Is there an option here that I'm not thinking off?

[Ragevibration]

Or if not, which of these is the best option?

Long story short I booked and paid for flights and hotel to London for DPs birthday about six months ago. Flights non changeable or refundable. Hotel can be cancelled or amended up to day before check in. Also tickets for a concert and and evening show booked and paid for, non refundable.

London dates are 19th Feb - 23rd Feb (Tuesday til Saturday).

DP now has a very important interview on the 25th (Monday) in Portsmouth. Cannot be changed (you take what they offer you and no 2nd chances if you can't manage).

So current options are:

1. Do London as normal as planned and then drive ALL THE WAY back down to Portsmouth on the Sunday.

1. Accept the loss of the flights, drive to london, change the hotel to one with parking and then drive onto Portsmouth and drive back again after the interview. This will be more money in hotels plus loss of the flights.

1. Abandon London all together. Losing the flights and the tickets already paid for. Could try to sell them but unlikely as the events aren't sold out.

WE live in the very North of Scotland. So it's quite far.

Use flights, he stays down and gets train to Portsmouth and premier inn / air bnb for 2 nights then flies back up. You use both original flights.

Can't you just come back on your own and he can book another flight home and just stay an extra night or two? He can get train from London to Portsmouth. That way you just have to pay for one flight and a night or two in a hotel or B and B as opposed to losing out on everything.

Can you do the trip as planned but your DP stay on two extra nights (either in London or Portsmouth)? DP could get the train to and from Portsmouth and then fly back on the Monday pm so you're only losing/paying for one extra flight and a couple of nights in a hotel (which might be cheaper in Portsmouth)

Go to London, you get flight home as normal. DP stays in London, gets train to interview, then train / flight home dependent on prices.

Ah I forgot to say that DP would like me to come with him to Portsmouth (although not completely necessary I'll admit).

He's been working towards this interview for 2 years and would like me there before/after for moral support, calming down, reassurance etc. Should have said that in the first place!

Portsmouth isn't far from London. Fly, you go home, DH gets train to Portsmouth and then either flies or gets the train home, you only lose one flight then.

How would he have got to Portsmouth if you hadn’t have been going to London? Are company paying travel + accommodation?

In that case, I'd still do what everyone has suggested but just for both of you rather than just him. I still think that would be the easiest/cheapest option.

Well I think you'll just have to stay an extra couple of nights in Portsmouth and pay for new flights home, but no need to miss out on the London stuff already booked. If he wants you there then you'd have had to pay for return flights and hotel anyway so financially it's not really any different.

Just sack off the last bit of your flight then, go to Portsmouth after London then either fly or train home. (((Not train)))

Call airline and see if you can change you flights back as a special courtesy, you would of course pay any fare difference. Explain about interciew for a job of a lifetime. They may well allow it. Then train to Portsmouth and back. Stay extra nights in Portsmouth as it will probably be cheaper. If you cant change the flight home, just bin it and book a new one way flight from the most convenient airport close to Portsmouth back home on the most convenient day

Sounds like a naval interview! Good luck

Is there a reason you can’t stay in London/Portsmouth for another two days? You may be able to transfer your flights from Saturday to Monday.

Can your DP claim travel expenses for the interview?

What are the conditions on the flight? Can he use the flight out but not the flight back? The get a single flight/train/coach/hire car back. A hotel near Portsmouth will be cheaper than a London hotel so that will save money.

Whatever you do, you are going to have to pay for the flights and you will have to pay for travel to Portsmouth if you don't go to London so you need to bear that in mind when you are thinking about costs. It might turn out that a hotel in Portsmouth for 2 extra nights and an alternative route home for your DP is no more expensive than the return journey he would have had to make for the interview IYSWIM?

You definitely need to stay south and not go back home on the Saturday.

Think of it as extra contingency in case of bad weather etc and he can spend time in the hotel on the Sunday relaxing and preparing for the interview instead of travelling from one end of the country to the other.

So I would get the train from London to Portsmouth on the Saturday and stay on Sat and Sun night in Portsmouth, DP does his interview and you go home on Monday evening, probably flying, as the train will take quite a long time and probably cost more.

So you just need new flights from somewhere south to where you live (Southampton to Aberdeen/Inverness?) and Sat and Sun in a hotel in Portsmouth).

Yes you lose the original flights, are away longer and have an extra night in a hotel, but it's an investment in his career.

So a quick Google suggests that two nights in a hotel in Portsmouth plus a new flight home from London... Looking at about £270 plus the extra for the trains to and fro and food etc for the extra 2 days.

Hmm. Far from ideal.

I'm not sure if costs will be reimbursed - the Internet seems to suggest yes but others no so I'm not going to bank on it just in case.

The PP who suggested Naval interview was right - eeeeek. Very scary but it's all he has wanted for years so I have my fingers crossed for him but if his interview is successful it will be very bitter sweet.

Go to London!!! Dont do option 3 under any circumstances.
Train to London for him or both of you. Fly or train home afterwards.

Are BA usually sympathetic to career changed once in a lifetime opportunities??

Do the London bit then rather than go home either hire a car or go by train to Portsmouth , it isn't very far from London , do the interview , get the train or drive back home after interview ,

Ok so you loose the cost of the flight home and gain costs of 2 nights in Portsmouth , plus the travel there from London and afterwards back home , but you wouldn't travel down on the day of the interview anyway so really you are going to book a hotel overnight for this plus travel costs to do this interview anyway

We often go to Portsmouth and can often get cheaper hotels just outside the city ( travel lodge type )

Yes try and go with him as support as it's been such a thing for a long time for him ,

Regarding BA - it is always worth you trying

Best wishes it all goes well

But how much would the return journey (and presumably at least one night in a hotel as you couldn't do it in a day) cost?

Don't think of it as £270 extra, as he would have had travel costs to the interview anyway (probably not far off £270)!