Millions of parents reveal plans to take kids on holidays during term time to save money
Just under a quarter (23 per cent) of parents are happy to pay a fine for taking their children out of school.
Local councils are able to fine parents if their child is considered to be 'missing school without a good reason'.
Each parent can be fined £80 for an unauthorised absence which can rise to £160 if it's not paid in 21 days.
But the fine isn't enough to put off millions of parents who say they can save £100 on a holiday by taking their child out of school during term time.
Nearly a fifth (17 per cent) of parents say they can't afford to take their children away during the school holidays anymore due to rising costs.
James Lynn, co-founder of Currensea which commissioned the research, says: 'Parents are under huge financial pressure so it's no wonder that millions are prepared to risk fines in order to treat their families to a much-needed break.
'The costs of overseas holidays soar outside of term-time making it incredibly hard for many families to travel - those who do prioritise the family holiday experience can feel faced with no choice but to take kids out of school during term-time, with the potential savings of off-peak travel outweighing the impact of any fines.'
Recent research from Confused.com revealed that UK parents have been fined £41 million for taking children out of school during term time since 2022.
Nearly 900,000 penalty notices were issued to parents and guardians between 2022 and 2024, according to the researc
Parents were most likely to be fined in Essex with Essex County Council issuing a whopping 35,605 fines.
Bradford and Lancashire are also hotspots with more than 34,000 fines issued by each area's council.
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Times
35 minutes ago
- Times
The beachy, breezy no-fly French city that's a quick ferry hop away
The massive stone walls of St Malo rise out of the English Channel, standing proudly against a vast seascape studded with rocky islets and one of the highest tidal ranges in Europe. This city on Brittany's beautiful north coast, almost surrounded by water, rose to fame in the 17th and 18th centuries as a corsair's lair, its pirates had a royal mandate to attack enemy shipping. Its diamond-shaped old town comprises a maze of narrow streets just as likely to lead you to a square lined with busy cafés asit is to send you through a gate in the walls to a sandy beach. Beyond the walled old town on one side stretches the breathtaking Grand Plage du Sillon — just one of the city's many beaches — while on the other, beyond the port, lies the quiet suburb of St Servan. And the food is fantastic, from fresh local shellfish to buckwheat galettes, delicious Breton butter and crisp cider. I first visited St Malo 40 years ago — and it has never lost its charm. Whether you're after culture, food or beaches, St Malo makes for an unforgettable and easily accessible city break or family getaway (it's between six to eight hours by ferry from the UK), and is a perfect springboard for exploring the surrounding coastline as well as visiting the Unesco-listed Mont St Michel in neighbouring Normandy. • Morning Explore the old town• Eat at Crêperie La Duchesse Anne• Afternoon Beach time• Drink at Bar de l'Univers• Evening St Servan• Eat at L'Armateur • Morning Mont St Michel• Eat at Le Logis Sainte-Catherine• Afternoon Rothéneuf• Drink at Cave & Bar à vins Le Brise Lames • Evening The villas of Paramé• Eat at Annadata • St Malo's walled old town is every bit as impressive and steeped in atmosphere as you might hope — rambling cobbled streets and squares alive with the buzz of cafés and restaurants. There is no right or wrong way to explore: simply enter at any gate and wander its labyrinthine streets. Not to be missed are the ramparts, which you can follow almost in their entirety, and La Demeure de Corsaire, a former privateer's mansion which paints a vivid portrait of the city's rich maritime past (£7; • Having been surrounded by the sea since you arrived, now is the time to hit the beach. Go through the gate at Port St Pierre and you'll find yourself on Plage de Bon-Secours, with its seawater pool; at low tide you can walk out to the rocky tidal islet of Le Grand Bé. Around the corner of the old town is Grande Plage du Sillon, a huge expanse of sand with views stretching to the horizon. Keep an eye on the tide as the water comes in fast and right up to the walls (check for tide times).• The hilltop Cité d'Alet in St Servan, west of the ferry port, was the original Gallo-Roman settlement of what became St Malo. Its broad footpaths meander above the sea in the shade of lush trees — the views from up here are particularly good — while the neighbourhood is also home to some excellent restaurants. Don't miss the Tour Solidor, a medieval keep guarding the mouth of the Rance estuary. The most fun way to explore the area is on a Segway tour (from £26; It's halfway round Mont St Michel Bay and technically in Normandy, but who's quibbling? You simply cannot come to St Malo without paying a visit to Unesco-listed Mont St Michel, which stands tall amid racing tidal waters like some medieval wedding cake. The abbey, built from the 12th century onwards, with layers of construction standing one on top of the other, seems at times to defy gravity — and the views from the upper terrace are sublime (from £11; There are two reasons to visit the area around Rothéneuf, less than 15 minutes' drive northeast of St Malo. The first is the wild, windswept and beautifully rugged headland of Pointe de la Varde, with its gorgeous sandy beach in a sheltered bay. The second is the excellent Musée Jacques Cartier, in the former home of this 16th-century French seafarer and explorer who 'discovered' Canada (£6; Join a tour of Paramé, the suburb alongside Plage de la Hoguette, with its succession of grand 19th-century villas built by wealthy Parisians. Afterwards take a last stroll back along Grande Plage du Sillon towards the old town, and catch the sunset from the mighty medieval walls. This is the best place in the old town to indulge in delicious Breton crêpes. Try La Duchesse de Touraine, a buckwheat galette with St Maure goat's cheese, local honey, salad and walnuts; or the signature La Duchesse Anne, a wheat crêpe with Breton biscuit ice cream, salted butter caramel and whipped cream (mains from £12; There are fancier places in town for a drink, but this is a St Malo institution, on Place Chateaubriand, and heaving with locals enjoying coffee, beer and cider. It opened in the 1920s as a yacht club, and the interior has plenty of atmosphere and old wood panelling, although during the day the terrace out front is the place to be (drinks from £3.50; One of the very best restaurants in the old town, L'Armateur is friendly and cosy, with a focus on all things fresh and local. Seasonal dishes might include hake with linguine, beurre blanc and wild garlic; on my visit, I had the best risotto with morels and ceps I've ever tasted. Vegetarians should call ahead: it will prepare something off-menu (mains from £18; If you do a day trip to Mont st Michel, this is hands down the best place to eat. Removed some distance from the busy main street, it has fabulous food, and a fine terrace with wonderful views across the bay. Enjoy dishes such as gratinated clams with wild garlic, artichoke barigoule, and Chausey Islands lobster (mains from £32; Back in St Malo, alongside Grande Plage du Sillon, try this wine shop and bar, it has an excellent selection of wines from across France, the majority from small vineyards, as well as cheese and charcuterie platters if you're feeling peckish (drinks from £3.50; This old town vegetarian and vegan restaurant — very rare in Brittany — is phenomenal. The short daily-changing blackboard menu highlights the very best of local, organic and seasonal produce, dishes are beautifully presented — plusselection of organic wines, local beers and excellent cocktails rounds things off. 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Local buses run to Rothéneuf and Cancale and there's a direct service to Mont St Michel ( Bike hire is available via Les Vélos Bleus ( There's no such thing as too much time in Brittany. Head to the little seaside town of Cancale for fresh oysters, or beaches such as Plage de l'Anse du Guesclin for sand and surf (both 20 minutes by car). The best way to explore is by bike — Brittany has enough cycle routes to keep you busy half a lifetime. Rudolf Abraham was a guest of St Malo Tourisme ( Brittany Tourism ( and Brittany Ferries (
The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
Frequent fliers reveal the upgrade tips that actually work
Forget dressing smartly or trying to charm flight attendants. Those tactics for getting upgraded on flights are myths. Instead, heed the advice here from frequent fliers who reveal tips that actually work for securing upgraded air travel. Our experts are Gilbert Ott, Founder of travel site The Points Guy; and JT Genter, Editor-In-Chief of the AwardWallet blog. Read on and you'll learn why checking in at the last second can yield a better seat — but only on certain airlines. And why booking premium economy is one of the best ways of getting bumped up to business class. Booking tips for a seat at the pointy end If you can afford to book a premium economy seat, you've also landed yourself a good chance of being bumped up to business class, says Gilbert. He tells The Independent: "It's the smallest cabin on the plane and the one the airline wants to 'upsell' economy passengers into the most. "They love to oversell this cabin with upgrades, effectively selling a seat on the plane twice to someone. And since it's such a small cabin, here you're most likely to receive a complimentary bump to business or first class." If budget airlines are more your price point, Zach recommends checking in at the very last second. He explains: "If you're flying on one of the ultra-low-cost budget airlines such as Spirit or Ryanair, I typically recommend checking in at the last second. "They often fill their planes back-to-front and reserve the most premium seats until the last minute to see if they can convince people to upgrade to them. "If they end up going unsold, it's possible they might assign them to the last people checking in." Does the same trick work for more expensive airlines? It can, says Zach, but he warns that "those carriers often fill their better seats with elite members". Stay loyal Enroling in an airline loyalty program and staying loyal significantly increases your chances of a better seat. JT explains: "The best way to get an upgrade to business or first class is to be loyal to that airline. "Generally, upgrades are going to go to a program's elite members." Zach agrees, telling The Independent that rewards also include the ability to "reserve extra-legroom seats at no cost or at a highly discounted rate". The downside? "You'll need to spend thousands of dollars a year flying with that airline," says JT. Volunteer to take a later flight if yours is oversold — and negotiate an upgrade Gilbert reveals that Delta has offered passengers as much as $10,000 each to transfer from an oversold flight to a later one. And if there's no cash offer, negotiate for an upgrade. He adds: "Airlines regularly oversell flights, so letting them know at check-in and at the gate that you'd be very willing to volunteer — and holding out for a decent offer — is a great tactic." Collect air miles Collecting air miles through credit-card spending is one of the classic tactics to snare a more luxurious seat. Gilbert recommends the Bilt Reward Card as it "allows people to earn points for paying rent, typically the largest monthly expense, and there's no annual fee, so it's an easy way to jump into the game". He adds: "Plus, the more transactions and spend, the better your rewards." Zach is a fan of cards that allow customers to earn flexible travel points "that aren't aligned with a specific airline or hotel chain". He explains: "This way, you can transfer points to a partner airline or hotel.' Zach says that American Express, Chase and Capital One all offer cards with this feature. JT's pro tip here is to avoid spending thousands on existing cards and instead continually sign up to new cards to take advantage of sign-up bonuses. He says: "These bonuses will earn you points much faster than through everyday spending alone. "Done right, this strategy can help you earn hundreds of thousands of points each year. In fact, my wife and I have earned more than seven million points and miles through sign-up bonuses alone. "Just be mindful of card issuer application restrictions and be strategic about your card applications." Avoid peak season The magic months for the cheapest business-class flights are early November and December, and mid-late January and February, says Gilbert. He reveals: "These are low periods for airlines and airlines are willing to sell relatively cheap tickets — think $2,000 for a business-class London-to-New York round trip — if you're willing to book far in advance and accept no flexibility for changes or cancellation. "If you can stick to it, take advantage of it."
The Sun
2 hours ago
- The Sun
‘What an absolute MESS' – James Wade blasts BA over ‘shocking customer service' days before World Matchplay Darts
DARTS star James Wade fumed at British Airways after his bags went missing - as he faces a race against time to get them back. The 42-year-old flew from Heathrow to Hamburg on Friday for the Baltic Sea Open but arrived without his luggage. 4 4 The eleven-time major winner was knocked out in Kiel, Germany, in the semi-finals by Scot Gary Anderson. And to rub salt in the wounds, when he arrived back in the UK he discovered his luggage had never left the airport. Wade claims he was told it would be delivered to his home but wasn't given a time scale, with the World Matchplay - which he won in 2007 - just days away. The star took to X to complain about the situation in a long and detailed post recounting his frustrating experience. Wade said: "British Airways what an absolute mess. "Checked in for my flight to Hamburg on BA0974 from T5 Heathrow on Friday 11th July 2025, and said good bye to by luggage for what seems to be forever. "Landed in Hamburg to the delight of no luggage. I was then told to expect my bag to be delivered to my hotel by 11:30 the next day. With frustration this never happened. "On return to Heathrow today, I have been informed that the luggage has never moved from its current location and on request that BA return this to me in person. "I have then been told that they are unable to return my personal and professional possessions and have to wait for their procedure of delivering the luggage to my home address with no specific time scale." Wade's reference to "professional equipment" suggests his luggage included some of his darts equipment. The timing of the loss could not be worse for the English thrower, who is not sure whether he will receive his items back before he leaves for his next major tournament. He added: "With me leaving to attend the World Matchplay on Friday the 18th July 2025 in Blackpool you can appreciate this is not ideal preparation for one of the biggest major tournaments of the PDC calendar year. "Absolutely shocking customer service." He tagged British Airways' X account in the post. Wade is the latest darts player to encounter luggage problems in recent weeks. Gerwyn Price impressively managed to win the Poland Masters two weeks ago with newly bought darts that he had to file down after his signature set was lost in transit. Meanwhile Ross Smith took to X on Friday to announce he'd also lost his luggage on the way to Hamburg - which he sarcastically labelled a "great start to the European Tour". He was quickly joined later that day by Chris Dobey, who claimed in a post on X that he had received 'no communication' from British Airways after his baggage was lost. British Airways have been contacted for comment. In a previous statement regarding Friday's issues, a BA spokesperson said: "We're working really hard to get our customers' bags to them as quickly as possible following a failure of Heathrow Airport's baggage system on Friday. "Whilst this was out of our control, we're sorry for the inconvenience caused." 4 4 List of all-time Darts World Champions BELOW is a list of darts world champions by year. The list does not include winners from the pre-Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) era or BDO world champions. That means Raymond van Barneveld, for example, is only listed once - Barney also won four BDO titles - and none of Eric Bristow's five BDO titles are included. 1994 - Dennis Priestley 1995 - Phil Taylor 1996 - Phil Taylor (2) 1997 - Phil Taylor (3) 1998 - Phil Taylor (4) 1999 - Phil Taylor (5) 2000 - Phil Taylor (6) 2001 - Phil Taylor (7) 2002 - Phil Taylor (8) 2003 - John Part 2004 - Phil Taylor (9) 2005 - Phil Taylor (10) 2006 - Phil Taylor (11) 2007 - Raymond van Barneveld 2008 - John Part (2) 2009 - Phil Taylor (12) 2010 - Phil Taylor (13) 2011 - Adrian Lewis 2012 - Adrian Lewis (2) 2013 - Phil Taylor (14) 2014 - Michael van Gerwen 2015 - Gary Anderson 2016 - Gary Anderson (2) 2017 - Michael van Gerwen (2) 2018 - Rob Cross 2019 - Michael van Gerwen (3) 2020 - Peter Wright 2021 - Gerwyn Price 2022 - Peter Wright (2) 2023 - Michael Smith 2024 - Luke Humphries 2025 - Luke Littler Most World Titles 14 - Phil Taylor 3 - Michael van Gerwen 2 - John Part, Adrian Lewis, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright 1 - Dennis Priestley, Raymond van Barneveld, Rob Cross, Gerwyn Price, Michael Smith, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler
