Booked flights, Now we need a 5th ticket

[barbnbrian]

booked our flights for June on Delta for $220 rt each, nonstop flights. Now DD's best friend wants to join us. Prices on the same flights have been going up each day, and today they were at $323! There are only 15 coach seats left on the flight down and 13 seats left on our return flight. Friend's family didn't have the money to purchase the airline ticket, so she was trying to earn the money. I had offered to purchase the ticket weeks ago and she could pay us back, but her family didn't accept the offer. She still wants to join us and I've been checking daily, only to see the price keeping getting worse. Not sure what to do now. My youngest daughter's friend bought her ticket at the same time I bought my family's, but my oldest daughter really wants her friend to come along and may be left with no buddy to join us.

What would you do? I've considered offering to split the cost of the ticket with the family.

 

[seashoreCM]

Will you have a car? Could she take a different, cheaper, flight and you meet her at the airport?

June is far enough away for prices to come down again.

 

[Hannathy]

Will you have a car? Could she take a different, cheaper, flight and you meet her at the airport?

June is far enough away for prices to come down again.

This or when you find a cheap ticket could you buy it and then when she finally has the money just pretend to buy it then when you have actually had it for a while?

If they insist on waiting for the money I think she is just going to have to fly on a different flight and meet you there/ and or wait for you if she gets in earlier.

 

[PatMcDuck]

Not sure how old the child is, but even teens sometimes do not want to fly alone. And some parents would not allow their child to fly alone either.

I would buy the ticket now, before it goes any higher.

 

[barbnbrian]

Well, she will be 18 by the time we leave, so she could fly alone, but I don't know how her family will feel about that. I'm going to look into different flights and see what they say. The deal was she could come with us, but she had to pay for her own flight and park pass. We own DVD and I've got a 2 bedroom unit reserved at Bay Lake Towers (Contemporary Resort DVC) and we'll be eating most meals in. She is a H.S. senior and does not have a part-time job. The parents have been laid off, so there's no extra funds available for airline tickets. I wish I had enough airline miles to cover at least one flight for her but I used all our miles for my families' airline tickets.

I've been hoping the price would drop again and I'd book it and wait for the money, but I don't know if she'll be able to come up with $323 for the airline ticket. If I did buy the ticket in her name and she ended up backing out of coming along, would I be able to cancel the ticket and get credit for future travel? We are flying on Delta.

 

[Lewisc]

The girl doesn't have a part time job and her parents were laid off. It doesn't sound like she's going to be able to come up with the money.

I suspect you'll have to decide if you're able (willing) to spring for the ticket.

You said you wish you had FF tickets but you used them for your family. Is there really a difference between paying for a ticket for one your family and using the FF ticket for a friend or using the FF for a family member and paying for the friend?

 

[seashoreCM]

She is a H.S. senior and does not have a part-time job. The parents have been laid off, so there's no extra funds available for airline tickets. but I don't know if she'll be able to come up with $323 for the airline ticket. If I did buy the ticket in her name and she ended up backing out of coming along, would I be able to cancel the ticket and get credit for future travel? We are flying on Delta.

Most likely no, you could not get credit.

The new facts of the matter are that her situation is quite unstable. Generally I recommend for all situations that the traveling person buy his/her own airplane ticket. Then (DD's friend here) has all the control over whether to buy the more expensive ticket or whether to take a different flight or whether to cast the trip in stone. You could agree to cover most or all the other expenses including her park ticket and some souvenirs depending on how badly DD wants her to come along and how bad their finances are at the time of the trip.

A lot of the time I make the decision to go on a trip or not go or when to go depending on the airfare.

 

[ToddyLu]

In the grand scheme of things $323 isn't that much money for your child to have lifelong memories of her trip with this friend. I realize it is a lot but in 10 years I do not think you will regret it. Maybe you could tell her and your DD it is a graduation, birthday and Christmas gift for this special friend. If the girl's family are footing the rest of the bill and I am sure it is difficult--I would buy the ticket. Will this be the only time she ever gets to Disney?

As an aside if I had been to Disney World as a child I would be living in Orlando right now and working for the company--one trip could change a life. I realize that may be far fetched, but one never knows.

And...would your DD be willing to work for some of the ticket, too?

 

[brymolmom]

My question would be, if the friend said she would earn her own ticket $$, why haven't you seen any of it? Does she have anything saved? If she doesn't have a PT job, has she done ANYTHING to start to earn (babysitting, mowing lawns, shoveling driveways, etc. for extra cash - even selling some of her old stuff on Craigslist)????

Is there anything preventing her from taking the time and making the effort to earn some of it (like caring for a younger sibling while parents look for work or caring for a sick family member)?

She is almost 18 years old...practically an adult. If she truly wants to go on this trip, depending how much time it has been since these plans were originally discussed, I would think she would have made some attempts to try to earn it and would have at least SOME cash saved to show for it.

I'm not sure if I would cover it for someone who hasn't made an effort. However, if she HAS been working at every available moment and stashing some dollars away for this trip and trying her best to earn it so that she could go....then I would likely cover any remaining balance for the ticket (but I might buy her one on a different flight so it's cheaper - I flew across country when I was 14...Pretty sure an 18 year old can handle it).

 

[WDWisTheBest]

The girl doesn't have a part time job and her parents were laid off. It doesn't sound like she's going to be able to come up with the money.
I suspect you'll have to decide if you're able (willing) to spring for the ticket.

Good point. Whether the airline ticket is $220 or $323 rt is rather moot, isn't it?

 

[Lewisc]

The truth is any money she's able to earn can probably be used for things more essential then plane fare to MCO. Clothing. Food. School books.

The OP suggested her daughter really wants to bring the friend.

I think the OP has to either forget about it or pay for the airfare and consider it a gift.

Under no circumstances would I purchase the ticket and expect to get paid for it.

She is almost 18 years old...practically an adult. If she truly wants to go on this trip, depending how much time it has been since these plans were originally discussed, I would think she would have made some attempts to try to earn it and would have at least SOME cash saved to show for it.

I'm not sure if I would cover it for someone who hasn't made an effort. However, if she HAS been working at every available moment and stashing some dollars away for this trip and trying her best to earn it so that she could go....then I would likely cover any remaining balance for the ticket (but I might buy her one on a different flight so it's cheaper - I flew across country when I was 14...Pretty sure an 18 year old can handle it).

 

[brymolmom]

The truth is any money she's able to earn can probably be used for things more essential then plane fare to MCO. Clothing. Food. School books.

The OP suggested her daughter really wants to bring the friend.

I think the OP has to either forget about it or pay for the airfare and consider it a gift.

Under no circumstances would I purchase the ticket and expect to get paid for it.

I agree...unfortunately we don't have enough information to be sure. If she has been earning money and using it to buy groceries or pay for senior activites or other things, then I agree with you. However, if she's been hanging out at the Mall....spending money on hanging out or a new iphone or a new data plan for that phone or new unneeded clothes (doesn't sound like it but I know a bunch of families who don't have any money to speak of and yet this still happens)...or not earning anything at all to put toward either household expenses or the trip - then I don't think that it shows any desire to even go on the trip. That is the situation when I likely wouldn't assist with buying the ticket.

 

[seashoreCM]

Maybe you could tell her and your DD it is a graduation, birthday and Christmas gift for this special friend. If the girl's family are footing the rest of the bill and I am sure it is difficult--I would buy the ticket. Will this be the only time she ever gets to Disney? ?

I forgot to add that the friend will be more disciplined and make a better commitment and be more serious about the situation and appreciate it more if she buys her own airplane ticket even if you foot the rest of the bill.

And if you feel that it has been burdensome to her family and also you determine their family does not spend gobs of money on superfluous clothes, iphones, etc. then you could find a way to get some of the ticket money back into her family's hands --- after you all return home from the trip. No advance notice on this last part. And if it is a graduation gift, not in the form of clothes or itunes cards or iphone data plans.

 

[Lewisc]

What about theme park tickets? Does the friend have an AP? Leftover tickets from a prior trip?

Otherwise another $250 (give or take a few dollars).

 

[francie57]

We have been in the same position in the past with our kids taking friends. Our son had a friend that we wanted to take with us (our daughter's friend's family was in a position to cover her costs) and we knew he wouldn't be able to pay for the airfare or ticket to the park since he was not old enough to work yet and his family situation was a single mom (dad took off and didn't contribute anything toward child support). We were staying in a 2 bedroom villa at the BW through Disney so we had the extra room for him to come. We paid for the airfare and park ticket, plus the meal plan for him. We actually made up a certificate and wrapped it up for Christmas and gave him the trip for a gift. The only thing he was responsible for was any spending money he wanted to take. It was well worth every penny that we spent since the boys had a great time and got photo albums/frames so they could put all the pictures they took in them. As others have said, if you are in the position to pay that would be what I would do - actually we have and don't regret it for a minute.

 

[seashoreCM]

Another point of view:

If ...

You would not feel bad if you wrapped up a sweatshirt or a couple of movie DVD's or an iPod as a gift and later saw a friend of a friend wearing the regifted sweatshirt or saw the DVD's/iPod on eBay ...

Then ...

You can feel free to buy her the airplane ticket and should not feel bad if she decides not to come at the last minute
.

 

[Lewisc]

Another point of view:

If ...

You would not feel bad if you wrapped up a sweatshirt or a couple of movie DVD's or an iPod as a gift and later saw a friend of a friend wearing the regifted sweatshirt or saw the DVD's/iPod on eBay ...

Then ...

You can feel free to buy her the airplane ticket and should not feel bad if she decides not to come at the last minute
.

Not the same. The gift recipient derived some value from the gift even if he re gifted it or sold it.

An unused airline ticket doesn't offer any value to the recipient. Generally it can't be sold and generally a change fee wipes out most of the value of the ticket if the recipient wants to change the flight.

A better analogy would be if you bought the person an ugly sweater that was going to sit in the bottom of a drawer forever.

edited to add even that analogy fails. An ugly sweater could get worn, sold or donated at some time in the future. An airline ticket is perishable and has little or no value after the flight.