Fighting Before Take-Off? How This ‘Airport Divorce’ Trend Could Save Your Relationship

Last Updated:November 13, 2025, 11:03 IST

An airport divorce has little to do with dissolving relationships. It’s a light-hearted, temporary separation meant to make travel easier.

Travelling together to favourite destinations is often on every couple’s bucket list. But long trips bring a mix of opinions and occasional disagreements. If you’ve ever found yourself arguing over boarding times, long queues, or last-minute bookings, you’re not alone. It’s common for couples to face chaotic moments at airports.

However, a new trend sweeping social media may offer a solution to travel stress, the “airport divorce.” This trend is changing the way couples travel together.

An airport divorce has little to do with ending relationships. It’s a light-hearted, temporary separation designed to make travelling together easier. The concept is simple: once check-in and security are done, couples intentionally part ways inside the terminal to enjoy some solo time. They reunite later with a calmer, happier mind and are ready to fly.

Who Invented The Term Airport Divorce?

British travel journalist and columnist, Huw Oliver, invented the term “airport divorce” earlier this year in conversation with The Times. Oliver called it a “relationship-saving manoeuvre” that helps partners avoid mid-air meltdowns before the plane even leaves the tarmac. Since then, the concept has gained traction online, particularly among Gen Z and millennial travellers who value emotional self-awareness and independence.

Oliver admits that he and his fiancee have completely different habits at airport. She loves browsing duty-free aisles and shops, while he prefers finding a quiet spot by the window to watch planes take off.

Why Airports Test Even The Happiest Couples

Airports, dramatic as they are, are high-stress spaces that often expose contrasting travel styles. Some people rush to the queue as soon as boarding starts, while others prefer waiting until the last call. These small differences can easily spark tension between partners, and no one wants to start a vacation with an argument before takeoff. That’s how Oliver and his fiancee came up with the idea of an airport divorce.

Even celebrity couples are relating to the idea. Television hosts Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos recently revealed on their show that they, too, practice “airport divorce”; he likes to arrive early, while she prefers to leave later.

Buzz Staff

A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.

A team of writers at News18.com bring you stories on what’s creating the buzz on the Internet while exploring science, cricket, tech, gender, Bollywood, and culture.

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