What is "single supplement"

n. A charge added to a per-person occupancy rate that is based on an assumption of double occupancy, as on a cruise ship.

n. a surcharge added to the cost per person when traveling alone

The single supplement is a travel industry premium charged to solo travelers when they take a room alone. The amount involved ranges from 10 to 100 percent of the standard accommodation rate. Solo travelers see this as an unfair form of discrimination, but vendors justify the charge as reflecting the fact that most accommodations are priced for double occupancy.

Discounts for booking early or repeat bookings and programs that arrange shared accommodation are variations on pricing that can ameliorate the single supplement for solo travelers. Research prior to travel may find companies that have removed the single supplement.

In 2013, around 12 percent of American adults planned to travel solo that year.