Term-time fine dad asks travel companies to contribute to fighting fund
Jon Platt, the dad who went to court for taking his child out of school during term time, is warning travel companies could go bankrupt unless they support him in the next stage of the fight.
Mr Platt won the case at the Isle of Wight Magistrates Court and then the High Court over school fines, but the decision could yet be overturned because the Isle of Wight Council, backed by the Department for Education, has filed papers to appeal the decision at the Supreme Court.
Mr Platt has set up a Just Giving fund-raising page and wants to raise £30,000. So far, he has raised £6,625 but is disappointed in the response from travel companies he has contacted.
On his Facebook page, Jon Platt – School Fines Refunds, he posted: "Last week I decided to ask a few big travel/holiday companies if they’d contribute given that this decision could bankrupt several of them if it goes against us.
"I’m not going to name names but those who’ve responded so far have, in their own unique way, said NO.
"Indeed one huge company didn’t seem to even understand the nature of the problem thinking it was some sort of ‘consumer dispute’ I was involved in."
He warned: "Perhaps they’ll understand the threat to their businesses a few weeks AFTER the decision when they have empty planes sitting on runways for 39 weeks of the year and they have to lay off half their employees.
"If you know anyone who works in the travel or tourism industry please tag their name in the comments.
"Their job is at huge risk if this decision goes badly and they should be warned so they can pass this on to their colleagues and hopefully senior management."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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