Holiday prices outside the school terms

[martint235]

This guy apparently had a rant on FB and now has the 100,000 signatures needed to ask Parliament to debate the price of holidays rising outside of term time. Ok I have a little bit of sympathy. It must be galling to have to pay more for little Tarquin to go on holiday once the school's have broken up for summer. However is it really a matter for Parliament?

Easyjet et al and to a certain extent the "posher" carriers use simple supply and demand to determine prices for flights etc and holiday companies do the same. More people want to go on holiday in early August hence the price rises (I went last August and it was nearly double what I would have paid for June) but surely that's just something you have to budget for.

If we're going to have a Parliamentary debate, I find the fact that a first class train ticket to the NW of England is 8 times more expensive if I want to travel at 8am Monday morning!!!

 

[JtB]

What a waste of time, its market forces, supply and demand. Why should the holiday industry be different to any other industry?

 

[Mr Haematocrit]

If we're going to have a Parliamentary debate, I find the fact that a first class train ticket to the NW of England is 8 times more expensive if I want to travel at 8am Monday morning!!!

Isn't that simply supply and demand though and is it a matter for Parliament?

 

[martint235]

Isn't that simply supply and demand though and is it a matter for Parliament?

Yes but if we can have a debate about holiday prices which is also purely supply and demand?

 

[swee'pea99]

What a load of cobblers. "Do you want stuff cheaper?" Yes/no. Ooh, lots of yeses - let's go and bother some MPs. Muppets.

 

[mr_cellophane]

About 15 years ago we started to go to Centre Parcs during Witsun (Late May BH) and the prices were so cheap. The reason was the ones we went to were in Holland and Belgium. Even with the extra fuel and ferries it was still cheaper than the UK as it isn't a BH on the continent. Then one in England burnt down (Elvedon ?) and loads more people from England discovered that the ones over there were cheaper and better than the ones in England. Then CP discovered that more people were travelling abroad for the CP experience and so put their prices up during UK holidays as well as during the holidays in the country the parcs are.
So how can the UK parliament stop foreign hotels, etc upping their prices in the summer ?

 

[nickyboy]

The answer isn't regulation of supply, the problem is regulation of demand. Schools should be able to decide their own holiday patterns within certain parameters

 

[Fnaar]

It may be market forces, but it's a deliberate and overt attempt to charge more when the company knows its customers have no other choice. A brave company might find that they do better if they actually try to do the opposite, and please their customers (by keeping the price the same in school hols) or by even lowering it).
Shoe shops are the same... put the kids section at the back, or in the basement, or upstairs, so the parents, once in, will not make the effort to 'shop around' as it's such a hassle carting your kids up/dowN/to the back etc in the first place. I used to just not go into ones that I knew did this. Kids shoes are also far more expensive than they need to be. This is all dressed up with health/safety/guilt... the kids section of the shop is upstairs so the kids can't wander out onto the street while parents are distracted. And the price is justified by asking if you are prepared to compromise the health of your kids' feet for a few extra quid. (Yes All they need is something to stop them stubbing their toes, then a bigger pair 6 months later, thank you).

SO, HOLIDAY COMPANIES/SHOE SHOPS...BE BRAVE...DO THE RIGHT THING...DON'T P!$$ YOUR CUSTOMERS OFF AND ENCOURAGE THE RESENTMENT THEY HAVE TOWARDS YOU, USING YOUR PRODUCT/HOLIDAY PLACE ETC ONLY GRUDGINGLY. YOU MIGHT FIND THAT DOING WHAT YOUR CUSTOMERS ACTUALLY WANT WILL PAY OFF.

 

[martint235]

I don't think a brave company could do better. There are a finite number of seats on planes and rooms in hotels. If these are full, there is nothing to be gained by charging less for them. If they aren't full, they end up in the last minute discount market although from what I've seen of browsing those areas the resorts frequently offered aren't the ones you'd take a child to.

 

[Stu Plows]

I'm sure I read somewhere that people have been fined due to government guidlines for taking kids out of school during term time?

 

[Fnaar]

I recommend that parents get round the issue by not taking their kids on holidays till they are old enough to pay for themselves, and want to go elsewhere without their parents

 

[martint235]

I'm sure I read somewhere that people have been fined due to government guidlines for taking kids out of school during term time?

They have and quite rightly I think. When I was a kid, my mum always told me she'd go to prison if I didn't go to school every day that I was meant to. Perhaps we should stop the fines and introduce custodial sentences.

 

[Fnaar]

[QUOTE 2899087, member: 259"]And when, pray tell, does this eventually happen? [/quote]
My eldest stopped coming with us aged 17

 

[Haitch]

[QUOTE 2899087, member: 259"]And when, pray tell, does this eventually happen? [/quote]

When you and the other half want a cycling holiday and his mates want an all-in fortnight in Greece or Bulgaria.

 

[PK99]

It may be market forces, but it's a deliberate and overt attempt to charge more when the company knows its customers have no other choice. A brave company might find that they do better if they actually try to do the opposite, and please their customers (by keeping the price the same in school hols) or by even lowering it).

Economics not your strong suit?

In school holidays, accommodation and flights are full at the higher prices. ie reduce prices = reduce income
Out of school holidays accommodation and flights are not full at the lower prices. ie increase prices and reduce take up and most likely reduce income.