Ski trip cost- are we subsidizing “host “ family

[Moknicker]

Wanted to get a sense check on how a family has asked us to split costs for an upcoming ski trip

• One family (2 adults + 2 kids) is going on the trip.
• Four additional children (each from separate families) were invited to join. Our child is one of these - is friends with younger child. Kids are 17 and 15 year olds
• Total people on the trip: 8
• 4 from the host family.
• 4 individual children

Shared costs:

• Accommodation: 4k total
• Ski lift pass: 7 at 300 each = 2100 ( mum is not skiing)
• Total cost: 6100

The host family just told us the cost is 1640 for our son. I asked for the breakdown( we were only given total figure). It looks like they have added up the costs and divided by 5

Aibu to say this is not fair and our cost is around 1050( accommodation divided by 8 and we pay 300 for ski lift ) and we and the other kids should not be subsidizing the “host” family? And if we are then they should have told us beforehand?

Travel costs and other costs are covered individually.

That’s a crazy amount for just 4 days’ skiing (3 nights?). For context, we’ve usually paid €3k for 7 nights in a hotel room sleeping 3, with breakfast and dinner included, ski-in/out, boot room on site, spa etc. In Italy.

I presume the car is a hire car? We don’t do airport transfers, as it’s cheaper to hire a car for our trip.

I think, as this excludes food and all incidental costs, they’re totally subsidising their own trip. I really would be pushing on a detailed breakdown here.

Yes I'm confused about this...I'm assuming the OP has looked up the accommodation they are staying in and found the cost of it, rather than the host telling them directly.

I'm wondering it's actually more than £4k, though £4k sounds like a lot for a three bed chalet for 4 nights

£1k a night accommodation for a 3 bed? I’m obviously living in the past!

That's a good point. The Portes du Soleil is about 50 euros a day and cheaper for teenagers.

Your update has upset me. I think 2k for flight and accommodation with three per room is a joke.

Yes I was rather assuming based on the lift pass costs that we were talking about a week.

Same! And the accommodation costs.

You can't really tell what's happened until you get the breakdown, it's does seem a lot higher than expected if it just covers the accomodation and lift pass.

Please tell us which resort or area you’re going to. If you don’t want to be too specific, is it Zematt or Bulgaria equivalent?

Effectively, they’ve divided the accommodation by 5; treating their family unit as one person, plus the 4 additional guests. Given that their family unit is spread across 2 rooms, that’s not on. Even then, adding 300 to the 1/5th room cost still only adds up to 1.1k. So they’re adding on an extra 500 for what they deem to be additional costs, like car hire, breakfast and dinner.

Yes this is too expensive - has to be St Moritz perhaps?! You will probably get another bill when they get home too!!

More fool they to be honest!! I can't think of much worse!

That aside, it does seem wrongly calculated on the figures given.

At the same time, the overall cost asked for didn't make my hair stand on end. 800 "all in" would be surprisingly cheap for one person. The missing bit seems to me to be food costs, ski hire, transport etc. However, as you say these are (yet to be) covered individually, then yes, the cost asked for should be 4000 divided by 8 plus 300.

To me it seems as though there may be some confusion around the extra food etc costs. Have they included an estimate? Presumably if it is self-catering, they will want a portion of that paid to them to provide the food?

They'd have needed a 2 bedroom place for just their family.

Im all for the children's families paying their way but they shouldnt be providing a cheap upgrade for the host family. If theyre asking more than £500 for accommodation and £300 ski pass there should be an explanation as to what moneys for

Op just read that update. How commited are you to this, ie is it too late to pull the plug?

Genuine question, if you are presumably rich enough to be sending kids on a ski holiday, why split hairs over a few hundred pounds?

If the host family are also wealthy, they probably tacked on a buffer assuming the parents of the kids won't mind. If you become "that family" who starts requesting itemised breakdowns of the budget, and then challenging it, then it's pretty unlikely your children will be invited to any future trips.

How are they going to all fit in a seven seater? Seems ridiculous for four days even the liftpass cost.

Definitely ask for a breakdown from them. I feel like they're absolutely taking the piss here. Would your son be really upset if you just said its too much at this stage? What a weird shitty thing for them to do!

Lots of people who go skiing don't have megabucks - me, for example. I'd definitely be splitting hairs over 'a few hundred pounds'!

The host family are using these kids to subsidise their own trip so none of them particularly sounds like the sort of privileged types who think nothing of dropping 0000s on a four-day trip to Aspen.

Whhhhat? Just because someone's not struggling doesnt mean they should susidise someone else's ski holiday! Thats madness!

Maybe they're rich enough to afford a ski holiday because they are careful with their money?

Maybe the host family are rich enough to afford a skiing holiday because they're happy to accept the generosity of their own DC being offered free holidays but are then rinsing multiple friends for excessive costs when they return the favour?

Yes, I've just caught that update about 4 days and 3 in a room. I was thinking it was a week with two to a room.

Just as a general observation, I do think sharing trips often throws up problems.

It's a nice idea - and works well in books and movies - but without a semi-objective organiser who is not themselves invested in the trip (eg a teacher who is paid to supervise/organise) problems do tend to arise quite frequently.

Can you say 'would you mind sending a breakdoen of costs, we didnt think it would be this much and want to ask DC to contribute from their savings as we budgeted a bit less and want to see which bits they can pay for?'

If it turns out they are trying to get you to subsidise them, omg I’d be absolutely furious, especially if I’d funded their kids previously at my own expense!

Do the four days include travel time? That will be nigh on £500 per day, and the weather / level of snow cover will be entirely uncertain!

Because nobody likes being ripped off.

If either family was really wealthy they'd being going for a week in a hotel, not cutting costs by.reducing time and self caterung.