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The original was posted on /r/tifu by /u/Complete_Meat_2510 on 2026-07-05 17:34:58+00:00.
I decided to do my first solo trip this year. Since I am a music teacher at a public school, I have the summers off and have the ability to travel at any time. With my wedding coming up in August, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to have some alone time before the big day. My goal was to spend as little money as possible, but still have a nice relaxing time. When looking at flights on SkyScanner I saw a flight pop-up for Atlantic City for only $55 round trip. I immediately booked the tickets and started planning things to do while in Atlantic City. I had been to Atlantic City about 10 years prior and had a great time so I figured it would be fun to go back and spend time by the beach and the boardwalk. I was able to book my hotel and flights for the 3 day trip for just under $200. I used credit card points to cover the purchases. Everything was going so well. On my flight from Cleveland, I talked to the lady next to me for the entirety of the 2 and 1/2 hour flight. I told her about my plans on the boardwalk and how I was looking forward to the beach. When we landed, I opened up the Uber app to get a ride to my hotel. I checked before leaving and it was just under a 30-minute drive. When I put in my hotel's address I received an error message as well as options for a train. I knew something had to be wrong, so I went to Google maps. Simultaneously as I saw the almost 13 hour drive time pop up on my screen, I heard the pilot come on the intercom and say "Welcome to ATLANTA GEORGIA"..... My whole world froze, as a tingle ran down the length of my spine. ATL did not stand for Atlantic City but in fact Atlanta Georgia. I KNEW THIS! I HAVE BEEN TO ATL BEFORE. As a seasoned traveler who has visited all 50 states and been out of the country multiple times you would think I would understand the difference between the two. But no, this idiot got excited about cheap tickets and the memories of Atlantic City and booked before bothering to double check or actually read. How did I make it through all of my planning without realizing? I really couldn't tell you. My best answer is that I was traveling alone, and would have gone anywhere so I didn't plan as thoroughly as I would have if I was going with friends or my fiancee. While the trip ended up costing more than I had hoped, I enjoyed my stay in Atlanta, and overall still had a great trip. My friends proceed to remind me how stupid I am, and we all get a good laugh out of my misfortune. What the sweet lady next to me on the plane thought I was doing? Who knows? She probably thought I was crazy and went along with it.... to her credit maybe I am.
TL;DR: I mistook the airport code ATL for Atlantic City NJ, instead of Atlanta GA. I didn't realize until my plane landed.