Offer to meet and then book someone else?

[ThatsNotMyCherry]

Friend who I haven’t known very long sent me a message yesterday evening saying she’s in town for a few days and asking if I was free to meet the following evening. It took me 3 hours to respond as I was with some friends last night so didn’t check my phone. I was planning to visit my mum tomorrow so I asked her if we could visit a bit earlier then planned so I can see the friend. After I replied to the friend to say it was good for me she replied that she had asked a few other people and it was unlikely now but she wouldn’t know for sure until 2pm today so would let me know. Never happened to me before so wondering if that’s a bit odd. It might well be perfectly reasonable and just something I’ve never experienced before.

I don't think she's being unnecessarily unreasonable tbh!

She has limited time and wants to catch up with people, you weren't replying (not a criticism) so she made alternative arrangements.

She can't just sit alone waiting for a 'no' and then not meet anyone.

You've really never had anything like this before?

Nope never happened before. That makes sense. Most of my friends are fairly local to me. I have a few who live abroad and when they’re visiting we usually make plans well in advance. That’s probably why it’s never happened

I only get a day off work once in a while, if I suggest meeting up with a friend and they don't get back to me I will end up making plans with another friend instead, if I hang around waiting for friend no. 1 to get back to me in case she's free (keeping my day off free) I could end up with no plans at all - it has happened before. So I operate on a 'first come first serve' basis now (which often means my more disorganised friends don't see that much of me)....but it's hard because I have such little time to fit everyone i care about in.

Sounds totally normal to me. If I suddenly go up to london I'll contact a couple of people to see if they're available and the first one who replies yes is the one I'll see. No point waiting just in case the other is a negative as the first may have then made other plans.
Hate that 'I'll let you know' thing - tell me now so I have a chance to make alternate plans.

Normal.

Cool!
I guess it seemed a bit odd given that her plans with whoever she is meeting now don’t seem firmed up because she said she will let me know for sure this afternoon. Oh well, no big deal!