Cobra, Of course he should take a firm stand and hold his ground. I'm not telling him to sneak out in the middle of the night.
Clearly if she decides to total the car or break her leg right before the trip, he will have to cancel even if the ticket is non-refundable.
But if she schedules something marginally important ("Oh was THAT the day you were going? I distinctly remember you telling me it was the week before/after."), like having the trees trimmed, or having a party for one of the kids, he can say, "Sorry, sweetheart, the tickets are non-refundable. You go ahead without me."
The nonrefundable ticket is just a little insurance.
