In the words of the great philosopher, Daryl Kerrigan, "tell 'em to get stuffed."
I am pleased that this issue was brought to light out here, because it is an example of the way that smaller schools (an assumption on my behalf that a smaller school is involved in this case) are tackling the problem of falling PPL training. Instead of doing things smarter, they are just looking for more excuses to charge more money.
Very few PPLs have bottomless pockets, and those that do own their own planes. It is similar to the concept some schools tried of charging minumum hire rates, for example, having the aircraft away for one day would cost a minumum of four hours hire time. The fact that you only took it to a local airshow 30 mins flight time away was irrelevant.
Yes, times are tough, but the survivors will be the one who find better ways to stay afloat than squeezing stones hoping that blood comes out.
Walrus