Single supplements

Williewonthe

If you are travelling alone, please do your calculations carefully and shop around.

I was thinking of having a 13 night holiday in Ecuador with a well-known UK company but have been put off by the single supplement of more than £750.

I downloaded information from the relevant hotels’ websites and calculated that the actual extra costs required by the hotels amount to no more than about £120.:mad::mad::mad::mad:

unforeseen

But you also need to add on the loss of profit by the UK company due to having one less bedspace available to sell

PeacefulWaters

You mean booking direct can sometimes save you money?

Brilliant idea!

sarah69696pink

As already suggested look at booking everything direct....then you will only pay for what you are booking. Unless you are looking for a holiday tour with others? in which case look at a specialist company for singles holidays.

Pollycat

Williewonthe wrote: »

If you are travelling [STRIKE]alone[/STRIKE], please do your calculations carefully and shop around.

I think this is good advice,

In fact, I'd say:
"If you are thinking about spending money on anything, do your calculations (research) carefully and shop around."

Doshwaster

In 20 years of travelling alone (I have no friends!) I can't remember ever paying a "single supplement".

bigadaj

Vitamin C.

Williewonthe

Unforeseen

The company in question has a maximum number of travellers on each trip. It is my experience that they usually achieve that figure.


So, they could not sell ‘my’ single room to a couple, as they would go above their maximum number.


If they don’t get enough customers, say 15 out of their maximum of 16, to have the tour fully booked, that sole traveller is helping their profit, otherwise they would have only 14 people.

If they only got 13 (out of the, say, 16) and they were more reasonable in respect of the single supplement for this particular tour, would they get another sole traveller who would further help their ‘profits’ by increasing the number of people paying towards the overall costs?

It has been my experience that this particular company is usually reasonable about single supplements.

In this particular case they are asking for an average per night single supplement of £65 on a tour where some hotels are £40 per night for a double and £25 for a single – some are cheaper and some more expensive (but not much)!


Doshwater
Where have you travelled to over the 20 years and with which companies? I have looked up holidays that are advertised as ‘no single supplement’ and have found that they are usually more expensive than other companies, even when adding the supplement to the latters’ prices.

To the other relevant ones.

Thank you for your sarcasm

Doshwaster

Williewonthe wrote: »

Doshwater
Where have you travelled to over the 20 years and with which companies? I have looked up holidays that are advertised as ‘no single supplement’ and have found that they are usually more expensive than other companies, even when adding the supplement to the latters’ prices.

The simple answer is to book flights, hotels and transfers direct and ignore package holiday companies as their business model is built around couples and families. Airlines don't charge single supplements and in the vast majority of hotels you are paying for the room regardless of how many people are in it - though some places do give a discount for a single occupancy of a double room.

Booking directly also gives you much more choice of timings, properties and itineraries rather than being tied to what is in the brochure.

I've never been to Ecuador or anywhere in South America, but in SE Asia it is really simple to travel independently and just book day trips and activities as you go. Stop in hostels and there will always be organised events and other solo travellers who you can hook up with along the way.