Flight refund

[Sidesplitters]

Hi,
I’m a newbie here,
I’d like a few opinions on something I feel is a bit of bad manners.
We live in France have done for past few years. We pay for my DSS to visit at least twice per year. He is 25, (working full time, lives with his mum).
This flight fare paying is not an issue, we chose to move, it’s unfair to expect him to cough up the cash to visit.
We also visit him in Uk 2-3 times per year.
In July we booked and paid for his flight. He came had a lovely time. His return flight was delayed 3 hours 17 mins. He claimed under EU rules for the €250 delay compensation. Which he received in September. The flight we paid for was €89 return.
I don’t expect the €250, he was delayed, he was given a food voucher etc he was put out, lost a few hours of his Sunday not us. However I think it would have been good manners to offer the refund of the flight cost to us. He’s just asked my husband to book his flight for a week in Feb and I feel a little miffed, AIBU???

YABU. It's compensation for the delay. When I've been on a delayed train for work, I keep the compensation. I was inconvenienced not them.

Yanbu.
I think as you say he should have at least offered you the money and you would have graciously refused.
He should not have taken it for granted that he would keep it.

YABU. If he hadn't told you, you would have been none the wiser.

Yes it would have been the polite thing for him to do.

Personally I think it's time he started paying his own flights.
And don't even get me started on how wrong it is an airline has to pay so much in compensation compared to the cost of the ticket, totally disproportinate imho. Reg 261 is the worst thing to happen to airlines.
(not saying nobody should get compensation, just that it should be relative).

Sorry, YABU, the €250 was for his time not the price of the flight.

When we lived abroad we paid for regular visits from parents (each about 5 times per year). We were the ones who had moved so we saw it that we were the ones who should be paying that extra cost of travel. I dont see that it is any different for DSS.

'Personally I think it's time he started paying his own flights.'

But don't be surprised if he never comes to visit you. We also don't know if he has no rent to pay, a lot of people cannot support another adult for free, even their own child, and have to charge working adult children rent.

Strictly speaking I think the compensation is given to recompensate for the time lost by the flight being delayed and is not linked to the payment for the flight - so in that sense it is in fact his

But it would have been a nice gesture for him to offer the plane fare and for you to say no

Yes I think if it was me I would have offered you some of the money back as you’ve been paying for all the travel.

I'm surprised at these responses. My Parents moved abroad when I was in my 20s, never did they pay my air fare and never did I expect them to.

He perhaps wouldn't visit very often if they didn't pay the airfare though.

IMany people wouldn't even have mentioned the compensation, in which you would be none the wiser.

I think you should stop paying for his flights, 25yo, working, 2x flights a year. He's an adult now and had shown by his action of not just paying for his next flight out of the compo he is a spoilt brat.
This ^^. It's not like it's that expensive. He could have had 3 flights out of that compensation.

Seriously don’t sweat the small stuff and this is the small stuff. I am very polite and I am not sure that would have occurred to me to do. When I travel on business if I get a similar payment I keep it, I don’t give it to my company.

It would be a "nice gesture" if he offered to pay for the flight anyway if he can afford it though wouldn't it? It don't see how the fact that he received some money unexpectedly for his inconvenience makes a difference. He can either afford to pay towards the cost or he can't.

When I travel on business if I get a similar payment I keep it, I don’t give it to my company.

Yes, I'm sure that most people would do the same as they would see it as money for their time and inconvenience. They wouldn't see it as a flight refund if they had actually taken the flight so I doubt that anyone would expect to refund their employer. This is no different really. It is up to OP's DH to decide whether to pay for the flights or not, accepting that they may not see much of his son if they don't.

I disagree and he is unreasonable. It's not like he's a uni student strapped for cash. I get that you moved and have helped him with the flights in the past. But he was inconvenienced for 3 hours, hardly a huge delay once you've had a wander around the shops, had a wee and a bite to eat! I think he should use the compensation to pay gorgeous his next flight, thisiswhat I would have done. So I don't think you're bring entirely unreasonable. He could have either paid for his next flight out of the money or given you the flight money back and kept the difference.

So what if he had a windfall? It isn't related to the cost of the flight and therefore why should he offer money to OP. If he had received a £250 windfall by some other means e.g.lottery would people expect him to offer that to OP too?
Whether or not he should pay for flights anyway is a separate issue as although many people would, their children probably wouldn't visit them as often as a consequence. Most 25-year-olds don't have a lot of spare cash and would probably prioritise it on holidays with friends rather than parents.

I'm going against the grain and would suggest he uses the voucher to book for himself and start to adult. He sounds very entitled.

Of course he shouldn’t offer it you or part pay for that flight. He was put out and he was compensated. He flew using the ticket you had paid for.

Now, whether someone in full time employment should be getting free tickets to is another matter, and one for you and your husband to discuss.

I think it is extraordinary that you pay for his flights at all TBH. I am surprised that more people on here don’t think he sounds entitled, and I am wondering if it’s because he is a Step Son which makes you a Step Mother! There are threads on here saying that parents shouldn’t have to support their children through University, but most people think it’s perfectly fine that you are paying his travel, and for him to not even offer a contribution to you when he makes money on your flight booking.

He is 25 years old, lives with Mummy, and you pay for his travel expenses for what is (im assuming) a lovely free weeks holiday. If you had moved from one end of UK to the other would you feel a need to pay him a mileage allowance, up front, to ensure he came to visit?

If you can afford and want to reimburse some or all of his travel costs then that is up to you, but i think it should be a gesture not a given.

I think it is extraordinary that you pay for his flights at all TBH.

Really? OP and her DH have moved to france. Her DH would like to see his son and appreciates that at 25 years if he has to pay for flights, he might prefer to holiday with friends rather than parents. Therefore, the DH chooses to pay for his son't flights. What is extraordinary about that?

son't son's!

I agree with you op - I think he could have offered to pay for his next flight, in those circumstances it's what I would have done!
I am quite shocked that you are still paying for his flights when he is 25 and working!!!!

Yes why should he fork out so much money to see his parents, if he moved thats different and if the dad wants too see the son he ethier has to pay for flights for his son or pay for flights for hinself + accommodations costs so in fact its cheaper for him to simply pay for flights.

Or go with hardly seeing his son