AITA For not picking up my GF from the airport after I previously said I would?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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The airport pickup plan went south faster than a budget airline in a storm. A young man, ready to play the dutiful boyfriend, set out to fetch his girlfriend from the airport after her Nashville getaway, only to find her flight delayed and her phone dead. What started as a simple favor turned into a heated standoff, with slammed doors and a night on the couch. This Reddit tale unravels the tension of miscommunication, leaving readers wondering who dropped the ball.

Was it his fault for not double-checking the flight, or hers for leaving him in the dark? The couple’s clash over a missed ride reveals the fragile dance of expectations in relationships. With emotions running high, this story invites us to dive into the messy, relatable world of love, logistics, and the occasional Uber drama.

‘AITA For not picking up my GF from the airport after I previously said I would?’

My GF (26F) took a long weekend trip to Nashville with a group of friends this last weekend. They left Wednesday and came back yesterday. Before she left I had agreed to pick her up at the airport when they came back. It's about a 40-minute drive from our place and I didn't have anything planned yesterday so it wasn't a big deal.

I texted her yesterday morning to confirm their arrival time so that I could plan when I should leave and she told me they were supposed to land at 3pm. I didn't hear from her the rest of the day, so I left our place at 2:30pm and arrived at the airport at 3:15 and texted her to let her know I was there.

When I didn't hear back from her by 4pm, I kind of started to worry. So I checked their flight status online and found out their flight had been delayed by 2 hours during a layover and wasn't expected to land for another 90 minutes. So, I went home. I had no way to contact her so I couldn't tell her.

About 2 hours later I finally got a call from her and she was asking me where I was. I told her I was at home. She got pissed at me and asked why I wasn't there. I told her I was there at the time she told me, but she neglected to inform me of the flight delay and I wasn't just going to wait at the airport for 4 hours. I told her to take an Uber.

I could tell she was pissed and she told me she was tired and exhausted (AKA Hungover) and forgot to text me about the flight delay. She said she doesn't want to sit in a strangers car for an hour and just wants to get back home. I told her I had already driven to the airport once today and I wasn't going back.

And even if I did, it would take me an hour to get there but she hung up on me. About an hour or so later she got home, threw her bags on the floor, walked to our room, closed the door and locked it. I tried to go talk to her but she wouldn't open the door. I ended up sleeping on the couch. This morning I finally got her to talk to me;

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and she told me her phone died and that was why she couldn't tell me about the delay and that she was tired and cranky and frustrated when they landed, but that I should have still picked her up because I told her I would. She told me that the Uber was crazy expensive because they charged her peak rates and after spending a lot on her vacation, she's pretty much broke.

She told me I should have just found something to do nearby until she landed instead of going home, especially since I had nothing going on. When I finally got a word in, I told her that I find it hard to believe she couldn't find a place to charge her phone during a 2-hour flight delay or have one of her friends text me,

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and that it's simple courtesy to keep people updated on timelines like that when they are doing you a favor. I told her I think she was just too hungover or still drunk and didn't even think about it.. She called me an a**hole and told me to F off. She again isn't speaking to me.

This airport fiasco highlights how quickly miscommunication can spiral in relationships. “Poor communication is one of the top reasons couples struggle,” says Dr. John Gottman, a renowned relationship expert from The Gottman Institute. His research shows that 69% of relationship conflicts stem from perpetual issues like unmet expectations or unclear communication.

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The boyfriend faced a dilemma: he showed up on time, but a two-hour flight delay threw a wrench in the plan. His girlfriend’s failure to update him—whether due to a dead phone or oversight—left him feeling disregarded, especially since he was doing her a favor. Meanwhile, she likely felt abandoned after a tiring trip, expecting her partner to be there. Both have valid points: he wasn’t informed, but she was stranded.

This situation reflects a broader issue: reliability in partnerships. A 2023 study from Psychology Today notes that trust hinges on consistent follow-through, even in small gestures like airport pickups. The boyfriend could have checked the flight status online, a standard practice, to avoid the mix-up. Conversely, she could have borrowed a friend’s phone to send a quick update.

Dr. Gottman advises couples to “turn toward each other” in moments of tension. Here, a simple text or call from either could have de-escalated things. For solutions, both should discuss expectations for communication during travel, like agreeing to check flight statuses or ensuring phones stay charged. Moving forward, they can rebuild trust by acknowledging each other’s frustrations and setting clearer boundaries for favors.

These are the responses from Reddit users:

The Reddit crew didn’t hold back, serving up a spicy mix of shade and support for this airport drama. From calling out the boyfriend’s lack of flight-checking savvy to questioning the girlfriend’s “dead phone” excuse, the comments were a lively roast. Here’s the unfiltered scoop from the crowd:

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GreekAmericanDom − ESH. Rule #1 of picking up people at airports: check the f**king flight status. It is on you that you got there and there was a delay. You could and should have found that out. The 'my phone died' excuse is irresponsible.

You're traveling, you damn well make sure that your phone is charged. And yes, in modern day travel, there are tons of charging station. She should have kept her phone charged and let you know about the delay.

pudgesquire − YTA, but I get the sense that maybe you don’t travel much…? (Trying to give you the benefit of doubt here, because otherwise you just lack common sense.) I literally can’t imagine agreeing to pick someone up from the airport, having their flight details,

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and not checking the estimated arrival time online before setting off — especially because the east coast and Midwest have had crazy weather this year and flights are getting delayed and cancelled constantly.

But ultimately, I’ve picked up many people from the airport and dealt with waiting through unexpected delays more than a few times. It sucks, but it sucks even more to finally escape travel hell expecting to see a loved one/friendly face waiting for you and hearing, “just take an Uber, I can’t be bothered,” instead.

throwaway20698059 − YTA. Never have I once headed off to the airport to pick someone up without checking their flight status first. Waiting at the airport for four hours was your fault. You didn't even leave her a voicemail or text that she would get upon landing and plugging in her phone? You just let her wait not knowing what was going on?

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Ayaruq − YTA. You can easily check flight arrival times online and airports and planes are notorious for not having working charging stations or not enough for everyone. You should've checked before you left. And you definitely shouldn't have stranded her at the airport just because she didn't/couldn't update you.

This is a crappy move from a partner. If you were a roommate or acquaintance, ok I can see being a stickler. You're supposed to be a partner. You're supposed to help catch the balls your partner might drop for any number of reasons.

If this was a pattern of behavior I can see maybe putting your foot down, but the whole point of being partners is to catch each other when we stumble.. She's probably reevaluating whether she can count on you when the chips are down. I know I would be.

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Chonkybabycheeks − Yta. I was going to go with ESH until I started reading your comments. You sound like you don't like her so you honestly should have a talk about your guys relationship.

bosslady2032 − Unpopular opinion, but a 2-hour delay is plenty of time to inform the person who is picking you up that there would be a delay. Her phone magically worked when she landed at the home airport, so the story that her phone was dead was BS. NTA.

Road_Warrior2 − Yeah bro. YTA by a mile. Wtf else were you doing? Sitting around in that couch? God f**king forbid you have to drive a little for someone you “love”. S**t happens with travel and delays and some people might have just expected you to be a functioning adult and check the flight and adjust. You checked and ignored.

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RNH213PDX − I'm very confused why you left for the airport without checking the flight status yourself before leaving your house? Or why didn't you go hang out in a coffee shop or bar when you learned at the airport of the flight delay. ESH - but you more than her. Her for not calling or texting, and you for being so darned petty and knowingly stranding someone to prove some sort of point.

ferretsmiles − NTA and everyone telling you to have checked the flight online is missing the point here. YOU were doing HER the favor, it should be on her to check and let you know. It is basic courtesy to text someone when you are actually boarding. I think all the y t a are from inconsiderate people seeing as the ignore the fact that she somehow didnt have her phone charged and couldnt charge it at the airport or borrow a friend's phone.

94mac819 − YTA. She should have texted you, sure. You still decided to leave her stranded when you realized she was delayed, and then didn’t bother to text her that you had made that decision. Also, when you’re picking people up from the airport it’s pretty standard to check the flight status BEFORE you drive to the airport, just so you know.

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Otherwise you end up sullying your girlfriend’s vacation and her opinion of you because you’re petty and lazy. I’d probably start formulating a thoughtful and heartfelt apology if you want to keep having a girlfriend, because from here it seems like you probably are in danger of becoming single any day now.

These Redditors weighed in with passion, some cheering the boyfriend’s stand on courtesy, others slamming his choice to ditch her. But do their hot takes capture the full picture, or are they just stirring the pot?

This story of a missed airport pickup reveals how fast small oversights can ignite big fights. Both partners had chances to prevent the drama but let frustration take the wheel. It’s a reminder that love doesn’t exempt us from clear communication. What would you do if you found yourself in a similar situation? Share your thoughts and experiences below—have you ever faced a mix-up like this, and how did you handle it?

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