Struggling to Plan Umrah with Family Requests – Need Advice (UK)
As-salamu alaykum everyone, I'm part of a family of five living in the Midlands, UK. My parents have been wanting to go for Umrah for a while, but only recently started seriously planning for the Christmas break. We're facing some challenges though. Our flight budget is about £750 per person max. The issue is my parents don’t want my brother to miss 3-4 days of school even if it means cheaper flights. I also can’t stay in Saudi after the 30th because of exams coming up. Another brother insists on flying only from Heathrow or Manchester, saying airports like Gatwick or Stansted are beneath him. He also only trusts airlines like Qatar, Emirates, Saudia, Etihad, or Turkish Airlines for the "experience and vibes," calling others unsafe. He keeps blaming the rest of us and thinks spending £4K on flights is "cheap." We've tried to reason with him but he’s set in his ways. My parents are quite particular about dates too. They want to include at least two Fridays in the trip but refuse to take flights departing on a Friday. Also, they want flights only to and from Madinah, and they want to stay at least 10 days, preferably 13. About hotels, they want to start in Madinah, spend 3 nights in Makkah in the middle, then return to Madinah. They prefer at least 4-star hotels but might accept 3-star if necessary. Proximity to the Haram and cleanliness are very important to them, but it’s hard to find decent options within budget. I’ve tried many flight and hotel combinations for a week, but as time goes on, places are selling out and prices keep rising because of the complaints. If the price is low, it’s considered dodgy; if it’s higher, then it’s too expensive. Our overall budget is around £6000-£8000. Jazakum Allahu khairan for any advice or suggestions you can share.