Women Ditch Friend on International Vacation After She Has Visa Issues. Then She Asks Them for a Refund

A woman has turned to Reddit for advice after she and her friend left their third travel mate behind due to visa issues. 

It all happened when three friends planned an exciting trip to Egypt and Switzerland with a layover in London. But, their adventure rapidly crumbled when one of them was denied entry into the United Kingdom. 

The poster recounts how she warned her friends, Jessa and Ellie, to complete their Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA) before leaving. Unfortunately, neither listened to her advice. It wasn’t until they arrived in London that they understood the gravity of the situation. 

“Border agents told them they needed to do the ETA immediately or they would have to be back on the next flight to the US,” the poster explains. 

While Ellie’s ETA was approved within minutes, Jessa’s application dragged on for hours. “It turned into one hour and then two hours and then almost three hours later of us waiting at the airport. [Then] she’s hit with a denial,” the woman writes. 

The denial of Jessa’s ETA threw their carefully planned trip into chaos. The friends had their flight to Egypt scheduled for the next day. However, border officials informed Jessa that she would not be allowed to transfer and would have to return to the United States to apply for a standard visa. 

Jessa suggested that her friends abandon their trip and return with her to the United States. But, the two friends were reluctant to do so as their next tickets were non-refundable. 

The poster writes, “Mind you, we are on the basic economy tickets with Delta, so if we leave, we lose money that we can’t get back.” 

After careful consideration, the two friends made the difficult choice to continue their trip without Jessa. This decision affected everyone involved as the poster details the financial arrangements they had made for the trip, including shared accommodations, flights and excursions. 

The situation was further complicated when Jessa requested reimbursement for her share of the non-refundable expenses. “I was able to cancel 3 excursions for a full refund but she wants us to come out of pocket and repay her and I don’t think it’s fair,” the woman states. 

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Now the woman is struggling with feelings of guilt and uncertainty on whether she and Ellie did the right thing leaving Jessa behind. 

Many Redditors have sided with the woman and Ellie on their decision to continue the trip without Jessa. “You warned her, so her mistake isn’t your financial responsibility. Nonrefundable costs should be hers, not yours,” writes one user. 

Another shares, “Her not taking action is her responsibility. No reason for everyone else to suffer just because she got denied. She goes home and learns a lesson. Next time get all the approvals before leaving for another country.”