I have just returned from an 11 night Thomson holiday with my wife and daughter. Whilst there we met a family of four who were on the same holiday (same hotel and flights) but they had booked theirs in August 2004 to take advantage of a "free" child place. We taliked about how much we had paid for our respective holidays (as you do) and it transpired that theirs cost £2100.
We booked ours in January 2005 when no "free" child places were available so one would have expected our cost for two adults and one child to be about the same as the other family's for two adults and two children - as they had a "free" child place. Wrong, we paid £1761 - nearly £400 less (the brochure price for the first child was £395)
Could it be therefore that there is no such thing as "free" child places and they are only a ploy to get us to book early? Clearly other factors can affect a holiday price, I had kept a watch on the price of this particular holiday on the Thomson dirct website for four months before I booked it and it fluctuated quite a bit with the highest quote being just before Christmas. However by New year's day it had come down to it lowest point so I jumped in then.
I followed the price thereafter but it never again reached the low amount I had paid.
When I worked as a TA it was sometimes cheaper for the customer to pay for the child, than to take advantage of 'free child' offers. It was sometimes even cheaper for them to pay for the child as an adult because of the underoccupancy charges that the tour op loaded onto the prices. Thomsons do seem one of the worst culprits for underoccupancy charges though.
I too have often wondered if we have had a 'free child place' as we always seem to pay a little extra on the full adult price and under occupancy having 2 adults and a child in a studio whereas I guess if we had paid an adult price we wouldnt pay under occ. supplement. We hav certainly learned that doing it yourself often works out cheaper when you have a child as place charge per room and not per person like at the travel agents, sometimes that it.
You gotta know the system to beat the system!! (that goes for all areas of life!!) but i believe the free child place thing is a ploy to get you to book early.
As a single parent it never is applicable to me,(one parent offers are ery muc the same, you pay a lot for the adult and little for the chid but it works out to be about the same as if you were booking for 2 adults) and im usually a late booker, booking my child as an adult, to save the under occupancies. even on lates, theyre charging under occupancy fees now so it is wise to check out all options when booking - you can save a hell of a lot of money!
Caroline & Kirsten
As a single parent it never is applicable to me,(one parent offers are ery muc the same, you pay a lot for the adult and little for the chid but it works out to be about the same as if you were booking for 2 adults) and im usually a late booker, booking my child as an adult, to save the under occupancies. even on lates, theyre charging under occupancy fees now so it is wise to check out all options when booking - you can save a hell of a lot of money!
Caroline & Kirsten
I booked with Eclipse in Oct and when I checked onlin in Jan the holiday was £250 cheaper.
I phoned them and they dropped the price (cost £15 admin each). To their credit there was no arguments and they did it with no hesitation.
I asked about the price difference and they said new brochure prices.
I phoned them and they dropped the price (cost £15 admin each). To their credit there was no arguments and they did it with no hesitation.
I asked about the price difference and they said new brochure prices.
Two years ago I paid the adult price for my daughter, as it worked out a lot cheaper than the under occupancy supplements that they were charging for a child staying with two adults!!! 
When we travelled to Turkey 2 years ago I asked if I could pay for my 2 as adults and was told by Thompson that I could not for insurance purposes. Childen had to travel as children as it could result in confusion in the case of accidents eg if there was a fire in the hotel they would need to know how many adults and how many childern were staying there so they could account for everyone.....bit daft I though as how do u know everyone is in the hotel at such a time anyway
moved to general hints and tips by Biff
When we went to Turkey last year we wanted interconnecting rooms. Price for two adults and 2 children £2400, price for 4 adults £1400. so my kids went as adults.
Of course there are no such things as 'free' child prices! The costs to the operator are very similar wether that seat on the airline or that bed in the hotel or apratment are occupied by a child or an adult. The only saving is likely to be in the food they eat but on anything less than HB there are probably few savings to be made there either. The kids have to be paid for somehow and most operators do this by clawing the money back some way. The extra under-occupancy charges are probably the most notorious way but loading extra on the adult prices is I suspect another less obvious one too. German TOs for example don't usually offer free child places but their unit charges are often lower for the same destinations.
Years ago when my two were small free child place's were free.Hotel rooms were based on two adults sharing so no supplements I have now noticed that hotel room's are based on three or four adults sharing, was pricing a holiday to cyprus a few year ago and taking my niece with us some of the supplements worked out to 78 pound per person per night, who is going to pay that .Ended up in a studio for three and paying adult price for her.
I always thought 'free child places' were a rip-off becuase you then have to pay an under occupancy but we have just got a free child place for our younger son to Florida for next July and despite my older son being classed as an adult next year our holiday is £400 cheaper than what we paid this year for the same accomodation.
Maybe it depends on the holiday company...
Maybe it depends on the holiday company...
I would normally agree about free child places being just a ruse but my 10-day package holiday to Menorca this October half term really does include a free child place for my 16-year old daughter in a one bedroom apartment booked with Thomsons via their website. Before I booked it, I costed it for just my wife and me on our own in the same size apartment and complex and it worked out exactly the same price whether my daughter went with us or not. For once then, a genuine free child place with no extra under-occupancy charge or extra fuel supplement tagged on to the price. Maybe it's the time of year that makes a difference and the fact that it's an apartment rather than a hotel but whatever the reason, it has made the holiday very good value for money.
Can someone straighten my head out for me please I'm so confused ...
If a family of 2 adults and 2 children want to go on holiday and my children are 13 and 9 what happens if I pay for my 13 yr old daughter as an adult price do I still need to pay the under ocupancy?
Or is it best to pay for both children as adults - ie 4 adults rather than 2A & 2C.
This is so confusing for me!!!
If a family of 2 adults and 2 children want to go on holiday and my children are 13 and 9 what happens if I pay for my 13 yr old daughter as an adult price do I still need to pay the under ocupancy?
Or is it best to pay for both children as adults - ie 4 adults rather than 2A & 2C.
This is so confusing for me!!!
Get quotes for all 3 scenarios Tinkerbell -
2 adults 2 children,
3 adults 1 child,
4 adults.
Then make your booking on the cheapest one.
Elaine
2 adults 2 children,
3 adults 1 child,
4 adults.
Then make your booking on the cheapest one.
Elaine
ive just been looking at a holiday and did what elaine suggested.
4 adults its £655 each = £2620
2 adults 2 kids its £915 adult and 1 child £319, 1 child £259= £2408
1 adult and 3 kids....sold out
3 adults 1 kid..£745 adults and 1 child £259 = £2495
hhmmmnnnnn
4 adults its £655 each = £2620
2 adults 2 kids its £915 adult and 1 child £319, 1 child £259= £2408
1 adult and 3 kids....sold out
3 adults 1 kid..£745 adults and 1 child £259 = £2495
hhmmmnnnnn
Definitely worth checkin out all the scenarios now you know what youre doing, you can save a fortune!!
Caroline & Kirsten
Caroline & Kirsten
but if it is £600 odd when adults go why is it all ov a sudden £900 odd when kids go, i know you have to pay supplements but why dont they make it one set price, it is almost the same for any scenario! maybe that is with just that one hotel!!?? but will tour ops LET you book kids as adults though!! is that one way they get more cash?
I've never had a problem booking my daughter as an adult - the only differences i have noticed, is that she gets an adult meal on the plane (which she prefers, chicken stars, sausages and baked beans never really floated her boat anyway!) and that sometimes you may have problems going somewhere that has a kids club, as they have to know how many children are going to be using it etc.. but if youre out of season it shouldnt be a problem - ususally the line that 'you can obviously see she's a child, someone must have made a mistake somewhere!' usually works! luckily mine isnt really into kids clubs so its never been an issue for me - well strange for an eight year old to be content with a pool and a stack of veggies! but who am i to complain!
Caroline & Kirsten
Caroline & Kirsten
Post a Reply
Please sign in or register an account to reply to this post.
Similar Topics
-
Free child places ??
Posted by mo rolfe in General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips
-
Free Child Places
Posted by beth72 in General Holiday Enquiries, Hints and Tips
-
Where are all the Free Child Places?
Posted by angelgab in Spain - Balearics - Majorca Discussion Forum
-
Free Child Places...
Posted by foxymum in Tour Operators and Travel Agents
-
Free Child Places
Posted by Collette-Si-Kay in Tour Operators and Travel Agents