Friend has pulled out of holiday the day before we are due to fly out

[OkIy]

Hi,

I have had a ski holiday booked with my friend for the last six weeks. She is a bit flaky but I’ve never been in this position with her. I thought she was being unusually vague about the details and my suspicions have been confirmed today.

She has just texted me saying she doesn’t think she can’t come as she has pulled a muscle during yoga earlier this week and it’s too painful. I was with her last night and there didn’t seem anything wrong with her. I think she is either making this up or is really exaggerating (she can be a bit of a hypochondriac sometimes).

I thought she had been dropping hints she might not be able to come but I triple checked before the cut off for no refunds came. She told me to go ahead.

I have paid for everything and it’s nonrefundable (we have done this multiple times in the past with no issues so I wasn’t being overly naive). I haven’t discussed this aspect with her yet as I am too upset. We are meant to fly out tomorrow.

I am not sure what to do. My birthday is on Friday as well. It wasn’t originally envisioned as a birthday weekend just a cheapish off peak break :(

I don't travel insurance can be claimed just because she's changed her mind.

I couldn't let it go, I'd have to push and push to get that money off her and it was be the end of the friendship. How would you come back from this?

It's sad she can't come. She still has to pay her share though.

she should have paid you as soon as it was booked with onoly 6 weeks to go anyway

whats with paying the day before you leave

Tell her you expect to pay her half whether she comes or not. Suggest she come and sit in the cafe at the bottom of the lifts with a book during daylight hours while you ski, and you two can hang out in the late afternoons/evenings being social.

I agree with this 100%.

I'm sorry that she's done this to you. I hope you still go on your trip and have a great time.

If she isn't going to pay anyways then take someone else and change the name on the ticket .. if possible ?

It varies but generally post the after sale cooling off period (which might be only 24 hours) a lot of airline/tour operators charge a seriously hefty fee for a major name change/complete change of passenger on a booking..( that policy is in place to avoid touting).

As this stage in proceedings if somebody else wants to accompany the OP the simplest quickest answer might be for them to try and make a new booking on the same flight/holiday, but of course it will cost lots.

She needs to pay for her share and for any other expenses incurred because of her pulling out at the last minute.

Hopefully you can get someone else to go with you. If not, your choices are to go alone (which would probably be fun) or don't go and ask your friend to compensate you for ruining your holiday.

She says she has hurt her leg - no idea if that would be sufficient grounds to claim but that's the basis on which people are suggesting it.

Text her:

"That's a shame, but your'll still have to pay your half because I told you on xxth Dec that the cut off fir returns was on that date, to check you could still come".

No more arranging stuff. Definitely no paying up front. To do so is stupid if the friend is known for being flaky. I don't tolerate flaky friends.

That’s really shitty of your friend.

I can see you having to take her to court to get her to pay too.

I dont think were going to get an update .

I’d tell her to let me know by 6pm if she was coming or not and the amount she owed me was X to be paid by 6pm whether she was coming or not, and that she could claim on her travel insurance.
Then I’d ask any friends if they wanted to go and cover the cost of the name change. If not still go on your own and see if there are any single things or events you can go to but still go and enjoy.

I don't!

Travel insurance only covers you, not your friend. If she's got travel insurance she can pay you and claim it back if she can get a doctors note

If its just a pulled muscle then she can still go with you and just not ski. Meet you for coffee and dinner etc. She might perk up after a few days

Unfortunately this is what I suspect.

This all a bit last minute. When you booked and paid for the holiday, why didn't she pay you back then? Now it's the day before you fly out and she still doesn't know if she's going?!

You are both ridiculous.

Not necesserily. My travel insurance covers me if another member of my party can't go and it affects me.

Is it just the 2 of you going? What was the plan for skiing, were you doing lessons?
You can't go skiing on your own OP, it's too unsafe. As a skier you will know not to ski alone.

If she cannot go she will have to get a medical certificate and claim on her insurance. You will hopefully be covered by your insurance as your travelling companion is ill/injured. But she will have to get this medically certified, she can't just decide this herself

Do you think it could be that she’s pregnant, OP? That happened to a friend of mine once and she had to make up an excuse to pull out of a skiing hol as it was very early on the pregnancy and she didn’t want anyone to know yet

That's awful. What a 'friend'. We are planning to go to a ski resort sometime soon, although neither of us can ski. We will just enjoy the scenery and do some walking, swimming and apres-ski. Your friend can easily find things to do.

Regardless of anything, she needs to pay you and claim back on her insurance and IF she is successful, super. If not, you’re not out of pocket

On our insurance we are covered if a member of our party has to pull out, it covers our losses but not those of the other person, they would have to claim from their own policy. Good luck, have a look!

She needs a doctors cert to claim on the insurance and you need her to do that too to claim on your insurance.