Are we forgetting single people in the fight for equal rights?
The forgotten human right - relationship/marital status...
Alongside all the other characteristics that are protected against discrimination, including race, gender, age, sexual orientation, religion, beliefs, class and so much more, are we forgetting one?
I wouldn’t go as far as to say it’s forgotten but it’s rarely discussed.
Marital status.
Yes protection from discrimination against marital status.
Why am I bringing this up, what spurred this sudden interest in marital status?
Well first things first, let me be frank and open and state that I’m not married, although I do hope to be one day. But I recently went on a staycation to celebrate my 40th birthday (it still feels strange saying that I’m 40!) but I’ve reached the big 4–0 and I decided to treat myself to a lovely three-night staycation.
So I went about seeking spa breaks (who doesn’t love a good spa break) and found one that seemed reasonably priced with a lot included in the price.
It was within budget and the cost as quoted on the website was £424, so I called the reservation number to make the booking and all was going well until I said the dreaded three words…
…I’m travelling alone…
Yes that’s right, I would be going on the spa break alone, as I wanted to have some me time for my 40th.
And then I heard the dreaded three words from the other end of the phoneline…
…‘single person supplement’
As a sole traveller and an unmarried woman and, I would have the unwelcome privilege of paying an extra £200 odd pounds because I was single and travelling alone.
The cost of the trip increased from £424 to £635 all because I was travelling alone.
Surely this is some form of single-person discrimination!
Are we paying more because we’re single?
Are we paying more because we’re unmarried?
Are we paying more as a reminder to ourselves that we are single?
Are we paying more because of an assumption that we have more money as unmarried people or single people?
I had my heart set on this spa break, so I paid the single person supplement, reluctantly, and the spa break was fantastic, so I’m glad I decided to go ahead with the trip.
However, why do us single people get ‘singled-out’ (pun intended) for travelling alone and not in pairs with a significant other or a friend?
Those working in the travel industry may argue that the SPS (single-person supplement) is warranted as the hotel doesn’t benefit financially from one person occupying a room meant for two people.
Surely there’s an obvious solution, well why doesn’t the hotel cater rooms meant for only one person in that case, to avoid one person occupying the room meant for two people?
That would avoid the sole traveller paying the single person supplement and also avoid the hotel missing out on the income from two people sharing a room, by allocating the room to a sole traveller.
Or am I being idealistic in thinking that single people and sole travellers shouldn’t have to pay a single person supplement?
Am I looking at the world through rose-tinted glasses?
Either way, as a single person and a sole traveller, I think the single person supplement isn’t fair and think it’s time for the tourist industry to cater, truly cater to sole travellers and single people.
We’re people too, we have rights! Although in this case the right to travel at the same price as a person with a significant other or a person travelling in a pair or group, may be seen as a ‘luxury right’, rather than a basic human right.
So I post this blog with caution and with the knowledge that there are more pressing rights to fight for.
All rights aren’t created equal and it seems neither are single people or sole travellers.