Love Holidays - stressed!

Pops27

My 18 year son and friends booked a holiday to Zante for June 2026. The bulk of the group booked earlier than my son and 3 friends who booked in October. They paid a deposit of £30. Two of my son’s group can’t afford it now and pulled out. However, as my son is the lead on the booking, he’s now liable for paying their non-refundable flights! I know you’re all thinking, what awful friends. My son has just left school and can’t afford to pay, yet Love Holidays won’t allow him to cancel two flights. He’s only paid deposit so far on his Monzo card. Really stressed about it all. Any advice welcome. 

twopenny

Is it that just the flights they say they can't afford or the whole holiday?

If they are non refundable flights then the sum is due.
He could look for 2 others to join.

Could you and a friend go and stay at a different hotel. Not ideal.

It's a difficult situation and happens to people of all ages. I've had 2 different friends ask me to plan holidays and then dropped out. Fortunately I didn't pay anything. It changed the friendship.

flaneurs_lobster

Obviously your son is an adult and this is exactly what being an adult means. You sign up for stuff, it's a legal agreement.

Despite this, is there any way you could have a word with the other kids' parents? 

Pops27

Thanks for your responses. One lad lost his job and the other couldn’t get the money together. Unfortunately I don’t know the lads as they’re friends of two others in the larger group. No one else to take over the holiday. My son and his dad calling LH tomorrow to see what can be done even if a payment plan. I agree he’s learnt a tough lesson! He’s been told to now consult with us before booking in future. 

itsthelittlethings

Pops27 said:

Thanks for your responses. One lad lost his job and the other couldn’t get the money together. Unfortunately I don’t know the lads as they’re friends of two others in the larger group. No one else to take over the holiday. My son and his dad calling LH tomorrow to see what can be done even if a payment plan. I agree he’s learnt a tough lesson! He’s been told to now consult with us before booking in future. 

They should pay something towards it.

Pollycat

Pops27 said:

My 18 year son and friends booked a holiday to Zante for June 2026. The bulk of the group booked earlier than my son and 3 friends who booked in October. They paid a deposit of £30. Two of my son’s group can’t afford it now and pulled out. However, as my son is the lead on the booking, he’s now liable for paying their non-refundable flights! I know you’re all thinking, what awful friends. My son has just left school and can’t afford to pay, yet Love Holidays won’t allow him to cancel two flights. He’s only paid deposit so far on his Monzo card. Really stressed about it all. Any advice welcome. 

Just to highlight this potential problem with booking with companies like Love Holidays and On The Beach.
As they don't have their own airlines, they book seats on Jet2, TUI, Ryanair, Easyjet and are committed to paying for those seats.
If you book a package with Jet2 or TUI and have to cancel, you'll only lose the deposit you've paid.
However, if you've paid a 'low' deposit and have to cancel, you'll still have to pay the balance of the deposit.

Sorry for the mess your son is in, it's a hard lesson to learn.

Emmia

itsthelittlethings said:

Pops27 said:

Thanks for your responses. One lad lost his job and the other couldn’t get the money together. Unfortunately I don’t know the lads as they’re friends of two others in the larger group. No one else to take over the holiday. My son and his dad calling LH tomorrow to see what can be done even if a payment plan. I agree he’s learnt a tough lesson! He’s been told to now consult with us before booking in future. 

They should pay something towards it.

I agree, but it's the actual making them pay part which is the difficulty.

Myci85

It's such a hard lesson for your son, and I really hope that his friends pay the money back one way or another. I know not all parents will, or can, but if it was my son who did it, I'd pay your son the money myself and then expect my son to repay me as soon as he could afford to. 

My 17 yr old son recently booked flights and trains etc for him and 2 friends to go away for the weekend, and despite the fact one is his gf and one his best friend, and both lovely young people I trust, I told him to make sure he had the money before booking just in case they decided they couldn't actually afford it. 

I guess it is the lesson of only lending money that you can afford and would be OK to lose.

NoodleDoodleMan

Sadly this type of problem arises relatively often on these forums.

The only way to avoid this unfortunate scenario is for all parties to settle up the full non refundable deposit with the lead customer before he/she commits to a booking.