What the hell is a single supplement?
You might have heard the term ‘single supplement’ while researching solo travel, but what exactly does it mean? Most hotels price their rooms as doubles or family rooms and don’t discount them if they are only occupied by one person. This is justified by the hotel because they lose money with one occupant as the cost of provisions and cleaning is still the same, regardless of how many people stay in the room.
For solo travellers, they also have to pay an additional charge to occupy the room alone, for the ‘privilege’ of not having to share with someone else. This charge often means a solo traveller will pay the same, if not more, than the price of two people sharing. This is known as a single supplement.
Solo travellers are charged more as they don’t ‘fill’ the room
Traditionally, cruise ships and hotels charged these premiums because they’d have a certain amount of double rooms to fill – and solo travellers technically don’t ‘fill’ the room. Hotels also charge by room, not by person. If they charged a solo person only for their share, they’d be losing out on money when compared to giving the room to two people.
Solo travellers are also charged more because they’re considered to spend less on things like food, drinks and entertainment. At Flash Pack, we don’t really think that’s fair – you should be rewarded for having the courage to travel solo without a single supplement. That’s why we pair you up with someone awesome so you don’t have to pay it.
At Flash Pack, around 80% of our travellers choose to share a room
You’ll share with another like-minded traveller to ensure you don’t pay the charge. If you do decide that you want your own room, that’s cool, too. You will have to pay a little extra but it won’t be as much as the price shared between two people. If you are open to sharing a room, that’s even better. Around 80% of our travellers choose to share with others, and many return home with new lifelong friends. Even if you feel that sharing isn’t for you, why not give it a try? You are already undertaking an incredible adventure that’s pushing you out of your comfort zone, so why not take it one step further by opting to have a roommate?
And, just to put your mind at rest, we put in a lot of work behind the scenes to help make sure that you’re paired up with someone who we think you’ll get on with really well. Plus, all of our travellers are open-minded, 30 or 40-something travellers looking for an unforgettable experience, just like you – so what do you have to lose?
Flash Pack does a great job of getting to know people beforehand
You don’t have to take our word for it. Flashpacker Melissa Capocci relays her experience of sharing a room on a Flash Pack trip to Australia.
“Sharing a room was wonderful. Flash Pack does a great job of getting to know people beforehand and paired us based on that knowledge. My roomie Jennifer and I had so much in common, it was uncanny. I actually met her before the rest of the group and we walked around Sydney, talking over ice-cream about which parts of the trip we were most looking forward to. It really helped me to relax before I met the rest of the group.
Jennifer and I became friends and saved money room sharing
With lots of lovely people and personalities on the trip, we often ended up hanging out in each others rooms anyway. I never felt crowded sharing with Jennifer. We actually didn’t spend that much time in our room apart from when we were sleeping or getting ready. But when we were there, we managed to weave our bath and bedtime schedules together easily.
So my advice to future travellers is not to worry about it because everyone on the trip is like-minded. Jennifer and I quickly became friends, and we saved money by room sharing, too.”
Thinking of taking your next solo trip without a single supplement? Join Flash Pack today to go on an adventure with other like-minded travellers.
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Images: Flash Pack
