Who should pay this extra holiday charge?

[Hobbyholidaydilemma]

Brief background: some members of a hobby group decided to visit an event abroad. It’s also a holiday destination, and it evolved to a 10 days stay because of a second, vaguely related, event.

The group members are friendly, but no close friendships.

It was planned to book 8 rooms, plus flight, with most people sharing the twin rooms.

One man wanted to bring his teenage son and the son’s friend.

Due to needing an adult on each booking the son’s friend was shown on the booking as sharing with an unrelated man from the group, but the intention was that he would actually share a bed with his friend ( hotel didn’t allow 3 people to book into twin room).

All was booked and paid in full months ago.

Unfortunately the man with whom the teenager is shown to share a room suffered a tragic and life altering event, and it is impossible for him to attend. His finances are also badly affected. It’s very sad.

This means that the teenager will on paper be the only occupant of the twin room, and the holiday company requires an adult in each room.

Cancellation charges are around 75%.

It’s possible to change the name on the booking to one of the other adults attending, but it costs a lot: it’s not much less than the full cost at around £600.

There has been much discussion how this should be funded. Legally as it appears that each of the room bookings have been made separately, it is the sole responsibility of the teenager; but that seems so unfair, he saved and paid for this trip and can’t afford to pay more.

The majority of people had to make sacrifices to be able to pay. There are only maybe 3 people within the whole group who are ‘comfortable’.

If everyone contributed ( including the 2 teenagers) it would work out around £50 each; but several people have already said they can’t manage even that.

This teenager is only known to 2 of the people attending, and isn’t part of the hobby group, so some people are simply saying they can’t help.

Along with a couple of others my position is somewhere in the middle, and I would probably try to pay the £50, but currently that won’t solve the problem.

The holiday company is making NO allowances for the circumstances.

I don’t see an easy solution to this and I suppose am asking for any ideas, or at least to gauge what others feel would be a reasonable course of action.

This is incredibly obviously the responsibility of the dad who organised for the extra teen in the first place. Has the idea that the whole group should chip in come from him?

What do you think should happen, @Hobbyholidaydilemma?

I understand the man has had some very unfortunate circumstances but its still his responsibility to cover the cost unfortunately. I wouldnt be paying an extra £50 for someone I didn't know.

No, it's nothing to do with him. He doesn't even know the teenagers

It's all on the dad of the teen and the teens friends parents to sort out.

to cover his own costs, or the costs for the random teen he's never met?

No it’s not his responsibly. It could have been any of the party’s name partnered with the teen on booking form.

I understand the man has had some very unfortunate circumstances but its still his responsibility to cover the cost unfortunately.

Why? He - call him Bob - doesn't know the boy in question. Bob didn't invite him along. Bob only agreed to have the boy's name on his booking as a favour. There was no benefit to him.

Bob's own costs will be covered by his insurance. The issue is who pays the boy's cancellation costs and how can the boy arrange a new booking, given he now has no-one to share a room with.

Even if Bob's insurance did cover the boy, as a (supposed) travelling companion, the boy is still left with no-one to share a room with. I doubt anyone ese in the group will be falling over themselves to offer.

I am in two minds, which is why I posted.
I don’t think the poor man who had to cancel has any liability.
I feel very sorry for the teen, who has paid out of his own money, which he has earned. He doesn’t come from an affluent family as far as I can tell.
I think that the responsibility lies with the person who arranged for him to be on the trip, ie the man who is a member of the hobby group and was the one to change the dynamics by bringing his own teen and attempting to bring the second teen. He is not stepping up, however, and made the suggestion that we all share the cost. It’s clear that this isn’t going to happen, and sadly I think the teenage friend will get a very tough and unfair lesson.

I already commented up thread and said the dad needs to sort out his son and the friend.

I've never heard of a hotel that only has single beds! Is this some sort of religious hobby group as I can't think of any other reason? 🤔

I thought as much. The dad is a CF.

Exactly!!

The man who's withdrawn was doing a favour to the Dad, his son, and his son's friend. He is NO WAY responsible for the extra charge. No way. He should just cancel his booking & room.

If the Dad wants a companion for his teenage son, then the Dad should facilitate that.

Right. So it's supposed to have been;

Booked as;

room A with Dad (Frank) and Son (Danny)
Room B with random Man (Steve )and random friend of son ( Charlie)

But actual sleeping arrangements would have actually been
room A : Charlie and Danny
Room B: Frank and Steve.

But now STEVE can't go so Charlie has no room on paper. (But really it's actually Frank)

So Frank is the one that needs to sort it out between himself, Danny and Charlie.

Nobody else's problem tbh.

I’d stay well out of this! It’s not your problem…leave them to it.

He is not stepping up, however, and made the suggestion that we all share the cost.

Yup, cheeky fucker.

Exactly it’s not anyone else problem no matter why the father can’t now go. That’s what holiday insurance is for and ever member of the travelling group should have had some.

No, the 2 boys were always both going to bunk in with the (CF) dad.

They say top and tailing in a single bed... at that age I think we'd bring a lilo or self inflating mat for the other boy but that's by the by.

It's definitely up to dad/son/friend to cover it. Maybe they can split the cost? Nothing to do with anyone else, including the man who has been bereaved

"One man wanted to bring his teenage son and the son’s friend."

This guy. Situation of his making. His responsibility.

@tnorfotkcab
But actual sleeping arrangements would have actually been
room A : Charlie and Danny
Room B: Frank and Steve

No. I read it that Frank (the dad) has his own single bed, and Charlie and Danny (son and friend) are in the same room as dad and sharing the other single bed together, top and tailing!

Steve (man who has had to pull out) was always going to be sleeping in his own room, on his own. The underage friend was only put in his room on documentation and wasn't actually going to stay in Steve's room at all.

I agree though, the dad needs to sort out his son and son's friend. Nothing to do with the rest of the group.

The dad pays 2/3 (dad and his son)?of difference, and teen pays 1/3?

I think I think its on the parents of the teen who want to go...its their kid who is having the difficulty and they should pay the extra cost to have a name change so he is sharing with another adult.

Sadly, if they can't/wont do this then unfortunately, he can't go. Or dad who wanted to take him has to pay.

Agreeing to this was risky if it was against policy of the hotel and I wouldn't let my 16/17 do this for the risks involved.

Don't offer to get involved

All the other rooms are 2 people sharing, yes, so no one else can say the teen is bunking in with them?

And the only solution is you need another twin room which officially has the teen and an adult in, but in reality will have a single adult in?

I agree CF dad should pay, he could see if a couple of people want an upgrade to have single rooms instead of sharing then they could chip in, but only if they actually want the single rooms!

You may well be right but the dad might just be trying his luck on you first. When you all decline to split it (and I hope you do) hopefully between the 2 dad and 2 teens they might come up with something.

But if some of you say you'll chip in, it'll put pressure on those who can't really afford it. I think your best move is to all decline together and keep united.

The dad who invited his son and son’s friends sorts it out, I can’t believe he thinks everyone else needs to chip in.

The teenagers are going to top and tail in a single bed for 10 days while dad sleeps in the other bed?!

That was an utterly bonkers idea and they should have started by organising an appropriate room- or another hotel with a family room.

Tbh I think everyone in the group is culpable for not opposing this unworkable arrangement, but Dad has to be the one to sort it/pay out/lose the trip since he was stupid enough to invite son and friend to this wholly inadequate sleeping arrangement in the first place.