Airport Dads are trending on TikTok right now and while I am not one to often relate to TikTok trends, this one had me nodding enthusiastically in agreement.
Why? Because my husband is an Airport Dad – and by that, I mean he is the sort of person who has to be at the airport four hours before a flight, who will research the best route to the airport for the day we are flying and for that particular time of day we will be driving and then proceed to look into any possible weather events (like lots of rain or high winds) or whether there are roadworks or any other potential disruptions to the route we will travel, “just in case.”
Airport Dads are trending on TikTok
This ‘just-in-case’ mantra or over-preparedness is at the heart of being an Airport Dad and the sorts of things that are being shared by TikTok users worldwide (and with #airportdad having over 253.5 million views at the time of writing, it is clearly something that resonates with loads of people.)
Like, @p.jonesy who shared some epic Airport Dad action with his clip about co-traveler, Airport Dave.
In the TikTok we see Airport Dave waking the travel group hours before they need to leave for the airport to discuss the itinerary, taking the luggage outside even though the taxi hadn’t arrived and insisted on taking charge of all the luggage and passports at the airport.
Or Kristy, who says she is married to a “boujee Airport Dad” in her TikTok. The clip shows her husband taking control of all their luggage, judging other airport goers, purchasing overpriced airport snacks, having to be first in line to board, and then sanitizing the seats in the plane before they sit down.
Or then there is @iofficialnadiya who shares a TikTok of her dad printing off every possible document “for proof of everything” before traveling, continuously checking the flight status on the boards, checking that he has all the passports numerous times before they depart, and keeping all the important documents close at hand in his bum bag.
What is an “Airport dad”?
In my experience, #airportdad (AKA my husband) executes his over-the-top travel behavior by pre-weighing all of our luggage with a portable scale he purchased specifically for this reason and then moving items from one suitcase to another if any are over (despite the weight being calculated by all the luggage together (so pointless).
Not only does he like to ensure equal distribution of luggage weight, but he will also not allow our kids (which is understandable) or I (not so much) to be in charge of our own passports, boarding passes or any other travel document because he thinks it should “all be together” and that he should be the one in control of it because, well #airportdad.
While there is no sign of a bum bag (yet), he does have a travel backpack which, arguably, is close enough.
But along with the Tik Tok users and myself, it seems that airport dads are so widespread that there has even been a study conducted into them.
Airport Dads are everywhere
A recent survey of 1,100 dads in the UK reveals that nearly 70 percent said that they just fall into the role of taking charge when going on vacation by default (which I call BS).
However, interestingly (and I think more accurately), 40 percent of dads surveyed said that they became Airport Dads because they believe they’re the “best person” to ensure that the travel day all goes off without any issues.
Now, I have given Airport Dads a bit of a hard go here, so maybe I should let up a bit because according to the study, a lot of time, energy, and stress goes into taking on this duty, with 52% of dads saying that in order to ensure everything goes according to plan, prepping for a family trip starts anywhere between one to three months ahead of their trip. And why?!
They also share a common set of worries (the poor fellas) including, “Do I have everything?” (46%), “Have I forgotten something important?”(36%), and “Have we packed too much?” (27 %).
The study also revealed that many Airport Dads grew up with an Airport Dad themselves, from whom they learned this behavior. And this, I view as a warning because Airport Dads don’t have to be dads and can come in all shapes, sizes, and genders, and to be honest, I worry for my two children.
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