Subject: Re: canceled flights
Or an implicit financial "backstop."

Nope. I know for a fact that at least one of the friends is barely on speaking terms with her parents. She's just smart with money.

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, but it is an uninformed one, in this case. I know three of her friends that are going on this trip, and none of what you are claiming applies to them (there are two more whom I don't know).

However, by the standards of most nations, almost all Americans are wealthy. By American standards, these kids really aren't.