CHEAP FLIGHTS "AUGUST"

[steph_goodrum]

"Whilst I agree with what you say I am not certain that "ripped off" is correct. Airlines make very little profit on economy tickets and it is simply a question of supply and demand."

I'm pretty certain that when I flew after Christams a couple of years agor for £280 inc all taxes with Virgin they were making some sort of proift, fast forward to Aug and exactly the same seat on the same aeroplane cost me £630, I'm sure the operating costs hadn't gone up that much in that time, only other difference was school holidays.

[Robert5988]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote: "Whilst I agree with what you say I am not certain that "ripped off" is correct. Airlines make very little profit on economy tickets and it is simply a question of supply and demand."

I'm pretty certain that when I flew after Christams a couple of years agor for £280 inc all taxes with Virgin they were making some sort of proift, fast forward to Aug and exactly the same seat on the same aeroplane cost me £630, I'm sure the operating costs hadn't gone up that much in that time, only other difference was school holidays.[/quote]

Steph,

As I said it is supply and demand.

Whilst I haven't seen the prices you charge for your Villa rental I assume you, like most others, charge more in the peak season than at other times.

I would consider that sound business practice, not ripping people off. I see no difference in principle between that and airlines charging more at peak times.

[Tonish]

<blockquote id="quote" class="ffs">quote:Whilst I agree with what you say I am not certain that "ripped off" is correct. Airlines make very little profit on economy tickets and it is simply a question of supply and demand.[/quote]

True, true...but I can't help but feel that it's the family guy like me who, over a six week period in the summer, subsidises the rest of the UK's cheap flights to Florida.

In the finance business, we're dealing with a major FSA initiative called Treating Customers Fairly. I believe that were the airlines governed by the FSA, they would be in breach of these guidelines. I would argue that:

1. The airlines are taking unfair advantage from the fact that the family have no choice but to travel between certain dates.

2. The level of profit from sales to this particular group of consumers is excessive compared with sales to other groups throughout the rest of the year.

3. One group of "vulnerable" consumers is being unfairly disadvantaged by not having access to the discounts available to every other group.

Aside from that, it's just plain damn' annoying. The government is proposing shortening the school summer break to 4 weeks. What price a family holiday then?

[wrpac00]

I have been subsidising for the past 27 years, I'll be glad when the wife retires from teaching and we can get some reasonably priced flights. [msnwink]

Our eldest is 22 next month and the youngest is 4 so by the time we can take holidays in the school term and not Summer or Easter we will have been subsidising for about 32 years[msneek]