My friend group is about to go to war over airport arrival times.
By @willakinda · Friends
We're planning a girls trip, and the group chat is bitterly divided. Half the group are '3 hours early' people, and the other half believe showing up 45 minutes before the flight is plenty of time.
The full story
I'm trying to organize a simple 4-day trip for my birthday and it has devolved into absolute chaos over a single issue: what time to get to the airport. I have apparently curated a friend group with two diametrically opposed, and extremely passionate, philosophies on travel. In one corner, we have the 'Anxiety Planners.' Their leader has already created a shared spreadsheet with our flight details and a packing checklist. She insists that for a 3pm domestic flight, we must all be at the curb by noon. Her reasoning involves traffic, long security lines, the possibility of a surprise audit from the TSA, and generally 'leaving a buffer for the unexpected.' She says if you're not stressed, you're not prepared, and wants to have a leisurely lunch and a mimosa at the airport bar before we board. In the other corner, we have the 'Live On The Edge' crew. They are morally and spiritually opposed to spending a single second more than necessary in an airport. Their champion says arriving at 2pm for a 3pm flight is more than enough time. She scoffs at the idea of checking a bag, and is a firm believer that security takes 10 minutes, max. She called the 3-hour plan 'a criminal waste of a vacation day' and said she'd rather miss the flight than browse a Hudson News for two hours. I'm stuck in the middle just trying to keep the peace. At this point, we might have to just meet at the destination.
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 31% (31 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 35% (35 votes)
- You’re Fine — 34% (34 votes)
Readers are split: “It’s Complicated” leads with 35% — 100 votes and 4 comments so far.
What people are saying
@kara — I get the feeling this isn't really about the airport.
@quinnwelp — Can't you just take two separate cars to the airport?
@niaactually — This friend group sounds incredibly relaxing.
@sashayy — let them miss the flight itll be funny
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