School Kid Story

This is a minor story, which rarely ever gets told but is of some interest.  Focus Magazine (the news folks) tells the basic introduction.

For those who aren't aware....airline prices bump up in Germany four times a year.  It's typical in the summer vacation period, the spring 'break', the fall 'break', and the Christmas season.  For a family of four, this surge in prices could amount to 1,500 Euro extra. 

But there's this odd thing about pricing.  Schools will 'break' on a Friday....and the pricing starts on Saturday morning for that 'period'.  Lets say that you (as the family head) got this idea.....why not leave for this trip on Wednesday....three days earlier....and save the 1,500 Euro?  The problem with this?  Your kid would be considered a truant situation, unless you got permission (paperwork).  Some schools might approve this.....most probably would not.

So a very small group of parents (unknown quantity to be honest) go and do early trip planning, and leave out of their local airport to save money.

Focus brought it up from a police source in Bavaria.....some parents got 'caught'....at the airport.

The story surrounds ten cases in Allgäu where the Landratsamt got notified (local area of Memmingen).

The minimum in this case?  Probably some fine.

The amusing thing here is that the cops are standing there at the security point with the families and contacting the schools.  The director of the school could actually force the cops to return the kid to the school, instead of continuing the trip.  Based on the commentary, it appears that the schools allowed the trips to continue on but excuses will have to be made, and I would imagine some fine might be forced on the parents.

The odds that these parents will ever use the Bavarian airports again?  Zero.  My guess is that they will venture up to Frankfurt and avoid any of this school-checking business.

How many parents do this?  I would venture to say that maybe one family out of forty will go and do the cheaper airline ticket business.  The minute you figure the numbers out and for four people....find 1,500 Euro in savings, it simply makes sense.  The amusing thing is that in most schools....the week prior to a break period.....they are simply winding down and doing little to nothing in class but showing up.