Upvote:9
I am afraid that unless the student ticket was either booked as a refundable or changeable ticket (you say they did not) or with an airline that specifically allows unconditional refunds in the event of a visa refusal (some do offer that, its in their terms and conditions), then you almost certainly won't get a refund, and there is little you can do to change that.
Presenting themselves at the airport is unlikely to change the situation, they will be refused boarding and that will be that.
I'm sorry, but it doesn't look good :(
Upvote:11
As your ticket is non-refundable and non-transferable you can only get a refund in case the airline, through no fault of your own, will refuse to serve you. When that happens, you should be entitled to a full refund.
They, of course, will refuse to board the student if he shows up without a valid visa, but that will be because of his fault and will not grant a refund. The best you can make out of this situation is to contact the airline and ask if they can do anything for you. If there still is a reasonable amount of time before the flight and the flight is booked solid, they may be surprisingly flexible as they now may be able to sell the ticket for a higher price. Or maybe they will allow you to transfer the ticket given the circumstances, who knows? Best to give them a call and ask - you have nothing to lose.