This is nothing new it has been around for many years and all TOs apply them. Here on HT we have always advised people that they should book children as adults and so avoid the surcharges, also as you have found out it can often be cheaper. The so called free child places are not quite so free when you read the small print.
With respect, the information is there on the website/in the brochure it is just that people do not read everything.

fwh

Thanks for the reply. I have never paid this before, is this as I have been on All Inclusive holidays in the past?

Also, the tour operator did not inform me of these costs so I feel as though I have been very mislead especially when I had sat with her for over 2 hours in the travel agents trying to find the perfect holiday for us all. I feel I should have been informed of these charges before I booked. I only booked this holiday on Saturday 1st March 2014. I have telephoned today about this and asked to change hotels where there is no supplement and to do this would cost be £50 per person. Would it make a difference to the occupancy fee if I was to upgrade to A/I?

Are you aware of anything I can do/say when I visit the travels agents to discuss this matter?

Thankyou for your help.

When you were in the shop did not the rep give you a breakdown of the prices before taking your money? The surcharge would have been there for you to see as each part would be listed separately.

I assume that you have booked a Self Catering holiday as this is usually where the surcharges come in. Try doing this.

Search on the TOs website for the same accommodation based on Self Catering, H/Board and AI. (For Thomson AI you need to look at First Choice website). Do a dummy booking - stop before you enter details names and addresses - for your party and show the kids as adults. You could also do the dummy booking showing kids. That will show how the prices are arrived at although online bookings do tend to be cheaper than the shops.

fwh

No, she gave us the total. She had to phone a company called "groups" as we are a group booking so as to make sure we are all on the same booking. Its only when I have doubled checked the paper work, have seen the occupancy fee. I have just telephoned again and the sales rep had said that everyone pays this and usually you dont get to see the breakdown in that much detail, its only because the paper work came from "groups" and not Thomson. Thomson paperwork to follow which apparently doesnt have this on and thats why people dont usually see it and dont get alarmed by it. She also said this is standard practice and has been for years and didnt feel the need to inform us about it and just guessed we would know........ I just think that I am just going to have to put this down to experience and never book a self catering holiday again. I usually go A/I so think this is why it hasnt appeared before. We could change the holiday to A/I at another hotel but would cost £50 per person for the paperwork.

I have looked at the same holiday, same dates, flight times etc just for 2 adults and 1 child. The price does work out far more expensive than 4 adults! It is amazing how much, obviously because the rooms are full. At the end of the day, 2 adults and 2 children sharing the same room is the same as 4 adults surely but that is just the way they work it I guess. Still doesnt make it right though.

Thankyou.

£50 per person to change your holiday from S/C to AI doesn't appear too bad a deal as you would, effectively, be getting your food and drink for £50pp if I'm understanding correctly?

Glynis HT Admin wrote:

£50 per person to change your holiday from S/C to AI doesn't appear too bad a deal as you would, effectively, be getting your food and drink for £50pp if I'm understanding correctly?

It will be £50, which is the standard amendment fee, plus any increase in cost.

Under occupancy charges are usually shown on paperwork, whether it's a group booking or not. Groups usually become involved for bookings of 10 or more pax, because sometimes they are entitled to a group discount.

Brochures and the websites always show what the occupancy is based on. eg All prices shown are per person and are based on 2 adults sharing unless otherwise stated. When selecting an offer you will be asked to enter in the number of adults and children travelling, the applicable price will then be displayed based on your chosen party size.

It's a lot of money for under occupancy but presumably you were happy with the total cost, because you booked it?

I am a bit confused about this as I used to book self catering holidays in one bed apartments when my kids were under 12, and used to work the prices out both ways, i.e. price up as 4 adults and price up as two adults, two kids plus under occupancy supplement. 9 times out of ten it was as broad as it was long because when you discounted the children the adult prices went up so there was never much in it to spread of.

But it was always detailed in brochures in the columns under the prices what the under occupancy supplements were if you went for the 2 adult 2 child price, it has also always been shown on websites.

Under occupancy was particularly high if as 2 adults, 2 kids you went for a 2 bed apartment (which I liked) as it is based on a costing for 6 adults, but the detail was always there if you looked for it.

If it really is the same price for AI as it is for self catering, I think I would bite the bullet and pay the £50 per person amendment fee, as that is a lot of food and drink for that price. Even in cheap destinations you would not be able to get three meals a day and drinks for £50 a week.

What Hotel/apartments is it ? Perhaps there has been some kind of a mistake, it does sound high at £1716.

Normally it us something like £4 or £5 per person per night but I guess that would add up if you are a large group of people booking say three or four apartments.

Sunaddict wrote:

Glynis HT Admin wrote:

£50 per person to change your holiday from S/C to AI doesn't appear too bad a deal as you would, effectively, be getting your food and drink for £50pp if I'm understanding correctly?

It will be £50, which is the standard amendment fee, plus any increase in cost.

Yes. But this quote is what made me wonder, if, due to the high under occupancy supplements, £50pp was the only extra cost.

I usually go A/I so think this is why it hasnt appeared before. We could change the holiday to A/I at another hotel but would cost £50 per person for the paperwork.

This is hardly a new thing -every time we took our kids away for self catering hols. in the late 80s/90s I had to do the cost comparisons between 4 adults vs 2 adults,1 child half price,1 child free etc etc..........not easy when working from multiple brochures from loads of separate Companies
As far as I can remember the "advantage" of the free child place usually came out as insignificant in terms of the overall costs oif the holiday...but I also remember that when booking thru shops they wouldn't let you book 10 year olds as adults anyway