Friend ditches travel buddies for airport lounge, brags about it, they say 'you're an AH.'
Traveling with buddies means a lot of compromise. There are times when you want to move fast and they want to move slow. There are times when you're willing to shell out extra for comfort and they can't afford it, or contrarily, when they wanna splurge on a special experience you'd rather pass on.
There's a reason people say 'don't travel with your friends.' As fun as it can be on paper, you're going to inevitably have disagreements and get on each other's nerves. In order to keep the peace, you just have to find the right level of compromise and space.
In a popular post on the AITA subreddit, the OP asked if they were wrong for ditching their friends in the airport to hang out in a lounge.
They wrote:
AITA for paying for a lounge at an airport during a long layover?
I'm traveling with five friends now and we are traveling cheap. However, we had one long layover in an airport with a great VIP lounge. The thing about these lounges is that they have free food and liquor. And comfortable chairs and shower facilities. I told my friends what I was about and they all said that they didn't want to waste money.
So I went to the lounge by myself. I had some snacks. A few drinks. A quick nap. A long hot shower. And then I caught up with my friends at the gate. My phone was fully charged, I was bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. And a little drunk. When we started talking they were b#$%hing about the cost of everything at the airport.
They send why I looked so pleased with myself. I told them about my stay in the lounge. Two of them got visibly angry. They said I was an @$$hole for not telling everything there was in the lounge. They had actually spent more on food and drinks than I had. Plus I got to nap in a comfy chair and have a shower. I said that lounges aren't a secret and that the internet exists.
They could have looked up the same information I did.
People chimed in with all the opinions.
ladystetson wrote:
NTA. With a long layover, lounges are an amazing hack. Especially if you want cocktails - airport cocktails can be like 30 bucks. Two cocktails and you've paid for your lounge pass. However, maybe don't gloat about the great time you've had when you're with people who had a rough time. Especially if you've got to travel together. Keep the peace.
Terrible_DJ wrote:
NTA. You told them what you were going to do and at this point, everyone should have an idea of what lounges have in them. Not your fault they didn't want to check it out.
They say they didn't want to 'waste money' but they went and bought food in the airport anyway.
'You can lead a horse to water.'
reliseak wrote:
YTA a lot of people have not used airport lounges before, and have the perception that they are fancy/associate them with traveling first class. If you like your friends, knew they were money conscious, and believed this was a better deal, I don’t know why you wouldn’t mention that food/drinks/showers are included in the price.
AlainnJuly wrote:
ESH, you wouldn’t have been an AH but the comebacks at the end weren’t necessary if they were tired and stressed. You kind of rubbed it in when they were already down. Yes, they made the wrong choice but read the room. It’s going to be awkward traveling possibly.
Sure they could have and should have done the research and are AH for being mad about not going but sometimes if you don’t know what info your looking for it can be hard to find. Also if they have only used smaller airports, they might have thought it was just a special seating area and not known about all the perks.
These are also supposed to be your friends you don’t have to rub it in and they shouldn’t be moody because they made the wrong choice.
HotButteredHamWallet wrote:
YTA for not trying to invite your friends. Tell them why you’re going to the lounge. Your explanation will likely include the price and the perks, and then they will make an informed decision. Do you even like your friends?
bros402 wrote:
ESH - you sound incredibly smug - why not tell your friends the stuff you get in one? Instead of just going 'i'm gonna go to the lounge, bye.'
While the internet can't unanimously agree on one verdict, the general consensus seems to be that OP could've been less smug towards their friends.