Travel question of the day: Simon Calder on holiday pricing

Have a travel question that needs answering? Ask our expert Simon Calder

Q Why is it that during school holidays, the prices of adult-only hotels also go up? What a con - what’s that got to do with school terms?

Anthony Cole

A It’s infuriating enough for parents of school-age children that fares rocket as soon as the bell sounds for the start of a holiday. The research I have conducted over the past few years shows that the price of a family package trip typically rises by 50-100 per cent during the school holidays, with air fares often soaring by a factor of four or five. Skiing flights in February half-term are particularly susceptible - as soon as easyJet’s flights went on sale last week, the peak Luton-Geneva flight was on sale at £703 return. And no, that’s not including luggage.

You know the reasons, of course; for most of the year, the mainstream travel business sells at a loss, turning a profit only by charging whatever the market will support during school holidays.

Your question will chime with travellers whose do not intend to travel with school-age children. Why should a hotel that doesn’t allow kids possibly be susceptible to school-holiday price pressure.

The first part of the answer is: there are plenty of adults whose jobs (or the work of their travelling companion) mean they can only go away outside term time: marrying a teacher is, in many respects, an excellent idea, but in terms of holiday prices it’s a dismal plan. This could be enough to force hotel rates up (or, if you prefer, allow hoteliers to make a mint).

The second part: it may be that you are looking at tour operators’ prices for package holidays involving adults-only properties. While the room rates may be largely unchanged, if you are having to bid against families for space on the limited number of planes, it is inevitable that the overall trip will cost more.

​Every day, our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder