 Poster: A snowHead
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Many skiing families opt to ski in the February half-term for what can be optimum snow and best choice of low-, mid- or high-altitude resorts ... but ...
... the price hikes for that pressured week can be huge.
Two newspapers have focused on this issue this week: The Times (which has a few effective tips) and The Telegraph (which is strong on describing the problem, but pretty short of ideas).
I suspect that snowHeads can provide far more useful advice and tips. Maybe, then, these pillars of Fleet Street could draw attention to this refuge from tour-op-influenced thinking!
It seems they've nailed the key reason for the huge price kink for Feb half-term: the tour ops want to provide the capacity, but have to maintain that capacity (and its cost) through the whole season (during which there are many low-demand weeks).
So ... the thrust of the advice has to be to avoid tour operators and book independently, Shirley? Plane fares are certainly hiked at half-term. Train fares much less so. Accommodation providers in the resorts will apply higher rates in February, but not by the same percentage premium the tour operators charge for rooms.
Any specific tips for saving money at half-term? I thought the Times' advice for free liftpasses for kids in specified Swiss resorts was good, but there are other resorts that make this offer.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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My partner is a teacher, so for many years we have been restricted to school holidays for skiing. We found DIY cheaper (or at the very least, better value for money). We always booked our travel arrangements as early as possible, whether that be flight, drive or train. I was never able to find lastminute prices which were lower than the prices we booked as soon as prices were released.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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If you were planning to hire a car anyway, it is possible to get cheap flights to airports a little further away than the "traditional" ski airports. It may mean a 3.5 hour drive as opposed to a 2 hour drive, but the savings can be considerable.
Not all operators hike their prices though. I have been with Oak Hall at half term and their prices only went up £60 for the busy February week compared to the cheapest January week.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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1. Start planning early.
2. Have a resort in mind and check accomodation availability. Then wait.
3. Book flights to an airport near resort as soon as the easyjet/jet2/bmibaby lot release the flights.
4. Book accomodation directly with the owners - or their French agents, as they DON'T increase prices on our half term dates.
5. Then sort airport transfers by hire car or coach companies.
6. Add the above costs up and find out they are cheaper than brochure costs and you're covered by the credit card company in case the airline or accomodation people go out of business in the meantime.
All above can be done quickly, online and everyone on the phone is friendly and can speak English.
RIP Travel Agencies.
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9 kids, 9 adults, Ski Olympic, catered chalet board, in the 18 bed Quatre Saison in La Rosiere. £495 each. I thought this very good as it was the resort of our choice. Book early, choose a property with lots of quad rooms. This is slightly cheaper as The SE of England (centre of universe) is off the week before us.
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The marc gledhill plan is the way forward. For this year, we booked flights (online) soon after we came back last year and we're staying in a hotel (where we've stayed before) which doesn't raise its prices for half term, booked directly (by e-mail). Much simpler than using a TO, less chance of cock ups and cheaper (about £1700 for a week in Kitzbuhel for 4, B&B, comfortable small hotel, including flight and cab transfer from Munich, not fantastically cheap but not bad).
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Thu 26-01-06 13:24; edited 2 times in total
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Am I right in thinking that in France the February break is staggered into 3 zones across the country? this gives them a fair spread. In the UK the LEAs seem to be adoping the opposite approach and ensuring that half term is the same week all over the country, at the same time as having a crackdown on school absence. If you're a teacher there's no way you can get time off in term time, so it's double whammey. No wonder the country is full of layabouts.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Take the kids out of school! After all many secondary schools run their own ski trips during term time 
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Oops just seen Frosty's post. I assumed form the brochure prices that 1/2 term was the same throughout this year, it just looks like the price reflects what's happening in the SE. Last year there was a 2 week spread and the prices were lower in the week we went.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Paul-B, I think we would have paid £125 extra w/c 12 feb
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Paul-B, 2 week spread this year too, seems to happen when Easter is either very late or very early.
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| David Goldsmith wrote: |
It seems they've nailed the key reason for the huge price kink for Feb half-term: the tour ops want to provide the capacity, but have to maintain that capacity (and its cost) through the whole season (during which there are many low-demand weeks).
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I used to work for a tour operator, and when we were dealing with big suppliers (the likes of Pierre & Vacances) it was they who dictated prices to us. We aren't the only nation to have half-term holidays, of course. The French have something similar, although they stagger theirs so the world and his wife is not trying to get to the Alps for the same week. Hence the suppliers' attitude was "well, hey, we can sell our apartments several times over in those weeks, so we're not giving them to you for buttons" (like it or lump it, basically). It's business, and purely down to the laws of supply and demand. There wasn't very much you-scratch-my back going on. They dropped rates in low season and gave us special offers expecting us to fill their empty properties, but when they were expecting full occupancy, we got nothing in return, except a guarantee of an allocation of properties so that we knew we at least had something to sell people who wanted/needed to travel at Christmas/half-term/Easter.
This is why the debate rages about taking children out of school... I'm not averse to it myself (sorry to the teachers in the forum) - we've done it at October half-term, and it wasn't about prices, it was about crowd-control (doing the Disney thang). Same thing applies to my mind with the ski slopes. I can't be the only person who's been skied over by a queue-jumper in the French Alps or stood forlornly looking down a slope wondering when it was ever going to get clear enough for me to make a break for it.
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You know it makes sense.
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I'm amazed that anyone still books a package in school holidays. At Christmas I saved at least £150 per person on the Inghams brochure price for a week in Obertauern by booking direct. And that included return taxi transfers. At half term the Inghams price is £200 more expensive than Christmas, yet the hotel's rates are lower...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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I couldnt get flights for less than £225 per person, even when they were first released.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Frosty the Snowman, £65 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Surely the cheapest and simplest way to avoid half-term hikes is not to have kids?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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marc gledhill, how the chuff did you pull that one off?
Trenmold, Now a non skiing childless couple could have a really cheap holiday.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Trenmold, yes, and then you could afford to go at half term.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Trenmold, it makes no difference when you are married to a teacher 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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I have an "unchecked" theory that the prices are not always cheapest on the day that they are released, as the airlines are out to capitalise on the initial rush. Anyone got any other opinions or proof on this?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Ray Zorro, yes - the price of my Ryanair flights at Christmas went down after I'd booked. I'd have thought it's unlikely to happen at half term though, given the level of demand.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Ray Zorro,
No proof, but when we booked four seats on easyjet to malaga last year, about 6 months in advance, and then two more 'last minute' the last two were £30 cheaper than the first 4. (from memory).
Of course the skiing in Malaga is cr@p 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Worth every penny. Couldnt afford to ski though if we had to put both of ours into private Education. Ah the advantages of rural North Yorkshire.
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Frosty the Snowman,
Actually semi rural South East Leicestershire's not too bad either! Not going down the 'paying for the litlle s*ds to go to school' route, couldn't afford to eat, let alone ski if we did.
Not sure about 'Worth every penny' though, haven't found a use for ours yet! Maybe if I ever need an organ transplant ....
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You know it makes sense.
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Frosty the Snowman, no private schools for us either.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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AxsMan, If I did need a kidney I would be better advertising on E bay as our 2 would negotiate a very hard deal.
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Poster: A snowHead
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Don't forget....easyJet offer a price promise that if your flight price goes down then they will refund the difference.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
the price of my Ryanair flights at Christmas went down after I'd booked
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It seems to depend on how full the flight is, or something like that. I have checked a price before for 4 people and got one price but then checked a price straight away on the same flight but for 6 people and the price went up. On reverting to 4 people the price went down again.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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brian
brian
Guest
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| marc gledhill wrote: |
4. Book accomodation directly with the owners - or their French agents, as they DON'T increase prices on our half term dates.
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The savvy ones do 
We've booked a s/c chalet for 8 in Les Gets w/c Feb 11th £2000, w/c Apr 1st it's £750.
Agree with the rest of your post though. We got easyjet flights on day of release for £70 a head and we've booked an MPV for £60 worth of Tesco vouchers. So our family of 4 cost is about £1350. You wuldn't get much out of a brochure at half term for that !
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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David Goldsmith,
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Many skiing families opt to ski in the February half-term for what can be optimum snow and best choice of low-, mid- or high-altitude resorts ... but ...
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The reason many families "opt" to ski at half-term is coz they have got to, optimum snow and choice of resorts is way down on the list. The same can be said of Christmas/New Year and Easter. People with school age kids are tied to holidays at these times (so too in summer). The holiday companies and independent sources know it and the prices shoot up. Supply and demand I'm afraid.
Another great holiday company scam is when they play the "under-occupancy" card. This is far more of a rip-off than a general price hike. An apartment for 4 (2 adults and 2 kids) will often incur and under-occupancy charge because there are not 4 adults using the apartment. What's that all about then?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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this holiday price rise is a real sod, I am a teacher yet, my ski buddies or i should say ex ski buddies never want to come with me.
They can, not only afford 2 weeks off, (they work up to xmas eve and in between new year to cover the time) they can pay the same for 2 weeks in the US for what i would have to pay for 1 in europe. So i have to go with the g/f not a bad thing, but miss out on the group banter all year, and they come back telling me all about the unspolit empty powder runs they have.
Bring on the 6 term year shorter summer holidays 2 week breaks all year round
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jtobin03, Is that a proposal in the works then? I hadn't heard anything about it before.
My GF is also a teacher and we ended up having to go to Dublin for the half term week instead.
The snows quite poor at the moment apparently...
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markP, yes, something along those lines is in the pipeline in several (if not all) LEAs, and I believe that a few are already operating it. It'll probably just give the TOs the opportunity to increase prices for more weeks.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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markP, Berkshire are advertising that they do 6 terms already, but it hasn't changed much. In fact Hampshire must also, because all our daughters are the same.
Easter holidays are fixed as the first two weeks of April, regardless of when Easter falls (so that is useful as it can avoid Easter).
There is still one week in February, just about the same time as always.
The Christmas holidays seem ridiculously short and it is very difficult to fit a full week in.
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Same system in Kent. We have a 6 term year, but fixing Easter is the only real change, all the (ex) half terms are the same. So now everyone's totally confused as to whether we're in term 2 or term 3. Major opportunity missed IMHO.
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