The Ex-Factor: A Vacation Gone Awry and the Demands That Follow
Ah, dear readers, what do you do when the love of your life turns out to be more kiwifruit than peach, leaving a bitter aftertaste? Buckle up because today’s tale, sourced from the wild, wild west of Reddit, has all the hallmarks of modern relationship drama: cancelled vacations, financial disputes, and, of course, a good ol’ dose of entitlement mixed with insanity.
The Setup: Love, Travel Plans, and Fine Print
It all started so innocently. Our protagonist planned an overseas holiday with his then-partner. He took care of the bookings and ensured they snagged a bargain on the flights, with his ex chipping in her half for the airfare. (Quick note: these were the non-refundable, non-changeable kind of tickets. Oh, the drama that even airline terms can prophesize!)
A Broken Heart, A Cancelled Trip
Tragedy struck: their relationship hit rocky shores, and it wasn’t long before “we’re breaking up” turned into “I’m cancelling our trip.” Predictably, the non-refundable nature of the tickets reared its ugly head, leaving our hero in possession of an airline credit, supposedly for a fabulous journey to Nowhere, Anytime Soon.
The Entitled Ex and Her Never-Ending Nerve
Here’s where the plot thickens, folks. His ex, unfazed by agreements and airline T&Cs, demands a cash refund for her share of the airfare. And when I say demands… she did not mince her words, alleging our guy’s resistance was “punitive” and claimed that “any respectful man would just give the money back.” Honey, if entitlement was a champagne, she’d be bubbly enough for a royal toast.
Pause for Reflection: Who’s The Real Villain?
So let’s ponder: Is our protagonist the villain in this saga? Here’s a guy who simply wants to abide by the terms and conditions that were crystal clear from the get-go. He even kindly referred her to the airline, which holds the credit (a princely gesture in the kingdom of creature comforts). Clearly, he’s not trying to pocket her money; he just feels responsible for holding onto the credit until someone sorts things out.
Whine and Dine
According to our Reddit hero, his ex called the situation a “low blow” and accused him of being “controlling.” (Oh, sister, if you want controlling, try switching seats on a budget airline.) The ex’s rhetoric suggested that this man was a modern-day Scrooge McDuck, diving into a vault of her hard-earned fare. The horror!
The Climax: A War of Words
As tensions escalated, our man refused to cave under the pressure. He reminded her of the bargain’s binding nature and extended the olive branch of airline policies, offering customer service as the next logical step.
Roger’s Verdict: The Real Deal Huxtable
Finally, (oh, you’ve hung in long enough!) here’s my verdict. Fasten your seat belts; we’re about to experience some turbulence.
Dear Entitled Ex:
Girl, you need to sit down and fasten your damn seatbelt. The runaway train of your audacity has already left Punxsutawney station. Blaming a man who simply did what any rational person would do (i.e., follow non-refundable fare rules) is just bonkers. In the Rulebook of Life, perhaps only sequenced by Marie Kondo’s organizing principles, you need to accept what you won’t be getting back and move forward—you spark no joy.
Dear Reddit Protagonist:
Brother, keep that credit. If she wants it, she can call the airline while playing Vivaldi on hold. Your call to keep the moolah unspent gets a standing ovation. You’ve demonstrated the boundaries of logic and self-respect, refused a monetary shakedown, and stayed true to yourself. Bravo!
There you have it, folks—a tale of love and air travel, where doing the right thing means sticking to your guns and protecting your hard-earned cash from post-breakup drama. So next time someone raises a “punitive behavior and really disappointing” flag, plant your feet firmly on the ground and say, “Not today, Felicia.”
Until next time, darlings. Keep loving, keep laughing, and, for heaven’s sake, read the fine print!
Original story
Booked an OS holiday with my then partner. I organised it all, and she paid her half of the airfare.
Terms and conditions clearly stated it was a bargain fare and not changeable or refundable.
She ended our relationship and cancelled the trip.
Fortunately, I was able to at least get a credit with the airline for the airfare amount, with an expiry date. It’s unlikely I will use the credit as I have no travel planned.
She’s now demanding I give her a refund in cash for her amount, even though I clearly explained it was not refundable. I explained to her that there is a credit sitting there for her, and the airline will not transfer that credit to her however should she have some travel planned the credit is there for her to use.
She’s saying this is “punitive behaviour and really disappointing. Ask anyone, and they would agree that a respectful man would just give the money back.
This is a low blow. You are being controlling”
I told her to contact the airline if she’s not happy.
I might be the asshole for not reaching into my pocket to cover her loss, even though she knew the terms, and she’s the one who cancelled the trip?
AITA?