Budget Flights Help Needed

Caz3121

If the flights have been booked already the agent would have paid on your behalf and the airline is not going to refund them if non-refundable tickets.
I know it doesn't help now but for future don't book anything for anyone without the money up front or leave them to sort their own out and meet them there.
Sad that they have left you in this situation

Westin

I suspect you have purchased restrictive tickets but under a credit type arrangement called Fly Now Pay Later (did you select this option at check-out?). This is akin to a separate loan agreement with a finance loan company. Further more the interest rates look rather horrendous (APR 34.99%).

I think you need to look at your e-ticket and travel documents to see what change/refund restrictions are in place for your particular ticket.  TravelUp and similar will however be selling restrictive tickets, many non-refundable, many non-changeable.  Cheap, but restrictive.

Here is how the Fly Now, Pay Later scheme works.

https://www.travelup.com/en-gb/fly-now-pay-later

martindow

Your two friends presumably are now ex-friends if they are refusing to pay what they owe you.  Insisting on payment will not risk losing the friendship as that has already gone. 

I think I would be inclined to write to them asking one last time asking them to settle their debts and follow up with a letter before action and opening MCOL claims if they don't pay up. They have put you into a difficult financial situation and deserve little sympathy.