Going to the airport can be a stressful experience for anyone, but it’s often worth it, if it means a wonderful vacation is waiting for you on the other side. Unfortunately, however, not all journeys are full of excitement. Sometimes people have to board a plane on the absolute worst day of their life.
Airport employees have been sharing heartbreaking stories on Reddit of the most upsetting goodbyes they’ve ever witnessed on the job. From people breaking down because they have to leave their loved ones to parents mourning the sudden loss of a child, we’ll warn you right now that these stories may be hard to get through with dry eyes. So get your tissues ready, and upvote the responses that read like a tear-jerking movie scene.
#1
My family is based in the Philippines but my dad was British and he had to go home because of his cancer. My sister was denied a passport/citizenship by the UK so she needed a visa with my mom. I didn’t need one. We sent him ahead and were soon to follow him to the UK as we were just waiting for my sister’s visa.
My mom and sister were denied by the embassy for a visa. The look on my sister’s face when she said goodbye to my father at the airport broke me. She couldn’t let go of his hand and the security had to follow her and gently tell her to return to us as she had run to follow my dad.
Her wails when she had to learn she couldn’t see my dad broke me more when the letter of denial arrived . I had to fly alone to take care of my dad.
They never got to say goodbye properly when he died because the cancer took him so quick. My sister was 8 years old when that happened two years ago. Until now it breaks my heart.
Edit: I didn’t expect this to blow up! Thank you everyone for the lovely comments.
Sadly yes, even my mum was denied. My uncles said it was probably because of the issue of brexit? I am unsure..
Another thing is, I was granted a passport when I was young. But my sister wasn’t when she was about 5 years old.
And yes, we had to pay thousands because we applied for the 24 hour application as we were in a rush. We had all the documents prepared. Everything. From sponsors ( my uncles), to proof of my sister enrolled here in the Philippines for school, our lease, even a letter from the hospital as an appeal that my father was dying!
Icouldn’t understand. My sister is a kid. I couldn’t fathom why she was denied. People can be so…heartless.
Until now the loss of my father is still painful sadly. All I could do was bring home my father’s ashes to them.
Image source: willowlillyy, kanthitas / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#2
Not a worker, but me saying goodbye to my 7 year old daughter as I left for a 10 month deployment. I deployed fairly often in our marriage and when the kids were little; those were somewhat easy. The wife understood and the kids were so young they got through it fairly easy.
This deployment was right after our family spent 18 months living in an RV (while I was in grad school) and spending every moment together on the California coast hiking up and down miles and miles of trails. My daughter and I had grown particularly close; I taught her to read, I walked her to school each day, we spend evening on the beach, and rainy days coloring together or watching Dr Who.
The trip in question (that really hurt), was virtually a no notice trip. One moment we are back in North Carolina (on another camping trip) and two weeks later, I am leaving for 10+ months. This was the first time she understood (albeit in a limited way) some of the dangers associated with the trip and the length of time.
I will always remember her soul wrenching sobbing as I left…
as a follow up, I helped her over the trip by writing her (and her sister and her mother) daily. I even got access to several dozen children’s books and read them to her (on a DVD) and then sent them to her as a package weekly.
Even though she is now turning 16, I occasionally see her looking through them from time to time…
Image source: GreenSalsa96, mstandret / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#3
Once saw a little girl who was trying to run after her father when he entered the security. Her mother held her back, the sound of her crying will always stay with me. It was really heartbreaking.
Image source: Yeezus-of-Nazareth, Image-Source / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#4
Not an airport worker. When I was 19 my twin brother was moving to Canada for his last year of university and my dad and I saw him off at the airport. When it came time to leave him, we both hugged him. Told him we loved him. And he walked off up the ramp with his ticket.
I looked at my dad and he just held both of his hands to his chest and tears were rolling down his cheek. Second time I had ever saw him cry.
My brother stayed for 2 years in the end before coming home.
Sadly, the year after he came back my dad passed away suddenly.
That day at the airport was 15 years ago now and I’ll never forget the look on my dad’s face. How much he loved us. Letting him go and be free, even though it hurt him so much.
Image source: winters0084, rthanuthattaphong / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#5
Before I was born, my mom had breast cancer. When I turned 7, she was told she had uterine cancer (by the grace of God, they caught it SUPER early). My parents were in the midst of a divorce but obviously put it on pause so my dad could help my mom in every way. He was working for Rubbermaid at the time and used **all** of his time off to take care of mom and take her to treatments and such. Rubbermaid decided that dad needed to go to China to take care of some issues that had arose with a product he had designed. My sisters and I took him to the airport and my dad started tearing up and told us to take care of mom and each other while he was gone. Apparently the look on my sisters and I faces was pretty upsetting to other people around us because dad said on the flight, a lady stopped him and hugged him saying she was praying for our family.
He came home 2 weeks later, mom went into remission (and has remained cancer free for 20 years!), they did end up getting a divorce but it was pretty amicable.
Oh, and he quit Rubbermaid after he got home and was offered a general manger position of a plant of a smaller company where he has stayed since. He **strongly** dislikes Rubbermaid (he missed several of our birthdays due to work, traveling for work and last minute “crises” that would arise).
Image source: schuser, astakhovyaroslav / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#6
Man. Being from Venezuela, I’ve seen a fair share of goodbyes. Including my own. Its heartbreaking. Families being torn apart because you’re searching for a better future. I remember when I first left my mom was falling apart watching her little boy disappear behind airport security. I remember being numb. Like I was watching my life from the outside.
I visited about 7 months later. I had difficulty adjusting to the US and the cultural shock hit me pretty hard. I remember hugging a friend goodbye when I had to catch my plane back and sobbing, saying between my wallowing that I didnt want to be alone anymore.
Goodbyes are hard, man.
Image source: XtremeConfusion, YuriArcursPeopleimages / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#7
Not a worker but the most heartbreaking airport goodbye I had was after visiting my girlfriend in England for the first time. She is British, I’m Canadian and we met online through a mutual friend and immediately clicked. I was only 18 at the time and had no idea how I was going to fly to Europe to meet her. Eventually, after 18 months of online dating I managed to save up enough to stay in the UK with her and her family for a month. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. Visiting London and seeing the sights was incredible and first meeting her in the airport was such a relief. Seeing her not as a picture in my phone, voice in my headset or face on my computer chat but as a real person lead to so many emotions. we did everything together and were inseparable and her family loved me, just like I loved them. They were so great to me and I’ll never thank them enough.
Eventually the time came and I had to leave. The final few days of the trip turned from excitement and happiness to curled up in bed watching movies and lots of crying. It was heartbreaking holding her in her room and assuring her that I would see her again but the truth was I couldn’t guarantee that. This trip cost me thousands of dollars and I had no idea when or if i would ever see her again. Squeezing her hand at the airport and comforting her took all of my emotional energy and I nearly broke but I had to be strong for her. She needed me to be her rock and I did the best that I could. Once luggage was checked and I had to go through security that was when the sobbing really started. Forcing myself to walk away from her as her parents took her sobbing back to the car was one of the hardest things I’ve done in my entire life. Long distance is brutal and I don’t wish it on anybody. I know i wouldn’t do it again.
I managed to go twice more: i spent 6 weeks in England the next year and then flew again before Christmas to propose. We’ve been married for nearly two years now and she’s the love of my life. She lives with me in Canada because it was easiest for us while I finish my degree but if she wants to move back home then I’ll follow her anywhere. Its the least I could do.
Image source: talimus96, javi_indy / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#8
I was a wheelchair attendant at the airport. I got used to carrying tissues in my bag because of the many tearful good-byes I witnessed. Often, children of parents from another country would order a wheelchair for their parents because they didn’t speak English and the children wanted to make sure they made it to the correct gate. There were lots of tears because of the distance and expense of international travel and how long it would be before they saw each other again.
However, there are two that stick out:
#1: Mother and daughter saying good-bye, the daughter, who looks pregnant, is my wheelchair passenger. I figure she is having some complications with the pregnancy. There are more than the usual amount of tears. When they are done, I am taking the daughter through TSA, asking normal questions about liquid in her bag, electronic devices in her pocket, etc. I phrased the question something like, “are you carrying anything else, besides the baby,” in a lighthearted tone. She says “No baby.” My heart just dropped. Turns out Mom literally had to pick her up from the hospital and driven her directly to the airport. After we got through TSA, she got out a small stuffed animal, obviously meant for her infant, and cried silently into it the rest of the way to the gate.
#2: woman traveling back to the Ukraine. The passenger, clearly ill, sits down in the wheelchair and I step back to let the family say good-bye. Of course there are a lot of tears. The adult daughter is inconsolable. As I am pushing the passenger to the gate, I’m chatting with my passenger’s traveling companion who is walking with us. The companion reveals that my wheelchair passenger is terminal. It was likely the last time the daughter would see her alive.
Image source: Dragainin, svitlanah / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#9
I dont work at an airport. But I once saw a teen (prolly 17-19) getting on a plane to go to college. one of their parents was obviously terminally ill or something. I over heard them a little too intentionally while in line for a cinnamon bun or something.
lots of, “I dont want you to put your life on hold for me” and “I dont want you to see me when i get worse” comments in-between sob-crying-hugs.
tbh i bit my lip when going through security so I wouldn’t tear up.
Image source: MisterErieeO, halfpoint / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#10
I’m not an airport worker, but the worst thing that I have ever seen was at the San Diego airport. I was waiting in line behind a dad, his two kids, and a dog at the cargo area where you take you pets (before you get mad, Reddit, this was like 15 years ago before I knew how horrible airline transport is for animals). Everyone was crying. I couldn’t help but overhear the whole story. Family was down to their last dollar after moving to california for a now failed business and was flying home. The dad has no idea that he needed a health certificate for his dog to fly. Their flight was leaving soon, and they had no family or friends in the area and no money to wait a few days for a vet appointment.
I was there to send my cats home to Maryland ahead of me. I had to drive my car across country. So… I asked where the dog needed to go. Ohio. So I drove the dog home. They were so desperate that they just handed their dog to a stranger. One of the weirdest things I’ve ever done. I love dogs, and that was a sweet dog, but three long days in the back of my little Dodge Neon and we were very happy to be rid of each other. I still think about him though. We had a few adventures but that was a rough trip.
Image source: EverybodyRelaxImHere, mstandret / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#11
I work in a gift shop that’s right in front of the TSA checkpoint. An older woman was saying goodbye to someone who I assume was her grandson or son and broke down on the floor after he left sobbing and screaming that she’s never going to have a chance to see him again.
On the upside, I get to see a lot of reunions and a lot of people bring big ole doggos to pick up their humans. It’s absolutely adorable.
Image source: littytittykittycat, SergioPhotone / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#12
Happened to one of my employees:
He went back to his home country which he hasn’t visited in many years. His elderly father insisted on coming to the airport with his brother to pick him up.
While going through customs his dad had a heart attack in the arrival waiting area and passed away.
Image source: Demokrates, PerfectAngleImages / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#13
There was a guy that was the regional manager at some paper company and he was moving to Colorado. One of his employees that he didn’t get to say goodbye to drove all the way to the airport just to say goodbye. It made me shed a tear.
Image source: Musty-laegs, NBC
#14
I’ll always remember my family friend tell me this (he worked in one of those gift shops) where this woman came in with her tween daughter and got her a tee. Once she paid, she asked for a pen and wrote on the label where the price and size is on “Because I cannot buy you more clothes while you are away: wear this when you miss me”. Apparently daughter broke down in tears just outside the store and took a good half an hour to be calmed down again. Mother’s love and and a good bond always gets me.
Image source: Whavey, yurakrasil / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#15
Am a worker and a few years back I had a guy come into my bar with what I assume was his girlfriend or fling, whatever. At one point he was asking me “how do you do it? It’s gotta be sad watching people say goodbye all the time” and I truthfully told him that not many people make a big scene about goodbyes at this airport. I haven’t seen any that have stuck with me. Eventually his girlfriend leaves to get on her plane and he continues drinking a bit. I’m friendly and keep talking to him. Eventually he goes to leave, but not after writing a laughably long note on the receipt about how that was a married woman that he sleeps with whenever she’s in town and she’s going to tell her husband she wants a divorce
To this day, that is the most memorable “goodbye” I’ve seen and I don’t even remember him saying goodbye to the woman, just that there was a goodbye.
Image source: bz71, gpointstudio / envatoelements (not the actual photo)
#16
Met the love of my life just a couple months before moving to New Zealand. For a whole bunch of seemingly valid reasons he couldn’t come and we said goodbye at Belfast Intl. I had already rebooked to stay longer while drunk in a pub a week earlier, so 8 was flying back to have 12 hours , over night, to empty out my apartment and then fly to New Zealand. That goodbye nearly destroyed me. Knowing that I loved him so much, but we had been together such a short time that long distance would be a struggle… It was awful. We cried and held each other until it was almost too late and then I cried through security and the whole flight. Super heart breaking.
Happy ending though. Due to not having a car that day his dad dropped us off at the airport and when he saw how devastated my boyfriend was upon returning to the car he basically said, if she’s so important to you, why aren’t you going to New Zealand? And there we were, barely a month later he had a flight, a visa and we were apartment hunting. ❤️
I know in my heart we could’ve survived the distance, but I’m glad we didn’t have to try.
Image source: i_dont_carrot_all_
#17
A mid to late 20’s couple was doing the typical “sobbing, hugging, loving and affection emotions” towards each other.
This went on for a while, guy was going overseas for a company thing, didn’t catch it. Until they HAD to part. The guy did the walking backwards, waving, blowing kisses, etc etc. She stood there waving, being all emotional herself.
The second he was out of sight. She did a complete 180, emotional and physical. Just turned on a dime!
Walked away and went straight up into the arms of another guy waiting at a bar. She said something along the lines of “ok, the boy is gone, let’s go!”.
Image source: anon
#18
Not a worker, but when I put my 7 year old step-son on a plane to visit his mom for the summer. I didn’t know it was the last time I’d get to see him for a year because his dad and I were divorcing, but my son must have. He tried to jump out of my arms and kept yelling for ‘Mister’ ( that’s what I called his brother).
Image source: Hilarious_83
#19
Saying goodbye to my boyfriend at the airport a couple weeks ago was the first time I’ve ever seen him cry. I was already a sobbing mess but seeing him sob was the most heartbreaking moment for me. Won’t be able to meet again for another year or two when I can move there more permanently.
Image source: PrettyNothing
#20
I saw a person get deboarded on the tarmac in a casket that was draped in an American flag and rolled over to their crying parents – So heartbreaking that I’m actually tearing up remembering it.
Image source: DeeEssDoubleYou
#21
Not a airport worker, but leaving my family/friends to go to college in the US (originally from Europe) when I was 17. I knew I wouldn’t see any of my family or friends for 9months, that I would celebrate Christmas, new year, and my 18th birthday without them.
Hugging my family before going through security, seeing and hearing my little sister sobbing and my mom (who is really tough and barely shows any emotion) cry was so so so hard. (And I was a sobbing mess myself for the whole 8h plane ride 😂).
Image source: lasweetie
#22
“I am not an airport worker but…”
One time I was sitting waiting for my flight and these two police officers were waiting by a gate. The flight gets in and the people start filing out. A mom and a younger daughter come out an the daughter bursts into tears when she sees the police officers.
The officers talk to what I assume was the grandmother. I don’t really know. I don’t know how any of them were related really, I just know the oldest lady was taken away to be talked to and the other two were behind talking with the other cop while the younger girl was sobbing.
So that was pretty (weird) and sad to see.
Image source: MangoMambo
#23
I, and my husband, were the ones leaving.
I have anxiety, don’t do great on planes, but manage ok 99% of the time. But this one was different. We’d basically done a semi last minute to Australia to visit and be with his father before he passed. The cancer was in his lungs now, and he stopped all but palliative care. After 2 years fighting, he was tired.
It was getting closer to the time to go through customs and immigration on the way out, plus security, then to our gate. That’s when the panic started to set in. I needed to get in line, to shut up the anxious brain. But I was basically telling my husband, say one last goodbye to your Dad, cuz this is it. I felt terrible, and have myself a panic attack coupled with bawling my eyes out. Saying our goodbyes, his Dad have me a big hug, told me he understood my stress, and said he wished I was his daughter.
He passed about 10 days after we landed home. Added heartbreaker: I fell pregnant the day before his funeral service.
Image source: fave_no_more
#24
I worked airport security. Saddest one for me was this young lady who came through with her baby. She had clearly been crying heavily and was sniffing, we don’t have tissues but we had hand towels (like the ones in bathrooms) so I offered her a bunch when she got to the recheck station. She kind of broke down and told me that she’s not leaving by choice, her partner and baby’s father lives in this country but she couldn’t stay because of visas which meant the baby had to go with her (maybe 3mo’s old).
Ended up going around to her side of the recheck and taking the baby off her so she could clean herself up in the bathroom, then when she came back we kinda just hugged it out for a few mins until she felt a bit better. Luckily is was super quiet so I was able to give her my full attention. Baby Liam you’re still our official baby mascot! And if she’s reading this then I hope you got back here ASAP and they treated you well on the way in.
Image source: ByteByterson
#25
Not heart breaking, but and interesting perspective… When I was 21, I moved to the UK for 4 years. I remember being very excited and a little irritated with my Mom for being so emotional and making a big deal out of it. In January, my Son moved to Spain, I watched him in tears go through security until I couldn’t see him anymore. As soon as I got in the car, I called my Mom and apologized for my actions 34 years earlier.
Image source: Syklst
#26
Mine would have to be saying goodbye to my boyfriend. We had been stationed together for about a year and were going to new vases on opposite sides of the world. We had spent two weeks together in his hometown and I was going back to my base before he was heading to his. We said goodbye at the airport not know when we would be able to see each other again. I was in tears and could barely hold it together as I waited in line for TSA. He’s not a very expressive guy and doesn’t really react in emotional ways, but he waited in one spot and I zigzagged my way up the queue. It was such a small gesture but meant so much that he would wait until he could catch me a few more times before leaving. I’m tearing up just thinking about it. I love him so much.
Image source: anon
#27
I’ve been working as a gate attendant for some time now and there was a foreigner stuck at the airport for a while. His papers meant he couldn’t go anywhere not even outside. I’ll never forget the day he got to leave and enter the US. He did a quick gesture for his deceased father, really it took a couple hours because I saw him shortly after walk right back in, yet he had been there for months. Man, when he left to go back to his country all of my coworkers were crying.
Image source: aussiepewpew
#28
I’m not an airport worker. I’m an expat, and have been living abroad for little over 5 and half years. Strangely enough for me the first trip was not insanely bad on either sides. Everything was new so I got that rosey buzz of adventure.
This spring my mother and sister came to visit me here for the first time. It’s quite expensive for them, so they could only afford to stay for 4 days. When they were leaving I could only see them up to the subway taking them to the airport because I had work.
That goodbye was heart wrenching. I balled my eyes out. I didn’t even realize just how much I miss them both. We stood there in one of the busiest subway stations in town, hugging and crying for a good 20 minutes. My mom had to slowly push me away because I was late and they were gonna miss the flight.
Image source: LauraDeSuedia
#29
I am once a airport ground staff in the Philippines.
The most heartbreaking ones are when the children were crying because their parents are leaving to work overseas. It is not easy, parents would stay 6 months to 1 year abroad before their next vacation.
Image source: imjinri
#30
Not as tragic as the other responses, kind of ironically funny. A long-distance relationship fell apart for various reasons during a visit and she took me back to the airport. We both looked understandably distraught. The guy at the gate thought we were sad about saying goodbye, so he was *so happy* to announce that we were in the only airport in the US that allows non-passengers to accompany people to the gate, so she could come with me to my flight. I said that it wouldn’t be necessary and he insisted very enthusiastically, “Are you sure? You can spend more time together!” After him insisting several times I had to spell it out, “Dude… she. is. not. coming. with. me.” He finally got it and went “Oh…” The rest of check-in took on a somber tone.
Image source: SamwisethePoopyButt
#31
Not a worker but when I got married to my wife in the Philippines. When we said goodbye at the airport I cry before we even got out of the taxi. The whole way to the entrance of the airport I cried to and just sat there holding her not able to let go for about 10 minutes.
My mom who is with me was bawling to and my wife was actually the stronger one and said it would be okay and we’d see each other in a year (how long the spousal Visa takes). But then she started crying too. You could tell it must be a relatively common thing because there were people staring, even airport security guard had look on his face a recognizing that pain from past people who had to go through the same thing.
Image source: zfreakazoidz
#32
Not a worker, but my experience. A week ago I had to leave my boyfriend after meeting him for the first time (we met on a video game almost 2 years ago) and we’re pretty much each other’s only best friend. After seeing him for 2 weeks laughing, smiling, and being so much happier than he usually is, when I left to security and saw him crying and hugging his coat to his chest I could hardly look back at him. I think it’s the saddest thing I’ve ever been through so far. Even harder knowing it’ll be a long time before we can see each other again since I have to finish school.
Edit: I just remember a little girl staring at me while we were hugging each other goodbye. I just looked back at her and hoped she doesnt have to go through the same thing for a long time.
Image source: poisonnaps
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