday night back to the UK will be more for the same reason.

Porcupine and other posters aren't the ones saying airlines should have to change their pricing structures to benefit those who want holidays ion peak periods, you are.

Lowkey28 · 09/01/2025 22:38

Drive to Spain! So much cheaper

peachystormy · 09/01/2025 22:42

jazzhands84 · 09/01/2025 22:18

I used to be a travel planner so happy to offer some ideas if anyone wants them?

Europe has abundant great campsites with waterparks attached. They are around 40euros a night in August if you bring a tent with entry to everything included (pools, slides and more). They often have tents available to book if you don't fancy putting your own up. Now is a great time to get camping equiptment in the sales or second hand. Camping is going to be the cheapest option but many sites have lodges and cottages available onsite too.

If you want some pointers, the RCN sites in France, Netherlands and Germany are well run, have wifi, electrical hook up and many have a TV cable available, all in the middle of a forest.

Theres a few great theme parks you can tie in for a stay. Disney is the most obvious but consider Efteling too. It take 2-3 days to see it all. Restaurant prices aren't ludicrous either.

Hope that helps, very happy if anyone wants to PM me for other ideas or resorts that are still hot but not well known so cheaper.

Thank you for this info

MrsTerryPratchett · 09/01/2025 22:47

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.

The reason other counties can do this, and I've both been an immigrant child and had one, is the value parents give to education.

If we missed, we'd find out the schedule, do homework, catch up and do enrichment while there. Al without making it the teachers issue.

There are a lot of parents who treat education by turns as useless and/or childcare. They won't care if the child catches up and will make it the teacher's issue if they don't.

The English attitude to education is the issue. Rewrite that, not the system.

SauronsArsehole · 09/01/2025 22:49

TeenLifeMum · 09/01/2025 19:12

So for about 13 years of your holidays either cost a lot or you’re don’t go. Outside of that (unless you’re a teacher) you get cheaper holidays. Not sure why the anger. It’s pretty obvious why it costs more.

Not just teachers but all school support staff inc cleaners too are stuck paying higher prices. Many support staff are on min wage. It sucks.

dottiehens · 09/01/2025 22:49

moomindragon · 09/01/2025 19:11

Children aren't being 'penalised by airlines', don't be ridiculous. No one is entitled to a foreign holiday. Airlines are businesses.

Not a popular view but personally I'm glad flights are becoming more expensive, flying is horrendous for the climate and we should all be thinking more about how many flights we are taking.

Edited

This is the mentality that is making so happy to leave the U.K.

Do not take your children on holidays and leave them here deprived of vitamin D. However, do not expect others to do the same.

Bojo72 · 09/01/2025 22:52

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!

But you know that when you become a teacher. It’s just the way it is really.

poemsandwine · 09/01/2025 22:53

What 'mentality' is that? Thinking about the actually burning planet instead of going on holiday by plane?

2boyzNosleep · 09/01/2025 23:02

Turophilic · 09/01/2025 22:36

So because you admit, somewhere in your post, that you might be talking absolute rubbish from a business point of view, no one can tell you you're talking absolute rubbish?

Do you really think people will pay more than they already do for the 'slightly offpeak' trips to reduce costs for those wanting to travel in school holidays?

Airline prices change day on day, depending on which flights are popular and will fill up, and those unpopular that they can only fill by selling seats very cheaply. A Friday costs more than a Wednesday because people want to minimise their annual leave, a Sunday night back to the UK will be more for the same reason.

Porcupine and other posters aren't the ones saying airlines should have to change their pricing structures to benefit those who want holidays ion peak periods, you are.

Show quote history

Do you really think people will pay more than they already do for the 'slightly offpeak' trips to reduce costs for those wanting to travel in school holidays?- yet it's OK for the reverse to happen? People flying peaktime to pay for off peak travellers? Flying is expensive, so why should someone travelling in November to let's say, Barbados, pay less than flying in July.

I agree with OP that the price difference is outrageous.

I have no issue with people telling me I'm wrong- a PP telling me to Why don't you buy your own airline and see how it goes-do your bit is a funny and childish response. And I responded in a likewise way.

Aren't online forums meant for sharing opinions and viewpoints? I said it may be a naive viewpoint as it's blatantly not ever going to happen due to capitalism.

No need to take it so personally- it's not a sensitive highly-controversial topic to get upset about.

LiquoriceAllsort2 · 09/01/2025 23:03

ZestyLemonBiscuit · 09/01/2025 19:35

Name change for this for obvious reasons…

I work for a large airline in finance and the thing that shocked me the most when I joined was how low the margin per passenger is over the course of a year. It’s very much a volume business - in a once class airline like Jet2, I’d be surprised if they were making more than £25 per passenger over the course of 12 months.

Sure, you’re £905 may represent more profit than that… but the previous week could be operating at a loss. There are so many fixed costs at an airline, a leisure airline like Jet2 and TUI will be making a loss in the winter months - and their goals is to reduce that as much as possible.

Plus of course, gate fees… you want to land in Corfu in half term - cool, so do people from Germany, Netherlands, Scandinavia, Mainland Greece, Italy, Eastern Europe… so Corfu airport will charge the airlines more. Want to land there today? Significantly cheaper. Want to fly from Gatwick for half term… cool, so do millions of others so they’ll charge Jet2 a premium to do that.

This..

I remember someone asked Terry Smith who runs Fundsmith investment trust why he never invested in airlines, his answer was that they had one of the worst return on investment of any business.

I do not think much price gauging is going on.

Am805463 · 09/01/2025 23:07

.

To be furious about these prices
BrucesTooth · 09/01/2025 23:10

You can get a package holiday that week to Corfu from 2.5k for 2 adults and 2 kids with a free child place with jet2

EasterIssland · 09/01/2025 23:15

Book early in advance. I always book not long after they’re released normally 10-12 months in advanced

I booked flights to go to Disney in easter back in September. Paid £226. Now they’re around £980

the August ones i bought them end of September last year too

Tryingtokeepgoing · 09/01/2025 23:22

2boyzNosleep · 09/01/2025 23:02

Do you really think people will pay more than they already do for the 'slightly offpeak' trips to reduce costs for those wanting to travel in school holidays?- yet it's OK for the reverse to happen? People flying peaktime to pay for off peak travellers? Flying is expensive, so why should someone travelling in November to let's say, Barbados, pay less than flying in July.

I agree with OP that the price difference is outrageous.

I have no issue with people telling me I'm wrong- a PP telling me to Why don't you buy your own airline and see how it goes-do your bit is a funny and childish response. And I responded in a likewise way.

Aren't online forums meant for sharing opinions and viewpoints? I said it may be a naive viewpoint as it's blatantly not ever going to happen due to capitalism.

No need to take it so personally- it's not a sensitive highly-controversial topic to get upset about.

Show quote history

Because, using your example, the plane in November wouldn’t be anywhere near full if they charged July prices. And if the plane isn’t pretty much full all of the time , the airline doesn’t make any money. Although in your example few people would go to Barbados in July as it’s hurricane season, and so you might have picked one of the examples where a July holiday is cheaper than November ;)

I think it’s safe to say that no airline is currently selling seats for less than they have to. They have some of the most sophisticated revenue management tools in the world to make sure of that. So they cannot charge more at off peak times than they currently do. Likewise, if peak prices were lower then they would be massively oversubscribed. But as the planes are already full, why do they need to attract more customers? Sure, we could nationalise them (!!) and have a flat price for everyone, but I don’t see why taxpayers should subsidise flights for people.

Ariela · 10/01/2025 00:03

I do not understand why people cannot grasp the fact that £905 is the FULL PRICE, and the cheaper deals are REDUCED PRICE as they're more difficult to sell.
Likewise there are more people that don't have children in school than do, so it evens out in the end, once your kids are out of school (or before you have kids) you simply go whenever it's cheaper.

Wallywobbles · 10/01/2025 05:12

Every flight, hotel room etc can only be sold once. So the days when demand is highest cost more in the hope that they cover all the days demand is lower.

moomindragon · 10/01/2025 05:58

dottiehens · 09/01/2025 22:49

This is the mentality that is making so happy to leave the U.K.

Do not take your children on holidays and leave them here deprived of vitamin D. However, do not expect others to do the same.

Show quote history

You can take a vitamin D supplement.

You can't take a supplement to prevent climate change and the impending disaster that comes with it.

I would rather my children have a world to live in.

Wantitalltogoaway · 10/01/2025 06:56

You’re also trying to book at the peak time for people booking holidays.

You have to book way, way earlier than that to get cheap flights.

I booked 6 months ago for August 2025 and 4 x flights came to under £600.
(sorry, edit for typo)

Sidebeforeself · 10/01/2025 15:29

sometimesmovingforwards · 09/01/2025 20:49

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

Edited

Or maybe it did but OP was taken out of school that day to go on a cheaper holiday!

( only teasing OP!)

Bjorkdidit · 10/01/2025 15:39

poemsandwine · 09/01/2025 22:53

What 'mentality' is that? Thinking about the actually burning planet instead of going on holiday by plane?

Oh bore off. Holiday flights to Europe are probably about 0.X% of the problem and dwarfed by business air travel, construction, coal fired power stations, data centres and loads of other stuff.

Hopefully by now the OP will have had some ideas about how to have a more affordable holiday because there's loads of options other than a cherry picked expensive flight.

Jc2001 · 10/01/2025 15:44

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!

Cheaper holidays are available

Whammyyammy · 10/01/2025 15:46

Supply and demand. How every market has and always will be.

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 10/01/2025 15:59

I agree with OP - it's really not cool.

I think there should be a cap or controls of some sort. Or term dates should be staggered.

It should be a human right to get a bit of sun when it's so blooming cold!

Jc2001 · 10/01/2025 16:03

eqpi4t2hbsnktd · 10/01/2025 15:59

I agree with OP - it's really not cool.

I think there should be a cap or controls of some sort. Or term dates should be staggered.

It should be a human right to get a bit of sun when it's so blooming cold!

You know when you live in the first world when people think holidays to Corfu are considered a human right 🤣

BeAzureAnt · 10/01/2025 16:10

Sure, burning of coal, oil and gas account for 75% of global warming. The UK is actually extreme in this. Most of its warming since 1851 has come from fossil fuels. It was the birthplace of industrial coal as you know.

And yes, flying is one of the most carbon-intensive activities — yet it contributes just 2.5% of the world’s carbon emissions. How does this add up? Well, almost everyone in the world does not fly. Studies estimate that just 10% of the world flies in most years But as incomes rise, this will change.

Between 1990 and 2019, both passenger and freight demand has approximately quadrupled. At the same time, flying has become more than twice as energy efficient. if demand has quadrupled, but aviation has become twice as efficient, then emissions will double. As more people can afford to fly, it is going to get worse

Why keep flying if it is an optional activity and add to the problem?