Hi All

Unsure if you can help and if this is the right section, but any advice appreciated. I have seen similar posts when I googled but not one exactly like it.

My wife agreed to go on holiday with 3 friends (a family) staying in 2 rooms but cannot make it. She has agreed to pay them for the flight which is non refundable but the hotel is refundable up to the night before the stay. It’s around £460 pp for 5 days. My wife cancelling means the other single will have to pay a room supplement at that hotel. They have 3 weeks before they were due to go.

As soon as my wife told her “friends” she couldn’t go they immediately they went off the handle and started threatening small claims before she even mentioned paying or not. At first I was saying “just pay it all”, but looking at some of these aggressive texts and now constant phone calls I’d rather not pay.

What is everyone’s opinion on the hotel?

It’s as much the moral as legal situation I am looking for.

This feels like something out of Jeremy Kyle, very petty and quite embarrassing.

Thanks

D

Very good, sympathetic friends!

The only thing they would be worse off is the hotel single supplement.

That's what at a push you could give them.

Then never contact them again.

You certainly find out who your friends are!

So if your wife pays them the non-refundable airfare and the single room supplement the other 3 in the party will not have to pay a penny more than if your wife had been able to go? In which case just pay it, even if their behaviour about it has been childish. Their behaviour doesn't justify refusing to pay them, however tempting it might be. Take the moral high ground.

Then find some new friends

Is the reason your wife cannot go something that might be covered by the Cancellation cover in a Travel Insurance Policy (if she has a policy)?

And what would be their reason for going to small claims? Your wife said she will pay the airfare in full. The hotel can be cancelled and rebooked, so no loss there. They wont be able to sue for the difference between a current hotel booking and the new one.

But if the supplement is only small, i would say to just pay it if she doesnt want to deal with a drawn out legal challenge or them harassing her etc.

Thanks all

I think the supplement is basically the full payment.

I can’t believe their behaviour. Literally turned nasty. Wife is in bits. The way and language they are demanding the full payment makes loan sharks look passive!

As said I was going to pay it all as a goodwill and “hey we’re friends” but the way they are demanding makes me think that they can just go and cancel the hotel and rebook for a budget they can afford without my wife. I just wasn’t sure if there is any “loss” since they can cancel the hotel.

If they are being extremely abusive and threatening i would think about calling 101. Since the hotel is can be cancelled without penalty, theyve suffered no loss and can get another hotel or room. After all, your wife has already agreed to pay the airfare in full, which would be a sizeable amount.

who is saying the flight is not refundable?

moved to the holidays and airline forum

Remember that I got the flight taxes back on a non refundable booking.

It was the airline who contacted me, so probably they have to refund taxes even on non refundable flights.

Check that out.