Petition to tackle holiday prices in school holidays

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petition.parliament.uk/petitions/226515/sponsors/new?token=PNpep4mVeQ9WPLw0WUsu

Please sign my petition if you agree with it. I’m asking for the government to change school holidays so they’re different throughout the country. There will be crossovers of course but by spreading out when schools have holidays will spread holiday demand and should lower holiday prices for families. Why should families, who pay more than couples anyway, have to pay 3 times more? We are held to ransom as we have no choice except feel like bad parents taking the kids out of school to get a reasonable deal. Families deserve nice holidays without getting into debt. Why do we all put up with it? The holiday companies can’t do anything about it as they respond to the marketplace like any other industry so school holidays changing is the only way to reduce the cost of holidays. I hope you will support this. It may seem unachieveable and a dream but all changes start somewhere. I believe some European countries spread school holidays out throughout the country. If holidays were the same for the schools within each county but staggered throughout counties as much as possible then this could change the landscape for family holidays for us and our kids and their kids. Life is expensive enough with kids why should parents be penalised for keeping the human race going. Surely travel is important to children’s upbringing to make them rounded confident people as well as having quality time as a family away from the stresses of home. Also wouldn’t it be better economically if people leaving the country and being off work was more spread out? I hope you can open the link to sign. It can be found on the government website for petitions if not. Look for heading’ to legally change school holidays in each county in U.K. so they are different. Please support this and let’s get fair prices for holidays

We should also have another petition about the clothes industry.

It's absolutely unfair that at the start of each season the newly released clothing lines retail at c£50 per item but a few months later the very same items of clothing are in the end-of-season sale for only £16! Why should those of us who need to buy our clothes at a particular time of year have to pay 3 times what other people get to pay? We all deserve nice clothes so the government should put a ceiling price of £20 per item so that we can afford the nice things.

As with every other consumable, holiday prices are dictated by basic Economics - supply and demand. The holiday industry is not looking to change this, no more than Apple is for its iPhones. You don’t want to pay, don’t go. It’s not the end of the World.

You're not trying to make prices fair for everyone, you're trying to make them cheaper for you and more for others that haven't made the same life choices as you.

^ this.

Your OP already pits couples against families for starters.

So why are you on mumsnet then?

Oh dear. That old chestnut.

Childless people would not be subsidising families. Families are subsidising couples as it is now.

Childless couples probably subsidise families in other ways. Swings and roundabouts

Sorry OP. You chose to have children and surely before you did this you were aware that you are required to send them to school and take your holidays at certain times of year, that are more expensive?

So you either pay more or take the same holiday budget as if you were going at cheaper times and you use that to pay for whatever holiday it will buy. And if that means going somewhere cheaper or going less often, so be it.

So why are you on mumsnet then?

ODFOD

Sorry OP. You chose to have children and surely before you did this you were aware that you are required to send them to school and take your holidays at certain times of year, that are more expensive?

Actually, nobody is required to send their children to school. If the OP struggles so much with being restricted to school hols, maybe home educating would suit her better.

It's ridiculous. We have a system of 3 terms with half-terms in between. Exams are May/June and Christmas is 25th December. The only staggering possible is by days/2 weeks tops.

You should have a petition about the fines. The system is not applied consistently and the criteria for getting the fine is very mysterious. The government needs to either make it clear what absences constitute a fine or abolish them

OP Why not factor in the cost of the fine into your holiday?

Say that prices of holidays fell. Who would be the first to see less money? I bet it would be the people on low wages like housekeeping, cooks etc You know that the School Holiday price is the real cost of your holiday and the term-time prices are discounts because there's less demand right?

I do get this simple concept. That’s my point. Share the cost more evenly so families don’t take all the hit

Why on earth should me and dp subsidise you to go on holiday.

At the moment me and dp can take advantage of cheap deals. When and if we have children we will need to prioritise our spending. If we can't afford it, we can't afford it.

Your sense of entitlement is really quite astounding.

As a teacher I will have had 40+ years of paying top prices for holidays by the time I retire. Unfortunately that’s just how it is.

You don't seem to get that for many people the price of holidays is really not an issue.

Nobody HAS to pay higher prices for hols. Just say no. You're in marketing. If people stop booking the hols the prices will come down fast enough.

I agree with what a PP said. If you're complaining that a week in a tent in Wales is too much, possibly a problem. If you're complaining about package holidays to Europe or worldwide then it truly DOESN'T MATTER.

Other threads are discussing food banks and DC going hungry in school holidays. That is important, not whether your hol is too expensive. If you can't afford it, then don't go. Simples. Nobody cares.

OP have a look at the prices for the Cumbria Centre Parks for the first 2 weeks in July - you will find they are vastly more expensive than other Centre Parcs - why? Because Scotland school holidays start in July and they triple their prices cos they know people will pay it. all your petition would do it raise prices for a longer period as well as piss off the whole of Scotland and NI who take advantage of the prices before the English holidays start

I have absolutely no spare money and am not likely to be able to take my lovely, sweet children on holiday for a very long time.

I simply cannot get on board with you winging about the price of holidays.

It doesn't need a government petition. Some education authorities in prime tourist areas are already considering shifting their school holidays, by making the summer holiday shorter and other breaks longer. However, this isn't to help poor families like yours afford a holiday, it's because many families in areas like Devon, Cornwall and the Isle of Wight simply don't get any chance to have a break with their children as they have to work. Extending the peak tourist season to accommodate your proposal just makes things a whole lot worse for those of us in those areas. The school years are actually remarkably short and you will soon be welcoming the chance to travel without other people's children around. In the meantime, do what the rest of the population does and compromise for a few years.

Different holidays between schools already happens in many places and it's a pain. Our town has different holidays than the neighbouring towns at Easter and February. Next year Easter doesn't overlap at all. We are also different for October half term than some counties, and parts of the summer are different.

I have friends who work in the neighbouring towns and kids in our town - nightmare for holidays.

We wanted to go away with family next year - again, a nightmare to get matching time.

Don't wish for it to be made even worse!!!

Life is expensive enough with kids why should parents be penalised for keeping the human race going.

OTT comment of the week goes to....

And there is NO way travel companies will reduce their prices. If anything they'd just increase the prices of non peak weeks, making it more expensive for everyone.

That's what happen with car insurance remember. When they decided they could no longer discriminate between male and female drivers did insurance go down? No. It went to the highest level for all.

Tbh, despite teaching, I'd just say go away in holiday at a time that suits you and your family and when you can afford to go. Take into account the fine - it's £60 per child coming into effect on day 5 here. It still works out a lot cheaper.

Many areas have actually seen the number of absences taken for holidays have increased since the introduction of the fines. I think lots of parents just factor in the fine.

And for the vast majority of children, outside of exam years, missing one or two weeks of school really won't affect them. Just don't expect school to do catch up work or provide holiday work for them.

all your petition would do it raise prices for a longer period as well as piss off the whole of Scotland and NI who take advantage of the prices before the English holidays start

And holidays for us are only cheaper (maybe) if you are prepared to travel down south a fair way to fly. Flights from Newcastle and Manchester are marginally cheaper but you need to factor in inconvenience and possibly an overnight stay as well and we are already penalised with higher flight prices here because we are further away. It's also slightly cheaper for those in the south to come up to Scotland to fly when schools start going back here, so 2nd half of August.

Cripes, no thanks. I want to take my holidays when it is quiet and there are not children everywhere ( since mine are now grown up). And I live in a touristy area and love the off season.

Supply and demand...your kids will grow up someday and you may well be glad of the peace and quiet!

Why should families, who pay more than couples anyway, have to pay 3 times more?

What does this even mean anyway?

You're right OP. They should make family holidays cheaper.

While they're at it, they should make family houses cheaper too. All those couples living in 1 and 2 bedroom properties that they paid less for than the bigger properties that families are forced to pay for. Make all big houses cost the same as small flats. It's only fair.

I’m apoplectic that my my cleaner charges me more because I need her to clean on a Friday and that is her most in demand day. Everyone on the less popular days should just pay more so I can get the better deal. Selfish fuckers.

And cars, families need bigger cars so better make them the same price as smaller ones!

Lol this didn't go the way Op expected it to then!!