The airline industry has been blamed for truancy because of parents taking their children off school to travel before school holidays (so called peak period). I wonder what members of this forum think of this the practice of inflating flight prices during school holidays.
Flight charges during peak period
- Thread starter temi
- Start date
It's simply the law of supply and demand. There are more people wishing to fly during holidays, so the demand is greater. When demand for anything increases, without a coressponding increase in supply, the price will increase.
This is perfectly reasonable behaviour by the airlines and is the standard practice in all industries.
This is perfectly reasonable behaviour by the airlines and is the standard practice in all industries.
Even if summer flights were cheaper, you'd probably still get parents taking their kids out of school because the weather is better or something.
I agree with the state of things at the moment papernts will look at cheeper ways to holiday and taking kids out of school a bit earlier will always apeal to parents. they should bring out more incentives to parents during the holidays, not just try to make a quick buck
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Business is about making a buck - hopefully in the long and short term, in a legal way. Airlines, like all businesses, work on supply and demand. It doesn't cost any more to keep an aircraft in business in July than March, but the prices alter according to how much demand there is. Most other things are the same; hotels, restaurants, cinemas, etc.
So, if the public alters their demand, the airlines will adjust their supply to make the same profit.
So, if the public alters their demand, the airlines will adjust their supply to make the same profit.
As a bit of a capitalist I think it would be scandalous if airlines were told to reduce their prices during peak periods. Especially because all other providers would have to reduce their prices too - hotels, campsites, attractions etc.
It's unfortunately a fact of life.
It's unfortunately a fact of life.
When there are only two airlines that basically compete on the same route, each increases their prices the same amount overall. A classic is London - Lisbon. BA and Air Portugal say that they compete. However, if one adds all the costs, taxes, fuel surcharges etc. for each airline the costs rise (and rarely fall) in parallel with each other.
Remembering that the costs remain the same in all cases, it starts to seem like legal thievery.
Remembering that the costs remain the same in all cases, it starts to seem like legal thievery.