Help - Prices in school holidays

[nattyk]

Hello,

We went to Florida last year and this year out of school holiday time (nice and quite, not too hot, not too expensive) but my daughter starts school this Sept, so we now really have to start going either Easter of Summer holidays.....how much is too much to pay for flights....?? I mean I checked the Virgin website for Easter (only have prices up until May) and it was just under £900 per adult and about £670 per child (there will be 2 adults and 2 child, 1 infant) now I am sure that is way too much to pay - so what is about the right price to pay for flights during Easter and Aug???

Even looked at places like Spain, and it is working out soooo expensive!!!!!

Feel like we may never holiday again with these prices...they really take the
p*** don't they...

Pls someone give me some hope with prices during school holidays..

Thanks
Nat

 

[Booknut]

That sound terrible! I really hate that companies do that. We don't have kids yet but it still makes me mad!

I had a quick look on Travel City Direct and for the Easter holidays (leaving 8/4 for 2 weeks) they have a fly/drive for £3285 which in my opinion is still outrageous, they are charging £649 for the 2 adults and 2 children and £75 for the infant.

I would recommend having a look at BA and playing around with dates as you can do that on their website. For instance, I picked two dates that looked a bit cheaper (leaving 12 April, back 23 April) and the cost for 2 adults, 2 kids and 1 infant with tax etc was £2035.90 which is not too bad. Add another £250 for car rental and you're all set!

We're going in a few weeks and we booked with BA as they were about the same price as charter and just booked our villa and car rental ourselves. We're glad we did!

Good luck booking your holiday!

Eloise

 

[alisonbestford]

With DD only just starting school are you able to take her out a day or two before the holidays, or let her return a day or two after the school goes back?
DD's (6) school allows 10 days authorised absence and it's amazing what a day or two either side of the holidays makes to prices!
We usually try to tag on our holidays to schools and saved over £400 between the 3 of us this last Spring break by travelling on the Thursday night and letting her take one day off school. If she'd taken 2 or more we could have saved a fortune

 

[rob@rar.org.uk]

There's not much hope that I can give unfortunately, although I think a little bit cheaper than you quoted. Prices in the school holidays will be much higher than you're used to

Checking with the BA website gives a return flight for Easter next year at £580 (flight only) and £470 per child. These are for departures on 15 April (day before easter Sunday). Prices will probably be a little bit higher in the summer (another £150 per person?) and charter flights should be slightly cheaper.

Regards

Rob

 

[carl_w]

We usually go in late May for around £3000-£3500 for a family of four (moderate resort, fly with Mytravel, premiair gold flight upgrade). Last year we looked at going some time in the summer holidays and it was >£7000! Although I looked at going over Christmas this year, leaving on the 16th (last day of school here, so they'd miss 1 day) returning on 31st and it was about £4k which didn't seem bad to me.

 

[alisonbestford]

We found that fly drives worked out cheaper than flights alone when we travelled in Aug 2003

We also saved £100 each by flying with Thomas Cook, rather than Virgin but I'm not convinced that saving was worthwhile by the time you considered having to pay for inflight drinks, no TV and a longer drive from the airport at the other end

We're going Easter 2006, flying with Virgin and have arranged for DD to have 3 days off school to make it more affordable.
Flights for the 3 of us worked out at around £1500, leaving on the 23rd March for 3 weeks.
Car hire and accomodation on top will take the cost to around £2500 I guess.

 

[mark&sue]

I just bought in to DVC and could not believe the price of flights for school holidays. They are nearly three times as much.

The good news is that in six years time I will be able to go three times a year for the same price!



Susan

 

[Mrs Dazzle]

While DD was at primary school, we always took her out for a week before either May or October half-term. Whilst October is becoming VERY popular (and therefore over the years becoming more expensive), it's still cheaper than 'peak times'.

This year - our first going in summer holiday time - it's cost us £799 EACH for a flydrive with Virgin. Katie is now - at the grand old age of 12 - classed as an adult . But we've decided to go for villas this time, which has saved a lot of $ on our usual Disney/Universal split stay.

 

[kristieuk]

We are in a similar position to you - we enjoyed the luxury of taking our now 5 yr old with us wherever we went, whenever we wanted to go. It was a shock to the system when she started school last year - we just didn't want to go to Florida in the summer holidays - too hot, too crowded. We love November!

We also have other difficulties in that we both work for the same (small) company, and it is difficult for us both to have time off at the same time, particularly during the most popular times for others to take leave ie school holidays.

Therefore, last year we spoke to our daughter's teacher to explain everything, and she basically persuaded us to go during school time! The school authorised the leave (in fact it amounted to 10 1/2 days) and there was no problem at all when she went back - she was excited to see her friends again.

The attitude of the teachers was basically go for it - loads and loads of parents do (as we have discovered during the course of the year), and just make the most of it while the children are young enough not to have worry about exams etc.

I wouldn't consider doing this if dd had any problems at school, or I thought it would be in any way a negative experience for her, but she is a well adjusted and intelligent little girl (no bias honestly!), and we will do the same this November (and next for our wedding!)

It's just a consideration....

 

[Mr-D]

Luckily I have just the one DD so I it's easier for me to decide when it's appropriate to take time out of school and not. There are certain school years when they need to be there and some that aren't as important. Not so easy when you have several children in different years, I don't envy you there.


I would do as others have suggested and try and go a couple of days before the actual school holidays. Most schools do nothing except play games for those days anyway.

D

 

[mark&sue]

I always take DD out of school a week before or a week after half term, but still very expensive. The other problem doing this is that you are using your annual leave up and during the actual school holidays you cannot take as much time off work to be with your child/ren.


Susan

 

[UK Paul]

Try using expedia for flights as soon as flights come on stream for your dates (normally about 11mths before you fly). We picked up flights from Manchester to Orlando (with one change) for 16Dec to 31Dec with American Airlines for 4 plus 2 weeks car hire for just over 2K. Prices go up exponentially in hols but shop around. I tend to try and make sure we go scheduled rather than charter - sometimes better if problems.

 

[Miffy2003]

I share your pain! The prices in school holidays are crazy!!

 

[prue]

We are going this October halfterm (my daughter has a two week half term) to Disney. As its so popular I couldnt get a flight on the fri/sat/sun out to Orlando with Virgin, this was in March! Anyway rang Virgin (so much nicer to speak to someone, i think!) and the lady suggested flying to Miami as there was availability. Long and short is if I had got direct flights to Orlando with Virgin the cost was going to by £725 per person as we are flying to Miami we can go the exact time we want and it is £581 per person!!! A saving of £144 x three of us!!! Also we are going to stay the first two days by the beach so we relax and sleep a bit before we hit Disney. Just an idea......

 

[nattyk]

Thanks for all your replies, looks like it is going to be more expensive fullstop, just a shock to the systems, when you are use to paying alot less..

The headmaster at my dd school said, 'if you want to take your kids out of school for holidays, then this is not the school for your child!!!!!!' so not really keen to do that unless we really have to....

Think we will have to give it a miss for a few years and starts saving some money!!!

Will just have to keep coming on here for my Disney fix!!!!

Thanks
Nathalie
x

 

[kristieuk]

That seems a mean approach from the headmaster! I can understand that attitude during important school years, and particularly in high school, but for younger children? Travel is a wonderful learning experience for them and I think it is really sad that many families are prevented from having the holidays they would love purely on the basis of greed of travel agents.

Good luck with saving for a future trip!

 

[Goofyish]

We also booked to go in December a few days before the school holidays start. Youngest DD and DW only have to miss a couple of days of school (not much happens on the last two days before the Christmas break anyway ).
Doing this saved us about £300 per person for the Virgin flights!

 

[SammieG]

I say well done to the headmaster for having high standards!!

Yes, I totally agree with you about the travel agents being greedy.. but its all about supply and demand...when demand is high.. the prices rise...
Out of school holidays the prices go down as less people want to travel.

I MUCH prefer going out of season to Disney.. but now my son is in school - that is the price (no pun intended!) that we pay.

It is the law that your child should be in school full time - and thats why the school is standing firm on this issue.

I realise that this is a contencious subject - and of course, you must all do what you think is best for your child - but to me making sure that my son is in school when he should be is a priority. I do not want him to feel different from the other children by missing two to three weeks out of school so we can save a few hundred pounds!! (Dont get me wrong, I would LOVE the savings!)

But actually its not about the money to me, its about the principle. We would not be allowed to take our child out of school either for a holiday - and I would never ever ask to head teacher if we could. I believe strongly that kids should learn that there are rules that they have to follow. One of the rules is that you should be in school in term time (unless unable to attend due to illness).

What sort of example are we setting our future generation by telling that that its ok to break these rules.. just to save money?!

I am sure I will be flamed for this... but it is an issue I feel very strongly about.

If you dont like the prices.. then dont go.. its as simple as that. I would love a mercedes, but I cant afford one!

(climbing into flame proof suit and ducking!)

 

[alisonbestford]

The headmaster at my dd school said, 'if you want to take your kids out of school for holidays, then this is not the school for your child!!!!!!'

What a misery
She'll be 5! Maybe 4 even!

Principles are all well and good but, IMHO, quality family time is what helps children to grow into well adjusted adults.

Oh well, I was taken out of school for family holidays, and have taken all 3 of my children out and can't say that I feel any of us are disrespectful for authority...

As long as my children aren't having problems at school (immaterial with the older ones who are 21 and 18 and at college and uni), don't have important exams or I'm not drastically going against school rules, I shall continue to take my 6 year old out for a few days holiday

Nathalie, you must have good reasons for choosing your DD's school but I'm afraid, with those priciples, 'it would not be the school for my child '

Good luck with your future trip planning.

 

[stubb]

hi
have you thought about disneyland paris i know its not quite the same but we used to do that every year.the children go free from jan tomarch so you could consider the feb half term.

michelle