Airport divorce trend explained: Couples separate at airport to avoid travel friction, says travel journalist

Talk about hitting turbulence even before taking off.

Flying's getting dangerous nowadays. I am scared!

Uff... I am not talking about that you lily-livered lad. I am speaking about the viral trend of airport divorces.


What? People are going to airports now to divorce? How does that work?

When will you learn that in today's internet speak you can't take things at face value. Airport divorce doesn't mean that literally people are separating at the airport. Well, they are, but not the divorce kind. In 2025, British travel journalist and columnist Huw Oliver first suggested the solution in a The Sunday Times article to tackle the friction emerging from disparate travel styles of couples. The idea is that the moment you arrive at the airport, you separate and spend the time as you please and then meet again at the departure gate - some go the whole hog of travelling separately too.

That doesn't sound so bad. I can get on board with this trend.

Yeah, of all solutions currently going viral, this one actually makes sense. Who needs this whole 'couple must do couple things together' toxicity! Just kidding, but seriously, travel styles are a big source of friction among people, even steadfast friendships are tested while travelling together. And just because you might have different ways to travel doesn't mean that you are not compatible otherwise. In fact, airport time can test couples in ways a stressful home situation may not. Because between security lines, gate changes, hunger, and waiting times, everything feels magnified.

Hmmm... it does make sense.

Doesn't it? Airport divorce isn't a breakup. It's a buffer. By consciously separating, couples can avoid friction before it begins, and each party retains control of their airport experience. In his column, Oliver cited a 2023 British Airways survey in which about 54 percent of participants admitted their personality changes at the airport.

I will try and broach this for my next trip.

All the best. Maybe you can read this out to her.