Who should be denied cheap flight set up?

[Wayda]

My younger brother is a pilot. For 5+ years I have been lucky enough to get access to very discounted cheap flights. Appreciate that. Has helped my child and I experience many things we simply would not be able to otherwise (single mum). My brother recently mentioned that I along with our other brother need to figure out who will keep the cheap flights. Pilot brother has 5 spots which he can divvy out. He has recently become serious with a girlfriend who he wants to give the discount to.

My brother (not the pilot) is on a far higher salary than me and does not have kids. Yes, he travels more than me but that is due to him having the time to do so. This brother also loaned my younger brother some money to live off whilst training so I think feels entitled to the discounts. He probably earns £80k. Anyway, when we met at the weekend he told me “you had a good run”! The cheek! Assuming I should give up my spot.

Parents witnessed this and did not say anything about their spots. If I were them I would try and help out a single mother. I know it may seem entitled but I’m more hurt by the lack of consideration.

AIBU?

If I was your younger brother I would remove both of you...

Is switching every year an option?

Sounds like you did have a good run. Buy your own tickets if you want to travel.

You're no more entitled to the cheap flights than any other member of the family.

Maybe you should all stop jetting about and reduce your carbon footprint? Especially as you have a DC.

If one of my siblings had lots of money and could afford to travel, and one of my siblings couldn't without the discount. I know who I would be giving the discount too.

Can he swap you around? One has one year then the other the next and so on?

I don't think any of you deserve it more than the other.

My husband is a pilot and you’re being unreasonable. Do you take up one spot or two? And hardly cheeky for him to say you’ve had a good run - you have!

Do you and your child have a spot each?

Then your parents have a spot each?

And finally your brother?

So you want two spots whilst your brother gets none?

My child and I take two.

This is what has upset me.

So you have two and your brother has none?

And you genuinely think you are being reasonable?

I dread to imagine what you would think it’s unreasonable behaviour!

Slagging off the head to his staff as a trainee who I presume has not been there for very long was a silly idea.

I would have replied. What do you mean?

In that case, Rich Git Brother should give up his spot for the girlfriend. One out, one in.

Based on this you are being unreasonable, you and your brother should get 1 spot each, you will still benefit from the discount. Expecting 2 is incredibly entitled.

Errr pilot brother makes the decision

If he wants to give them all to his girlfriend that’s his call.

If he’s feeling nice he could do 3 to gf and one to you and one to other brother. Or any other split.

It’s a nice perk of his job that he can choose how to share, not something you or your other brother have a right to, and IMO it’s irrelevant how much your other brother earns.

🙄

I think the fairest thing is your two parents, you, your brother and girlfriend.

You pay full rate for your child’s ticket, but you get a discount.

And you be very grateful to your pilot brother for being generous (and other brother for supporting his chosen career path.)

Maybe your parents would also generously contribute towards their grandchild’s holidays, or maybe you’ll have to go away every other year from now.

Well, it's your brother's gift to give so although you might be pissed off, I can't see how you can argue about it. You've benefitted from the discount and now it's someone else's turn. Your pilot brother also feels he owes a debt to your other brother and that is perfectly natural.

Posters have been asking if the places can be swapped or alternated each year but you haven't answered the question.

I guess if he was loaned money to help his training, then maybe he wants offer this in lieu of having to fully repay him?
It seems a bit mean for your brother to be pitching this valuable finite resource as something you both have to beg for/deserve. If I was him I'd simply not say there was a set amount, and as and when they come up just allocate them fairly between everyone he wants to benefit. It seems a shame to have a perk and then see it almost gleefully fully withdrawn though. I can see why you'd be a bit pissed off. First world problem or not.

YABU. It’s not fair for you to have 2 spots whilst your brother gets 0. You and your brother should stay on and your child comes off, which is still a decent discount for you and makes it properly equal. Or perhaps you agree to swap in/out as often as it’s allowed? So you get a big holiday discounted every other year or whatever it is.

Your brother helped him financially through his training. He should probably get it.

Maybe try and come to a compromise where he gives you some money towards a holiday each year, maybe a percentage of the savings he makes using the discount.

If you can still keep one can you buy a more expensive ticket for your DC or does it become unusable as booking together is impossible?

How absolutely incredibly entitled you sound. You're so fortunate to have benefited but he doesn't owe you anything.

But my other brother is in his late 20s, no kids, no partner. And earns more than me.

I spend a lot of time out of the house to provide for my child and those cheap holidays are precious as they allow us to reconnect.

Brother would be able to absorb the lack of discount, I won’t. He can still go away often regardless. For me the discount is make or break.

FFS. It’s not your brothers’ fault that you are a single parent. Pay your way like everyone else since you enjoyed this flight perk for a while now. The entitlement is mind boggling.