The Great ' Which companies class adults as younger than 18?' Hunt

jellis96 · 18 December 2013 at 11:42AM

I'm not being funny but if places offer discounts to children and in the same OAPS that is fine as firstly certain attractions such as alton towers cater mainly to those above the age of 12 therefore anyone below that age is not going to get the full benefit of this whether due to height restrictions or general age. I feel that although a child takes up the same space as an adult on a plane or in the cinema, they weigh less therefore saving fuel and usually don't pack as heavy items. they eat smaller meals and have less to drink etc.

You aren't subsidising them at all the company is just not making as much money. it doesn't affect you at all so why all the complaints!!!

onlyroz · 18 December 2013 at 11:42AM

claire16c wrote: »

I agree. There are often times when I've wanted the kids size meal somewhere. Can only really get away with if if it's fast food where you go up to order and they can't see you don't have kids with you. I used to order happy meals in McDonald's all the time!

McDonalds most certainly won't care if you order a happy meal for yourself.

mann-banks · 18 December 2013 at 1:18PM

I love the fact that some of you don't want children to get any form of discount but you want OAP's to get it. OAP's all receive a pension, a bus pass and fuel allowance, most of which will be paid to them for a shockingly long time. Children are a parents responsibility and an income at retirement age is the pensioners responsibility. As I struggle to pay into my pension scheme, I imagine by the time I can retire the age will be in the mid 70's and I will get a lower state pension. The children are the future, without children being born, growing up and paying taxes we would be in financial melt down.

happy2B · 18 December 2013 at 1:23PM

I think the issue here is not so much the principle - you can agree or disagree with child discounts and probably won't change your opinion - but it is the consistency of age. If a child of school age is offered a discount, primarily because they do not have an income, then it should apply at the current school leaving age, not 12 or 14, which is a legacy of the past. And I think in most circumstances should apply while they are in full time education, not lose as soon as they reach 16. The irony is that it can cost more in their mid-teens, and then as a student they get the discounts back again.
I guess it is also partially a "bulk buy" family discount - as in many instances a child would not be going to a theme park, meal out, on holiday, etc unaccompanied, and the cost of paying full price for both adults and children would simply mean doing it less often.
Doing it by height can seem very unfair if you happen to have a tall child. I guess however it is done there will be anomalies. I can see the argument regarding a teenager's appetite, but otherwise I think a company should be able to choose for themselves whether to give a discount for something which does not intrinsically cost less e.g. an airline or cinema seat, entry fee, etc but IF they give a discount THEN it should be consistent with school leaving/income-earning age.

Metarie · 18 December 2013 at 2:23PM

The View from the Shard classes adults as 16+

bylromarha · 18 December 2013 at 2:39PM

fluffnutter wrote: »

I think restaurants should simply do small portions of some dishes and make them available to anyone who wants one. They don't have to do some silly children's menu (i.e. food shaped like animals), just give you less. I'd go for this. Restaurant portions can be huge, it's hardly helping with our obesity crisis, I don't like wastage plus why should I pay for more than I can eat?

Restricting smaller portions to a particular age group is penny-pinching and something you see more of in lower end chains, IME, where profits are more important than customer service.

Which is why I was pointing out it works in the other direction. lots of the local independents round here do kids meals, which are smaller sized portions of the main dishes.

I normally just want a smaller portion and have been refused being allowed to order the child's sized portion as I'm not with children. :rotfl:

One regular place we go even goes so far to have a notice up stating that only children under 11 can order from the childrens menu. The food is too god to stop us going, but I have not yet cleared my plate.

totmalysh · 18 December 2013 at 3:27PM

Easyjet classes infants up to the age of 2 years and children to the age of 16, but charges the latter adult prices.

Beau12 · 18 December 2013 at 3:31PM

Our Local Bus Company charges over 14's Adult Prices. Outrageous. This is the only service from the village to town.:(

purpleweasel · 18 December 2013 at 5:14PM

"Take an airline as an example... the seat is available for whomever books it. To maximise profits the airline will want to charge as much per seat as possible... so why should they charge less for children when they could get more for an adult occupant and still have the same overheads (less the small amount of extra fuel for the additional weight of adult vs child)?"

The only thing I would add to this, having travelled extensively in a group of children as an "unaccompanied minor" when I was aged 10 - 15 is that they are charging the same price for the seat but have a fair bit less overheads. I imagine a couple of cans of coke etc for a kid must cost less than the drinks an adult would have (especially back then when alcohol was unlimited on planes). Children's meals were probably a bit cheaper too, being along the lines of egg-beans-and-chips.

Occasionally we would be bumped up to business class if cattle class was full. Much cheaper than moving adults up: food, drink & baggage allowance were unchanged so the only benefit we got was the extra leg room and they filled more seats without having to pay out any extra!

daisiegg · 18 December 2013 at 5:35PM

Gloomendoom wrote: »

So the rest of us that do earn money are supposed to subsidise other peoples' children when they go on holiday?

My father took advantage of the cheap OAP lunch deal at his local pub. He was disgusted to find that the portions offered were tiny. He may be 87 but age hasn't dulled his appetite. He ended up paying full price for a decent size meal.

I didn't say I thought it was right, just that that is the reason.

The Great ' Which companies class adults as younger than 18?' Hunt

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