Tips For When You're Stuck At An Airport Overnight

Frankfurt has one terminal with free recliners with USB power hookups. Danged if I can remember which terminal though. Ask for help and info desks will point you in the right direction.

I keep a polar fleece jacket in my carryon backpack. Some airports can get a bit cool if air conditioning is out of whack. Jacket also can double as a pillow. Pull the sleeves inside and zip up the front. Then it will roll/wad up nicely. Fleece isn't as sweaty as puffy crap. I set the alarm on my phone to wake me well before connecting flight's departure. Make sure phone stays charged! USB power hookups are sometimes hard to find and often wrecked by vandals shoving crap into them. I keep a voltage converter with USB outlets in my carryon. No worries about twits shoving anything into those recepticles. ZAP!

An unfortunate thing I have found recently is some airports (like Atlanta) have armrests between chairs in most the terminals. So you can't even lay down if you get stuck there overnight. Concrete floor is about the only option.

Global Rescue said:

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Or justbcheck into the local airport hotel. And have a cc that has travel protections

farmer_john said:

Or justbcheck into the local airport hotel.

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Please don’t bring logic into this thread.

farmer_john said:

Or justbcheck into the local airport hotel. And have a cc that has travel protections

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I can rarely sleep when I travel so just as well hang out in the airport. When I drive to Montana to hunt birds it's usually 24 hrs on the road. That includes an hour napping behind the wheel. Last year I was still frisky enough after unloading at the trailer to take the dogs out for a quick romp and shot a limit of roosters. Threw them in the fridge whole, went to bed, and cleaned them in the morning. Flying to Africa I take a red-eye out of Toronto, seven to ten hour afternoon layover in Europe, another red-eye to Joberg, arrive in the morning, get the guns and myself through inspection, then another three to four hours in the airport before catching the plane to Port Elizabeth where I'm picked up by PH for two hour drive to the lodge. Often we arrive in time to check zero at the range. I usually look worse than I feel at dinner that first day. Oh well. I was raised in the old days when we expected to rough it when hunting.

farmer_john said:

Or justbcheck into the local airport hotel. And have a cc that has travel protections

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Yeah that’s all shits and giggles until your 16hr DFW - Melbourne flight is delayed by 17 hours and you arrive in Melbourne to a school holiday and football game with every single hotel booked solid.

deewayne2003 said:

Yeah that’s all shits and giggles until your 16hr DFW - Melbourne flight is delayed by 17 hours and you arrive in Melbourne to a school holiday and football game with every single hotel booked solid.

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Lol thats just bad luck.... for everything else theres amex platinum/chase saphire reserve

farmer_john said:

Lol thats just bad luck.... for everything else theres amex platinum/chase saphire reserve

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You travel enough and you will have bad luck happen that no card on earth will solve.

deewayne2003 said:

You travel enough and you will have bad luck happen that no card on earth will solve.

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O i agree. But thats outside the purview of delays at airports. worst case you pull out a pillow and blanket from your carryon and get comfy

deewayne2003 said:

You travel enough and you will have bad luck happen that no card on earth will solve.

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My worst experience was landing in Boston from Zimbabwe. My flight was finally cancelled after midnight. I learned you can’t use hotel booking apps for that night after midnight. I called every hotel. They were all sold out over an airline software glitch. I found a website called dayuse.com that saved me. Sounded sketchy but hotel said was legit if I booked through it. I got a room 9 am-4 pm and got some proper sleep after a night in airport. Got back to airport for my rebooked flight at 8 pm to find cancelled too. I got a rental car and drove 11 hours home. If I had been 3 spots further back in line it would have been electric only.

I was flying on the morning of 9/11/2001.

I assumed I would be spending the night in my own bed, so I just checked everything except 3 magazine that I was going to read while flying home.

We were grounded in Denver and I had to make it back home to Georgia.


Needless to say, I take much more in my carry-on now than I did then:

Toiletries, medications, a complete change of clothes, a water repellant jacket, a layer of fleece and cash.

I also wear clothing suitable for travel with lightweight and sturdy hiking boots.


IMO, the folks who fly in pajamas and flip flops deserve whatever they get.

Take a carry-on.... embrace the suck....

Mekaniks said:

Take a carry-on.... embrace the suck....

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I always do, those old ladies I swear are hauling bricks or canned hams in their carry on and I’m constantly asked to put their crap in the overhead; there should be a TSA regulation stating that you have to lift your carry one over your head before boarding.

375Fox said:

My worst experience was landing in Boston from Zimbabwe. My flight was finally cancelled after midnight. I learned you can’t use hotel booking apps for that night after midnight. I called every hotel. They were all sold out over an airline software glitch. I found a website called dayuse.com that saved me. Sounded sketchy but hotel said was legit if I booked through it. I got a room 9 am-4 pm and got some proper sleep after a night in airport. Got back to airport for my rebooked flight at 8 pm to find cancelled too. I got a rental car and drove 11 hours home. If I had been 3 spots further back in line it would have been electric only.

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That’s rough, but given the amount you’ve traveled it’s actually pretty impressive when you think about it. Although 11hrs drive after returning from Zim is rough.

My worst was waking up 7am and looking forward to a relaxed packing for my 7pm nonstop AUS- Heathrow and connection to Amsterdam; I was so looking forward to that non stop to Heathrow just to experience it.

But Heathrow’s entire air traffic control system went down that morning and long story short within an hour of waking up I had packed and made my flight to Houston to connect to London then again to Amsterdam; but the vial counter agent in Houston was the real icing on the cake.

Safari Dave said:

I was flying on the morning of 9/11/2001.

I assumed I would be spending the night in my own bed, so I just checked everything except 3 magazine that I was going to read while flying home.

We were grounded in Denver and I had to make it back home to Georgia.


Needless to say, I take much more in my carry-on now than I did then:

Toiletries, medications, a complete change of clothes, a water repellant jacket, a layer of fleece and cash.

I also wear clothing suitable for travel with lightweight and sturdy hiking boots.


IMO, the folks who fly in pajamas and flip flops deserve whatever they get.

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100% agree with PJ’s and flip flops, on long 10+hr flights I may change into comfortable night clothes, but yes always full change of clothes, extra underwear, socks and a quart bag for the liquids but I’ve got it down to being easily able to do a week+ out of a carry on and simply buy a pocket knife on arrival.

deewayne2003 said:

You travel enough and you will have bad luck happen that no card on earth will solve.

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Concur! Cash makes no enemies, and requires no technology.
At least $1,000 in $20s is simple insurance.

Use a neck pouch for passport etc., and a back-up ankle pouch with copies of everything.
Have printed copies of photos of your traveling partners and their passports, and of all checked bags.

Safari Dave said:

Toiletries, medications, a complete change of clothes, a water repellant jacket, a layer of fleece and cash.

I also wear clothing suitable for travel with lightweight and sturdy hiking boots.

IMO, the folks who fly in pajamas and flip flops deserve whatever they get.

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Yep! "All battles are won or lost before they're ever fought."