Call for government action over increased holiday prices during school holidays

[CatherineHMumsnet]

Following the story today on how a father's Facebook rant about how travel companies increase holiday prices during the school holidays encouraged 143,000 people to sign a petition calling for government action, we were wondering what Mumsnetters' opinions were on the subject.

Are you sick of being forced to pay dramatically higher prices to take a holiday when schools are out? Or do you see it, as ABTA do, as a straightforward issue of supply and demand?

[mummymeister]

yes, flowery and where is the thread to get Gove to change this ridiculous no time off in term time rule then? there are lots of threads on here about it on lots of the different boards but not a peep out of MNHQ. do they no longer have their fingers on the parents pulse I wonder?

[TamerB]

I would get Gove to change, not those involved in the holiday trade!

[NumptyNameChange]

yes let's just sign a petition to have gove executed or at least put in stocks for a day in trafalgar square for parents and teachers to throw rotten tomatoes at.

[Panzee]

I'd sign that one!

[NumptyNameChange]

one day in stocks followed by five days full time teaching in an inner city secondary comprehensive (with the standard 10% PPA and no lesson plans or resources handed to him and with a performance review at the end that determines what salary his efforts would be rewarded with under his vision of performance pay), all recorded by a film crew.

not only would i sign that petition i would chip in at least £100 for the production of the programme.

[NumptyNameChange]

in fact i'd volunteer him my timetable to teach and helpfully observe his lessons and provide feedback

[DownstairsMixUp]

Urghh its do depressing reading some of the comments on here. It's absolutely ridiculous to try and stop travel agents charging a fortune in holidays, the issue is with the schools trying to control what we want to do with OUR children. People who keep harping on about going out the holiday for christ sake get a grip, not all of us HAVE jobs where we can take time off in the holidays (wouldn't that all just be lovely) what world do you live in to think that? As it's been said on many other threads us people should find another job (which is very easy in the current climate) that doesn't restrict when you take annual leave. I've worked in an office, retail and care, all these jobs it was like a lottery to get time off in the school holidays. Someone will bang out the usual "it's a luxury not a right" oh bore off seriously. For some people working full time on a £6.19 an hour wage they won't be able to afford a holiday even in Butlins for the holiday prices and a small break is a) not going to kill the child and b) is good for everyone! It's a shame no one seems to look out for anyone anymore, even if I won the lottery, I would still disagree with this and feel this whole thing is just a joke.

[wordfactory]

Are people really saying that the government should start meddling in business and price fixing...so that families can go to the beach for a couple of weeks? As if this was a basic human right?

Really?

Are people so economically illiterate?

[wordfactory]

While we're at it why don't we lobby the government about the price of Robbie Williams tickets? Or hair cuts? Or KitKats?

[mummymeister]

we only need to lobby for one thing wordfactory, the repeal of the stupid decision to not allow time off in term time. that would solve this at a stroke. (though might not get you cheap tickets or chocolate)

[TunipTheUnconquerable]

Politically illiterate too, considering which government we have in power.

[wordfactory]

To be honest the price of holidays should increase! They are currently subsidised by the tax (or lack of) on aviation fuel.

I can't see any justification for that.

[Madamecastafiore]

The only way this will be sorted is to stagger school holidays across different boroughs or counties but then teachers whose kids go to a school in a different area or families with kids at schools in different areas will get pissed off.

The government can't legislate against market forces and the woman trying to get them to IMO is a fool.

[pumpkinsweetie]

With such stringent rules over school attendence & children disallowed from a family holiday in term time, even a 3 day break, it is indeed the government that allows for these companies to rake it in, as before parents had options, now they do not. Unless of course they want a fine or a prison sentence.

[TamerB]

Staggering school holidays would be a nightmare for families who have children in schools in different LEAs or teach in a different LEA to their children. They could never go on holiday! There are lots in that position.

[TamerB]

It wouldn't solve anything-prices would still go up.

[Panzee]

Jeez, this comes up every bloody year when people are booking their holidays. Find some other news!

[wordfactory]

I suggest we nationalise an airline.

How about BA? Or maybe EasyJet?

Then the government buy a piece of land on the Costa Del Sol and build vast all inclusive resorts.

Thus allowing all UK families to exercise their right to a cheap holiday abroad.

[Madamecastafiore]

No off peak train fares, orange Wednesdays, 3 for 2 spaces at theme parks or buffets at Pizza Hut.

In fact stop anything that is based on lower coats at certain times.

[Indith]

I think staggering holidays works somewhere like France because it is bigger than the UK, so distances between towns are bigger and it is less likely they people work outside their area or that they have children in schools spanning different areas. It may still happen of course but still relatively unlikely. The UK is smaller and it is common for people to have children attending schools in different areas and to work outside their own lea. Our would be an absolute headache. Our already is a headache on the odd occasions hand term is different shop doing it for all holidays would be s nightmare.

[CalamitouslyWrong]

I suspect that staggering holidays would simply serve to increase the peak season to cover all the possible holidays. It's unlikely that it would make things cheaper.

[HollyMiamiFLA]

If MN were to back a campaign, it should be about term time "holidays". We've been told that we can't have a day off to attend a family birthday as it's not an important event. It will be unauthorised.

Fuck it. We're going tomorrow anyway. DS has good attendance and we are very supportive of the school. If I get a fine, so be it. But it seems like the leglisation is using a sledgehammer to crack the wrong target.

That's the issue. It's not like we're taking 2 weeks out anyway. Just a Friday.

[outnumberedbyboyz]

Holiday prices stink when not in term time. Is there a petition link in here somewhere?

[mummymeister]

Good luck Holly. it would be useful to the debate if someone like you could come back to MN and say what has happened as a result of the unauthorised leave. there are so many people on here adamant that you wont be fined for one day but I am hearing the contrary from 2 parents at our school. I cant understand why MN don't have a campaign to give back the power to decide to H/T and to stop criminalising parents who take their kids out.