| Author |  Topic  |
KevinT
 United Kingdom
1637 Posts
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Status: offline |  Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 12:24:51  
| We normally visit Florida in mid May (usually in school term time)and pay around £450 Newcastle to Sanford.
Due to a slight change of plans for next year I enquired about early June 2007.
Monarch have discontinued their Thursday flights next year so only Saturdays from NCL!
2nd June departure ....£745 !!
9th June.....no seats left (would have been £579)
16th June....no seats left either !!
23rd June.... £509 
Talk about a captive audience !!
Guess it may be scheduled from NCL via Gatwick for us next June!!
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Kevin
http://www.onlinefloridavillas.com/Villas/1471.aspx |
Edited by - KevinT on 18 Sep 2006 12:26:11 | | Report this post to a moderator |
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Paula D-S
 United Kingdom
4533 Posts
Joined: 18 May 2005
Status: offline | |
KevinT
United Kingdom
1637 Posts
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 12:33:08
| quote:
Originally posted by caitlin
Remember Kevin the first week in June is half term.
I was reminded of this by the travel company Paula. But
almost double the price ?? And how come all the seats have gone on the following two weeks flights when the kids are supposedly back at school ??
Something that always puzzles me is....(if most of the fuel on a flight is expended on take off) why the prices are nearly always cheaper when there are more stopoffs involved?
eg. Newcastle / Heathrow / Amsterdam / Orlando sometimes around £200??
Charter flight direct - 1 flight....£745?? |
Kevin
http://www.onlinefloridavillas.com/Villas/1471.aspx |
Edited by - KevinT on 18 Sep 2006 12:39:58 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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mizzy
 United Kingdom
4401 Posts
Joined: 19 Oct 2005
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 12:38:04
| how about trying a flight from manchester Kevin
flights are showing at the minute at £409 per adult from manchester with virgin flying june 9th for 2 weeks and it's also offering flights at £379 if you can be flexible and fly on the mon/tues after
like you, newcastle airport is nearer to me but we like virgin and are happy to drive to manchester, we're staying over the night before the flight so we get an extra days hol too without the worry of a very early morning drive
they are some fantastic travelodge prices at manchester airport £26 for a family room
may be worth checking it out
Mizzy |
Edited by - mizzy on 18 Sep 2006 12:40:08 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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mizzy
United Kingdom
4401 Posts
Joined: 19 Oct 2005
Status: offline | |
KevinT
United Kingdom
1637 Posts
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 12:44:14
| quote:
Originally posted by mizzy
how about trying a flight from manchester Kevin
flights are showing at the minute at £409 per adult from manchester with virgin flying june 9th for 2 weeks and it's also offering flights at £379 if you can be flexible and fly on the mon/tues after
like you, newcastle airport is nearer to me but we like virgin and are happy to drive to manchester, we're staying over the night before the flight so we get an extra days hol too without the worry of a very early morning drive
they are some fantastic travelodge prices at manchester airport £26 for a family room
may be worth checking it out
Mizzy
Thanks Mizzy.....we're considering Manchester but have a 77 yr. old travelling with us who finds the 9 hr. direct flight pretty tiring.
Getting from Durham to Manchester might involve overnight stay!
Also considering more reasonable options from Glasgow but will have similar problem.  |
Kevin
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Homer
 United Kingdom
243 Posts
Joined: 06 Jul 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 13:04:02
| Thats why people take their kids out of school Kevin
We have done that this year as over the 2 weeks they will only actually miss 1 week of school as they would be away on a camp (which they both hate with a passion anyway!!!)
Next year we will have no choice in the matter so will be forced into the "Holiday Rip Off Period" as we were last year!!!
I can never understand why travel companies want to rip familes off for there annual holidays it makes me so angry 
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wrightbuxton
 United Kingdom
453 Posts
Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Status: offline | |
Carla
 United Kingdom
9071 Posts
Joined: 13 Feb 2002
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 13:51:55
| Kevin, you're assuming that people with kids are the main group travelling to Florida. That really isn't the case. Many more adult groups visit Florida, than families with children.
I went on an out-of-school-holiday charter flight last year, and it was almost full with couples and adult groups, of all ages, travelling together. There were hardly any children of school age on the entire flight.
quote:
Originally posted by KevinT
And how come all the seats have gone on the following two weeks flights when the kids are supposedly back at school ??
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Carla
http://www.orlandovillas.com/florida-vacation-rental-135.aspx |
Edited by - Carla on 18 Sep 2006 13:52:25 | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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LiesaAnna
 United Kingdom
11841 Posts
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 13:59:38
| we are taking our daughter out of school next year for 3 weeks, no holidays this year and will have to work out holiday times as Lauren gets older and exams are on going, but always took the other children out for two weeks, it never hurt them! they always caught up and we often took some school work with us to do, works for us,
cannot afford to go during school holidays,
i know others will think of me as irresponsible, but thats the way it is |
Liesa | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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dawn
 United Kingdom
3243 Posts
Joined: 08 Nov 2004
Status: offline | |
Albert the Frog
 United Kingdom
350 Posts
Joined: 18 Jun 2006
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 14:26:04
| | If you do think that Manchester is a goer there is a direct train service from Newcastle that goes straight into the Airport with no changes needed. Also if you did consider an overnight let me know and I've got a few local phone numbers | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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KevinT
United Kingdom
1637 Posts
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 15:16:12
| quote:
Originally posted by Albert the Frog
If you do think that Manchester is a goer there is a direct train service from Newcastle that goes straight into the Airport with no changes needed. Also if you did consider an overnight let me know and I've got a few local phone numbers
Thanks for that Bob. Didn't realise there was a direct train (wonder if it comes south thru Durham?  Might take you up on the overnight info if we decide on Man. |
Kevin
http://www.onlinefloridavillas.com/Villas/1471.aspx | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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KevinT
United Kingdom
1637 Posts
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 15:42:44
| quote:
Originally posted by Carla
Kevin, you're assuming that people with kids are the main group travelling to Florida. That really isn't the case. Many more adult groups visit Florida, than families with children.
I went on an out-of-school-holiday charter flight last year, and it was almost full with couples and adult groups, of all ages, travelling together. There were hardly any children of school age on the entire flight.
quote:
Originally posted by KevinT
And how come all the seats have gone on the following two weeks flights when the kids are supposedly back at school ??
Which is partly my point Carla...(we don't have any kids so can usually go when we like)....why do they penalize those with kids
by doubling the price ? (and halving the available planes from NCL?)
Dawn
Thomson were one of the co-charterers of the Thursday NCL flight
and have some of the seats on the Saturday flight too!
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Kevin
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pieman790
 United Kingdom
3838 Posts
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 16:00:19
| Our friend who came with us to our villa come from Newcastle and they priced some flights up for this year (End May/Begining June). The cheapest they could get was £670 each flying Newcastle to Sanford.
They decided to fly from Manchester with us and saved themslves £900 based on a family of four. They could have taken a chance and got a last minute charter flight but did not want to risk it. They are thinking of coming with us next year and again the flights direct from Newcastle are expensive. |
Neil & Cathy
http://www.orlandovillas.com/villas/1401.aspx | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Carla
United Kingdom
9071 Posts
Joined: 13 Feb 2002
Status: offline | |
Robert5988
United Kingdom
1494 Posts
Joined: 15 Apr 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 16:37:40
| quote:
we are taking our daughter out of school next year for 3 weeks, no holidays this year and will have to work out holiday times as Lauren gets older and exams are on going, but always took the other children out for two weeks, it never hurt them! they always caught up and we often took some school work with us to do, works for us,
cannot afford to go during school holidays,
i know others will think of me as irresponsible, but thats the way it is
Without commenting on whether it is irresponsible or not, I thought under recent guidelines parents could be prosecuted for removing children from school for 3 weeks.
Is that a regional ruling or am I mistaken? Wasn't there a case recently where a parent was sent to jail for her daughter being persistently absent from school – she had been prosecuted a number of times previously.
If it is allowed, how long can you take them out of school? 4 weeks? 5 weeks? 3 months? | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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LiesaAnna
United Kingdom
11841 Posts
Joined: 04 Sep 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 16:55:43
| | i think its two weeks Robert, but am not a persistant offender and neither does my daughter take time off unless she is really sick,(which am hoping i dont tempt fate!) everything was put on hold this year due to me waiting for stomach op (which is now due to be done in the two weeks we wouldve been away)its a one off , its not the normal thing we do and will cross the bridge when we come to and will explain our actions to the school, but it is normally two weeks annual leave school during term time, |
Liesa | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Homer
United Kingdom
243 Posts
Joined: 06 Jul 2004
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 17:26:55
| Not sure on that one Robert it may be a "guideline"
My boys school gave them an "Agreed Absence" for 10 days and 1 day as non agreed what ever that means......
At the end of the day if I am going to take my kids on holiday in school time then so be it, what about people who work for companies that shut down at specific times and that is that when it comes to holidays you go when we are closed or you dont go at all.
Maybe teachers and schools should have there "Incept/Inset or whatever they call them" days in holiday time instead of the usual Mondays and Fridays so they get a long weekend then!!
For me there is no discussion to be had, I am the parent, they are my kids and while we are away wherever that is they will always have some element of schoolwork either by keeping a diary or learning about the area we are staying in.
Sorry steps off soap box and relax 3 days to go
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KevinT
United Kingdom
1637 Posts
Joined: 12 Sep 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 17:27:20
| quote:
Originally posted by Carla
They don't penalise anyone Kevin. They charge what their market will stand, and they know exactly what is and isn't a peak season.
All successful businesses work this way.
Surely you do the same?
quote:
Originally posted by KevinT
....why do they penalize those with kids by doubling the price ?
As it happens we don't charge more for May or October UK half terms as our prices are in line with our MCs annual calendar which is related more to the USA market, and I do take your point about adjusting prices to suit the peak seasons like Easter , Christmas etc. At most our prices vary by about 30%. I would not consider half terms to be an occasion to almost double my prices. (Maybe thats where I'm going wrong? )
A few years back there were three or four flights per week to choose from at NCL (and about 3 airline companies). This has now dwindled to one.
(No flights from Teesside airport where there were two)
I would bet that a lot of people have been enticed away from their regional airports by the lower prices and greater choice from M/C and the London airports?
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Kevin
http://www.onlinefloridavillas.com/Villas/1471.aspx | | Report this post to a moderator | goto top of page |
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Ray&Sarah
 United Kingdom
10599 Posts
Joined: 11 Nov 2003
Status: offline | Posted - 18 Sep 2006 : 17:53:41
| | My eldest son missed the last two days of school before Christmas the year before last, we got permission from his school for him to be absent but still got a letter saying that they would not be held responsible for any down ward turn in his school work as a result of him being absent. As you can tell they were quite strict about absences from school. |
Sarah
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Charters rule!! (Not OK!!)
