Parents opt for cheaper term-time travel
Tonya Russell got used to her son’s school teachers raising an eyebrow when she wanted to take him overseas.
The first time was when he was about nine and they went to Fiji part-way through the school holidays, coming back once the school term had started.
He is now 18 and, over the rest of his school career, they went overseas many more times, including to Dubai and Europe.
She said it was ‘‘definitely’’ cheaper to travel outside the school holidays – but the trips were also timed to fit in with her work and the weather in their destinations.
‘‘We copped flak from the school all the time. They think that school is more important than travelling … but I always advocated that he learned more in those two weeks overseas than he would sitting in the classroom. The teachers didn’t like that perspective particularly.’’
Nadie Tillman has a similar view. She took her two children, now 14 and 16, out of school for three months to go to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Borneo. ‘‘They learned some Mandarin, experienced new cultures and didn’t miss a beat at school when they got back.’’
She said the school was a little concerned at the length of time they would be away, but asked her to write a letter saying she wanted to keep them enrolled.
With many of the country’s families trying to travel at the same time, it’s no surprise that prices can be higher during the school holidays.
If you wanted to travel to Sydney for a week from the first Monday in the July school holidays, Webjet indicates the cheapest fares on offer from Auckland at the moment are a little less than $500 return per adult. But if you flew two weeks later, when school was back, you could get return tickets for just under $400.
Victoria Courtney, Flight Centre NZ general manager of product, said it was not true that it was always more expensive to travel in the school holidays.
‘‘The school holidays can be a very busy time to travel as many Kiwis across the country take the opportunity to have a family holiday, travelling both domestically and internationally. This means that prices can sometimes be higher over these periods due to supply and demand.
‘‘It simply comes down to a higher volume of people travelling over a certain period, it’s the same for travel over weekends, Christmas, Easter and public holidays.’’
At House of Travel, commercial director Brent Thomas said the holidays were considered peak travel periods.
‘‘We have customers who choose to travel during the school term in order to make the most of flight and accommodation availability or a particular deal in market, but a large number also choose to travel during the school holidays.
‘‘We know customers are looking for family getaway options and we do offer school holiday deals especially for families looking for a break close to home around Australia and the South Pacific, or mid-haul destinations like Asia and Hawaii.’’
Courtney and Thomas said there were other ways to keep the price down for family holidays, such as booking ahead.
‘‘It pays to lock in airfares as soon as possible as the cheaper fares tend to sell first, often leaving only the more premium offerings available closer to departure date. If you are booking accommodation it pays to book early, as you will increase your chances of securing your room of choice, or any special facilities that you may require,’’ Courtney said.
Thomas said South Pacific destinations such as Rarotonga could sell out three to six months in advance.
Sometimes it could be cheaper to fly to a different airport, Courtney said.
‘‘Regional airports can sometimes be costly in comparison to the bigger centres when it comes to booking airfares. If you’re based within driving distance to your nearest city, it could be worthwhile comparing the airfares and look at driving to your closest major departure point.
‘‘The same goes for the destination you are travelling to, when flying to the Gold Coast for instance you can fly into Coolangatta Airport on the coast, or into Brisbane Airport where you can catch a transfer to the coast. Your travel expert will be able to give you a variety of options and help you choose which option best suits.’’
Thomas said cruises could be a good option for families with children. ‘‘There’s a variety of cruise lines that offer entertainment for kids on-board, plenty of dining options to suit everyone and family-friendly cabins with some great pricing.
‘‘Travel is a great experience for children and parents alike to learn about new countries, cultures and languages.’’