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TRAVEL ADVICE FROM THE EXPERT Watch out for family holidays that offer child discounts - they could cost more than you think
(The Sunday Telegraph Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)You might assume that reduced prices for children in a tour operator's brochure mean that families are in for a good deal. But not if it's brochures such as this year's First Choice Summer Sun - at least not in the case of some self-catering properties in Majorca.
I was checking through several brochures to see exactly how much the promised child reductions were really worth, and discovered that on these two First Choice holidays, a family of two adults and two children (under 16) would actually have to pay pounds 162 more than four adults booking exactly the same package. This was despite the fact that children were apparently being offered their holidays at a discount.
The root of the problem is the infamous "under-occupancy'' charge. This supplement kicks in for self-catering apartments or villas, where most tour operators price their holidays depending on the number of people sharing the accommodation. (Under-occupancy charges do not normally affect cheap child prices for holidays in hotels as long as the children are sharing the parents' bedroom - not an ideal arrangement in my experience.) So, if an apartment or studio can sleep up to four, the price per person is given on the premise that four full-fare-paying adults will be sharing it. If only two people book the apartment, each must pay an additional under-occupancy charge. All the big tour operators, including Thomson, Thomas Cook, First Choice and JMC calculate their prices in this way.
But here's the sticking point for families. Read the small print and you'll find wording to the effect that "children do not count towards apartment, villa, suite or studio occupancy levels''. So, although their children are being offered a discount, the two adults in a family of four are each having to pay more for their holiday. So what the operators are offering with one hand, they are snatching back with the other.
The first First Choice example I found was the four-bed Cala d'Or Playa Apartments in Majorca. Four adults sharing one apartment over a fortnight in high season would pay pounds 555 each, a total of pounds 2,220; a family with two children would be charged pounds 2,382. This was because an under-occupancy supplement of pounds 728 had to be added to the basic price of pounds 1,654 (made up of pounds 555 for each adult, pounds 265 for the first child and pounds 279 for the second child).
In the same brochure is the four-bed Las Gaviotas Apartments in the Majorcan resort of Playa De Muro. Here a fortnight's stay for a family would cost pounds 2,256. But if four adults were booking exactly the same holiday it would cost them pounds 2,180 - some pounds 76 less. In this case, the family was subject to an under-occupancy supplement of pounds 672 on top of the basic family rate of pounds 1,584.
When I raised these disparities with First Choice (and I stress that it is not unique), it apologised for what it called "inaccuracies'' in the child prices and promised to review the issue. It said that it contracted its accommodation well in advance to ensure that it could offer the best value for money to its customers with rates confirmed and calculated over a number of years. However, it was aware that in certain circumstances this might result in "a variance in costing'', but that it tried to give customers best value when they booked.
Price disparities such as this are not necessarily common but it does pay to be aware that they do exist. If you're thinking of booking a self-catering apartment or villa for you and your children, my advice is not to be fooled by the "discounts'' on offer. Look long and hard at the under-occupancy supplements. If it appears you are paying more than you should be, take it up with your travel agent or tour operator.
In the end, the only way you can be sure of the value you are being offered is to ignore all the offers and promotions, look at the bottom-line price and decide whether you think it is a good deal.
READERS' QUERIES
I've just returned from a lovely holiday in Marrakesh, where I stayed in a large villa, which had a resident cook. Is there any company that offers something similar in Delhi or Rajasthan? N P, by email
You can rent the four-bedroom Fort Seengh Sagar in Rajasthan, part of the Deogarh Mahal Hotel (www. deogarhmahal.com/seengh.htm), in a rural setting three miles from the main building. A two-week holiday costs from pounds 2,050 per person (one week from pounds 1,450) based on eight people sharing, including full board with a chef, international flights to Delhi, domestic flights to Jodhpur and transfers. Contact Audley Travel (01869 276218; www. audleytravel.com).
My boyfriend and I are desperate for a leave-it-all-behind break in late May. We're on a tight budget. Any ideas? J F, London
Log on to Skyscanner (www. skyscanner.net), which searches low-cost flights, then key in your travelling dates and the airport from which you want to depart. Leave the destination option open to obtain a list of places you can fly to cheaply. Hire a car through Holiday Autos (0870 4000 0111; www.holidayautos.co.uk) and find accommodation when you arrive - hotels shouldn't be too busy in May.
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