Sleeping/Overnighting in Airports

Jshutt64

Jshutt64

Well-Known Member
We've all done it before. What's your best/worst experiences with particular airports? Just wondering because, as luck would have it, I have a 12 hour date tonight with terminal 4 in PHX. ;)
 
Yeah, I've done it once or twice. Expect the book at the end of this year or beginning of the next, depending on how long it takes to nail down the publisher.

Best large airport: PDX. Comfortable, quiet, losts of places to hide out.
Best small airport: BTV. The couches upstairs are really comfortable, and it stays quiet even during the morning rush.

Worst large airport: Either LGA or MSY. Both are filthy and have vagrants wandering around. JFK and BOS are runners up; JFK can be better in the sterile area in some terminals; BOS is another dirty one and I had a few encounters with rats.
Worst small airport: BUR. Absolutely nowhere to sleep, cops kicked me out when I tried to hide behind a rental car counter. Finished the night up on a concrete bench outside. At least it was warm weather.
 
Maybe its just me but I have noticed in the last few years that more and more terminal seats have armrests.?.? i remember when you could lay across them in almost every airport.
 
Went on an AirNet fam flight with Adam from KIXD to KMDW... Slept for about 2-3 hours in the sleep room... Woke up without my jeans on and didn't know where I was... That's not a very comforting feeling! Lol.
 
Rosstafari said:
Worst large airport: Either LGA or MSY. Both are filthy and have vagrants wandering around. JFK and BOS are runners up; JFK can be better in the sterile area in some terminals; BOS is another dirty one and I had a few encounters with rats.
Worst small airport: BUR. Absolutely nowhere to sleep, cops kicked me out when I tried to hide behind a rental car counter. Finished the night up on a concrete bench outside. At least it was warm weather.
Click to expand...

I'm just guessing, but I'll bet you haven't been asked to write the Introduction Chapter to many I Want To Be A Pilot books. The truth is not always a pretty thing.
 
Haven't slept overnight in an airport since 2005. But back then

IAD
Air Whiskey crew room rocked with nice couches. The Mesa and Shuttle Crewroom sucked as it was over crowded with crappy chairs.

IND
wasn't bad until the early ramp crew comes in and turns on all the lights.

FWA
Closed the terminal down but the hotel at the time was in the airport and our training conference room floor wasn't too bad, if you brought your own sleeping bag.

ORD
just sucked.


Where I'm at now rocks as the company buys hotels in base.
 
I got stuck in ORD for around 12 hours (8pm until 8am) in December while attempting to travel home for Christmas. I forget which terminal I ended up in. I think it was where most of the Continental flights departed out of. But, I shacked up there because there were light blue seats that didn't have armrests. It wasn't too bad. I got a few hours sleep, but I was woken up around 4-5am when the cleaning people came through and were vacuuming next to my head. I'd probably do it again to avoid paying for a hotel and such. It wasn't quite as comfortable as camping, but I survived.

I found myself in a similar situation at Detroit a few years ago, but I didn't even try to camp out there. I got in around 11pm, I went down to transportation asap and got a cheap hotel room (stranded traveler rate was around $60 IIRC) with a free airport shuttle and Continental breakfast.
 
Only airport I have ever overnighted at was SEA and it was with 300+ military members and dependents when the Freedom Bird broke down. No such thing as comfortable when 20 babies are crying and there are 300+ pissed off long-term relocating people trying to fight for floor space.
 
E terminal in DFW sucks. Impossible to sleep among the blinding florescents, elevator music, and hourly TSA announcements. They did bring me a cot though.
 
Isn't a $25 priceline 2 star better than an airport floor? I've had to sit up for a few hours but doing it routinely is nuts.
 
bretthullrampage said:
E terminal in DFW sucks. Impossible to sleep among the blinding florescents, elevator music, and hourly TSA announcements. They did bring me a cot though.
Click to expand...

Same here. Weather caused me to miss the last two connecting flights. DFW rolled out a big stack of folding cots.

I had full run of all the terminals and learned a bunch of stupid wheelchair tricks. :)
 
Checking in from the front lines....

PHX is pretty nice. No TSA announcements, no cleaning crew or anyone at all since 11. Chairs are all next to each other without the armrests.

However, I need to find a blanket! I left mine in my car on accident. :(
 
Jshutt64 said:
We've all done it before. What's your best/worst experiences with particular airports? Just wondering because, as luck would have it, I have a 12 hour date tonight with terminal 4 in PHX. ;)
Click to expand...

Buy a fully refundable business class ticket from a company that has a nice lounge (big airports have 24H lounges). When you are inside the lounge, call the airline 1-800 and cancel your flight...enjoy the lounge!!!

Some airports have amazing lounges, with showers small beds, free food and they even iron your clothes!!
 
rjmore said:
Isn't a $25 priceline 2 star better than an airport floor? I've had to sit up for a few hours but doing it routinely is nuts.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I got into BWI at midnight the other night after getting delayed out of STL for weather. The earliest flight out I could take to head up to PA was at 0720. I could have slept in the airport, but why would I subject myself to that?

Got a cheapo rate at the airport Red Roof Inn and actually slept in a bed. Wasn't the nicest place, but it was clean and comfortable enough. Being cheap is fine, but at some point you're just being ridiculous about it. Sleeping on the floor in the terminal to save a few bucks is just kinda...sad.
 
swisspilot said:
Buy a fully refundable business class ticket from a company that has a nice lounge (big airports have 24H lounges). When you are inside the lounge, call the airline 1-800 and cancel your flight...enjoy the lounge!!!

Some airports have amazing lounges, with showers small beds, free food and they even iron your clothes!!
Click to expand...

Does that actually work? If it does it might just be one of the most ingenious things I've ever heard. Just playin' the system...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top