This Redditor, for instance, refused to suffer during their long layover and gave in to the inviting spirit of the VIP lounge; their pals, though, decided to stick to their plan and not splurge on comfort – however, once they heard how lovely it was, they dubbed the netizen a jerk. 

Traveler invites pals to spend their long layover in a VIP airport lounge

They refuse because they agreed to “travel cheap”, so the OP goes alone

“AITA for paying for a lounge at an airport during a long layover?” – this netizen took to one of Reddit’s most judgmental communities, asking its members if it was indeed a jerk move to skedaddle to a VIP lounge and leave their friends alone. The post managed to garner over 14K upvotes as well as 1.3K comments discussing the situation.

Who doesn’t like to travel? It’s true bliss!

You get exposed to new cultures and broaden your horizons, learn things and explore different novelties, make friends and bond with existing ones, and you also break from your mundane routine and create a gazillion memories you’ll cherish forever.

In short, the opportunities are simply never-ending!

However, as with everything in life, traveling has its own cons. First things first, it’s an expensive gig! The new environments also expose you to different health risks (I’m talking about you, Bali Belly); there’s the good old language barrier, cultural differences, safety concerns, and perhaps one of the most annoying aspects – stuffy airports with limited amenities.

Now, everybody and their mom likes to be comfortable while journeying to their destination – yet, no matter how tempting it might be, not everybody is willing to spend an arm and a leg while waiting to board their flight.

But! Chances are, the majority of you who’ve had to experience a long layover will agree that those things are particularly cruel and will have you throwing your cash left, right, and center as long as you can cozy up and not spend the next several hours in agony from all the discomfort.

Later at the gate, they get dubbed a jerk for bragging about the facilities

u/Ok_Fisherman5205, despite deciding to travel cheap with their buddies, had enough of their long layover and opted out to test out the airport’s VIP lounge that offered free food, booze, comfortable chairs, and shower facilities.

Now, before heading off, the OP informed their mates and invited them to tag along – however, they stuck to their plan of saving some pennies and refused, sending the traveler alone. 

The netizen ended up having a blast, of course! They had some food and a couple of drinks, napped, and took a nice hot shower before meeting their pals at the gate.

Upon their get-together before boarding, the pack was discussing the whopping cost of everything; however, the OP’s happy grimace interrupted the convo and prompted them to ask why they looked so pleased with themselves. 

u/Ok_Fisherman5205 told their friend group about their delightful stay at the lounge, but instead of being happy for their well-rested mate, they went off at them for not telling them about all the great things that were available at the lounge. 

The author clapped back and reminded their friends that the internet exists and they could’ve easily googled all the included amenities!

Fellow online community members shared their thoughts and opinions