“Why Are We Rewarding Her Bad Behavior?” — Friend Wakes up 15 Minutes Before Flight, Somehow Still Makes It

Dads who like to get to the airport several hours before their flight is supposed to board may get an aneurysm watching this social media post.

Abby (@abbyyyyflo) posted a viral clip of her calling her friend 15 minutes before their flight's supposed to take off.

In the clip, she reveals that her pal, Beth, woke up and began getting ready to leave for her flight just a quarter of an hour before the aircraft's listed departure time.

Stunningly, Beth was able to make the flight, but Abby recorded the nail-biting moments that occurred before Beth ultimately made it to the airport.

Abby's video begins with her on a phone call with her friend, who is excitedly speaking to her on the other end. A text overlay that's plastered over the clip from the beginning explains why the two have such heightened emotions whilst speaking with one another.

"Beth woke up at 7:31 and made it on the plane by 7:46."

In a caption for the video, Abby writes that this type of behavior is typical of her pal. "Unfortunately, this was so on brand of Beth." The TikToker added that the "gates close[d] at 7:45" for the flight they were supposed to take together.

"It closes in 15 minutes, just get here and you'll be fine," she tells her friend before urging her to leave as soon as possible so that she can make it to the airport in time.

"Leave your house right now," she tells Beth, who can be heard stammering on the other end of the phone call. Next, the video transitions to Abby recording a mutual friend of theirs urging Beth, who isn't present, to "hurry" up and make it to the airport in time.

An on-screen caption indicates that it's 7:43 while Abby scans the airport seating area. The two of them flip the camera around as they smile and laugh into the lens while they comment on the predicament they've found themselves in.

"We are the last ones still at the gate, but ..." They continue to laugh, indicating that they're stalling on behalf of their friend.

Thankfully, at 7:44, it seems that Beth somehow made it to the airport in the nick of time.

Fortuitously, there isn't a long wait line at the security checkpoint, either. Abby records her friend placing her items down at the carousel. She can be seen speaking to the security agent, and then the video cuts to her jogging through the airport.

Following this, Abby records Beth exiting the airport and heading outside toward their airplane with her arms held up triumphantly. It appears that the flight was stalled just enough past the gate closing time to give Beth enough time to board.

Another text overlay indicates that she made it just two minutes after official gate closure at 7:47. Abby and her friend can be heard cheering off-camera as they shout Beth's name.

One could chalk Beth's victory as another feather in the cap of those who espouse "airport theory," which is a popular TikTok trend that sees folks who are adamant about not taking airplane boarding times too seriously.

"Airport theory" is an approach to flying that is predicated on the idea that a person doesn't need more than 15 minutes of post-security walking time to make it to their gate.

This flies in the face of other folks who believe that the earlier one makes it to the airport, the better.

The Exploreist says that depending on where you're traveling to, fliers should arrive at the airport at different times. If one is flying internationally, the site states that three hours prior to one's flight is a good rule of thumb.

This ensures that folks have ample time to get through security and any customers prior to boarding their flight without having to worry about potentially missing the cut-off time for their travel.

For domestic flights, The Exploreist states that getting there two hours before their plane officially takes off is a better metric to follow.

Upgraded Points, however, takes a more granular approach, highlighting the size and business of various airports. According to this outlet, if you're flying out of a more expansive place with a greater number of terminals, then the two-hour pre-flight time applies. Think Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airport or LAX.

However, if you're chartering a flight out of Jacksonville, Fla., or Cincinnati, Ohio, then you'll probably get away with an hour. Or, if you're feeling lucky like Beth, then you can try the airport theory out.