Not a lot of people know this, but First Choice are actually owned by the TUI Group. They even have the same ATOL number and ABTA membership number (2524 and V5126 if you’re interested). However, from a customer point of view they are not the same thing. For a start, First Choice is an online only brand and TUI have high street shops, and the way they package their holidays is different.
One thing they have in common, is that they both offer a Free Child Places deal. However, the holidays available through each brand and the way they are packaged are not necessarily identical, so it is still worth checking both websites.
The bones of the deal are the same though – one of your kids can get a free holiday provided certain conditions are met, and cash strapped parents desperate for a holiday will be very glad of that!
Here’s everything you need to know about First Choice’s free kids places offer.
Terms and Conditions
First Choice are a more budget conscious brand, and the way they work is by letting people pay only for exactly what they need. For example, they can leave out transfers from the airport, or only travel with hand luggage, or book the flights on a cheaper airline. They offer packages as well, but customers can adapt them to fit their specific needs or to bring the cost down.
However, where the Free Child Places offer is built in, changing anything else about that package could invalidate the deal. This is something you must be aware of when booking with First Choice. The flight times, airport, hotel, baggage, everything has been selected specifically to enable them to offer the free child place, so if you tinker with it, the deal might no longer apply.
There are still loads of options, so you shouldn’t struggle to find something that works, but it’s a bit different to other companies offering similar free child place deals, so don’t get caught out.
Other than that, the offer is fairly standard: 2 adults paying full price can take a child with them for no extra cost. That means four adults could get two free child places in the right circumstances, and there are even a small number of hotels that extend the offer to multiple children. These are rare but they do exist, so check the specific terms. A ‘child’ usually means someone under 12, but some hotels accept kids up to 15 for free.
Be aware too that this is a seasonal offer, and that places can run out, especially at busy times like school holidays, so book early if you can. You can sign up for alerts if you have somewhere specific in mind.
What’s Included?
This deal includes everything the full paying adults are getting, even down to the type of board that has been paid for. In other words, if you adults are getting all inclusive, so will the free child, but if they are going self catering, food and drink for the child will also have to be paid for separately.
At a glance, you get:
- Free flights
- Free accommodation
- The same standard board basis as the adults
- Free transfers where transfers are included in the package
- The hotel facilities, activities and entertainment included in the adults’ package
The free child will have to stay in the same room/apartment as the parents of course. They are allowed to stay for free, but they won’t get a room to themselves.
It’s also worth mentioning that infants under two years old are usually free too. There might be a nominal charge from the airline to cover taxes, but provided they sit on your lap, you won’t usually need to buy an extra seat for them.
Where Can You Go?
First Choice have a great range of destinations from European favourites to long-haul hot spots
Some of the destinations included with the free child place offer have included:
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Greece
- India
- Jamaica
- Maldives
- Mexico
- Portugal
- Spain
- Thailand
- USA (Florida)
So it’s a real mix as you can see.
Why Book With First Choice?
All the big companies offer free child places, so why would you choose First Choice?
Well, First Choice is aimed at more budget conscious travellers, so even with a free child place included, their packages are often very good value. There is also more variation, because First Choice build their packages using flights from several airlines, meaning lots of choice when it comes to departure airports and timings.
You can even find some of the same hotels as those being offered with TUI, just with a different airline, for example, or with less baggage allowance. Both could come with a free child’s place, but First Choice could be cheaper.
I would also say that First Choice have moved on from their reputation as providing only all inclusive resorts. They now have a full range of holidays including self-catering apartments and five star resorts too – and they could still qualify for the free child place deal.
So if you are on a budget and prepared to be flexible, you could do very well with First Choice.