Who is bu about splitting the cost of a holiday?

[LilacCroc]

Not a typical AIBU, because I don't want to give away which 'side' i'm on, so that I get un-biased replies.

So the situation...a family of 4 (2 adults, 2 dc) are about to book a holiday. The cost is £500pp and because of free child places, 1 of their dc can go free, so total cost for them would be £1500.

Another couple, very close to the family (the dc's Godparents) will not have their own dc for that week as they are staying with their bio dad. So they put the feelers out about joining them on holiday, the family are more than happy and make them welcome. Fab.

So...now there are 6 people going, 4 adults and 2 dc, that means that overall they get 2 free childs places, so now both of the dc of the family can go free.

So the total cost of the holiday now, for all 6, is £2000.

The family think that each adult should now pay for themselves, £500 pp. The dc don't 'count' as they're both free.

The couple think this is unfair and that as the total cost for 6 people is £2000, the free childs places should be discounted and the total cost should be split 6 ways, with the couple paying £666 for 2 people and the family £1333 for 4 people (ish).

Who is right and who is bu?

If it was me I'd see the family as facing a £1500 charge and the couple facing a £1000 charge but because both sets are going there's a discount of £500 (the free 2nd child). As this is only a discount when both sets go (family alone don't get free 2nd, couple alone would get nothing off), I'd think it was fairest to split the discount in half so £250 each - family pays £1250, couple pays £750.

But one child's place does 'count' because that child wouldn't be free if the second couple weren't going.

£500 per adult. But don't go away with them.

Ignore
Drunk and read it wrong

Well it definitely shouldn't be split 6 ways as this would mean that the family would actually be paying more than if they were going alone. If I was a godparent I'd expect to pay the full rate for 2 adults and see the free child place as a thank you for having me tag along on the family's holiday.

If that isn't going to happen then I think the fairest thing would be to split the saving from the free child place between two - everybody wins!

The family should pay £1200 and the couple should pay £800. Possibly.

The child wouldn't be free if the couple didn't go, so the couple should have a slice of that £500 saving.
The couple would have to pay £1000 if they went on their own but they are trying to get a discount for both free dcs when only one of them is free because of them

I think the family are a bit tight to not share the child discount, saying as they only have it due to the couple coming.

The second child wouldn't be free without the couple going so I think the family should pay what they were going to pay without this couple tagging along (£1500) and the couple should pay £500 for their part in the trip. I'm assuming that since the price only went up by £500 that this is what the couple's price was anyway.

But I don't think they should go on holiday together because whichever way is decided it's probably going to cause some sort of friction.

I agree with cervix if you are arguing over this, I wouldn't bother going with them to be honest.

In my opinion, the children are the ones with the free places. They should go free so £500 per adult.

DC are 6 and 4.

When it was first (uncomfortably!) mentioned, the family assumed that each adult would just pay £500 because the children were free, so mentioned casually that they'd go for a nice meal on the last night, on them, as the free second child place had been because of the extra couples presence.

The couple felt this was unfair and put across their side of the split...they thought that as it was only due to their presence that there was a second free childs place, the family shouldn't benefit from it, and it was fairer to split the whole discounts between everyone.

Wow

IMO they should split the saving

Or - as they were all happy with the full price £1500/£1000 they could have a £500 kitty for meals/drinks/fun

Honestly, the friends sound like tightwads. Cancel the holiday!

Is the other couple paying £750, and the family paying £1250 an option?
That way you split the saving, so they save £250 and the family save £250.
However I see it both ways, the couple feel they are saving the family £500 by travelling as a group but they get no financial saving. The family see the child places as now being free.
I think my solution is fair.
Although if you can't agree on this are you sure you should travel together?

Split the benefit - so £250 off per family/couple.

I sometimes do things a bit left field so here goes. The family were going to pay £1500. The adult price is £500 each. The pot should be £1500 from the family, £1000 from the couple. So £500 goes into the kitty for holiday spends to save too many future discussions. Remainder to be split or added to 3/5 2/5 as children are very roughly half price in terms of admissions and food.

If you can't agree this amicably you shouldn't go on holiday together.
The holiday company is being unreasonable by charging per-head for paying children at the same rate as adults.
If this was a holiday among the group of friends I regularly holiday with, kids would count as 0.5 and the family of 4 would pay 3/5 and the couple 2/5 so £1200/£800 split.

The original couple should pay £1500 and tell the second couple to do one. Some holiday it's going to be if you're all bickering about it before you've even left.

Ok, so you are the godparents. What do you actually want?

Split the difference.

But again, I agree I wouldn't go. Can just see issues with car hire and food/ meal bills etc.

Why did the godparents want to go on holiday together anyway?

I'd be off on a lovely kids free break instead.

Wait no not so drunk that I misunderstood

Family = very tight

Couple = opportunistic/terrible at maths

Family 1250
Couple 750

Is right

Ok, so you are the godparents. What do you actually want?

What makes you think that? I thought i'd been suitably 007 so as not to give anything away...

I think the family sound like tightwads, not the couple. Or at least everyone is being equally tight with each other.

I'd my friends had just saved me £500 (that I had been perfectly prepared to pay a week or so before) I'd offer to split the saving. Especially as adult tickets obvs charged at higher rate by travel companies to pay for the "free" kids' places.

Kitty idea is best. Everyone feels the benefit, no-one feels ripped off.

So bloody cheeky! The cost to the second couple is the extra cost of them joining you on the holiday, ie £1000.

That's what they'd have to pay if they went by themselves; why should you subsidise them???

I'm in the camp of splitting the discount (I.e. The £500 for 2nd free child) equally between both parties.
Family are providing the child, couple are providing the adults. The second discount is only possible if both bits are provided.

But, to be blunt, if you can't work this out between you, then the holiday is going to be stressful before you even leave ....

family 1250 couple 750, everyone gets a discount..

but, it seems there could be tension already so is it the best idea to go away together anyway?