Sleeping in Airports

Two stranded fliers catch some posh shut-eye in Hong Kong's airport

It's not something we like to think about as we begin to pack our bags for our Thanksgiving travel, but it's better to be prepared for the worst. And willingly or not, we've all done it: used a bulky sweater as a blanket, a backpack as a pillow, and curled up in the seemingly least-disgusting corner of an airport to catch a little shut-eye while waiting for a flight.

The Budget Traveller's Guide to Sleeping in Airports shares our sympathies.This site is dedicated to travelers' tips and reviews (over 5,100 reviews in 800 cities) of how to sleep in an airport, whether by choice or by bad weather delays.

Worth a look are the "Airport Funnies" page and "The Airport Diaries" blog. The site has other cool features like the Top 10 - Best and Worst lists. The current most hated airport is Paris Charles de Gaulle. Out of the top ten worst airports, three U.S. cities made the list (in case you couldn't guess, they were New York's JFK and LGA, and California's LAX). Asian airports dominated the most recent favorite list, including Singapore, Hong Kong (pictured above), Seoul Incheon, and Kuala Lumpur.

The site also has a "How to Sleep in an Airport 101" tip page. Some of our favorite rules include:

Always have a backup plan: Although in 95% of the airports you won't be kicked out, you will be asked why you are there, why you are not in a hotel like normal people and they will ask for proof that you are flying out the next day. So BE PREPARED to answer those questions! They seem to not appreciate us using these massive wastes of space as our personal hotels -- go figure!?!?

It's better to arrive than depart: The Arrivals lounges are usually more comfortable than the Departures lounges. It's amazing how different the two areas can be in some airports. Of course airport logic seems to be that people who are departing immediately go to their gates, they don't sit around the ticket counters for hours. While the arrivals lounge aims to make all those family members, who are waiting for your flight to finally arrive after a four-hour delay, a little more comfortable until you and your bags finally show up.

Dealing with airport bribery: In some airports you will be asked for a bribe just to pass through a metal detector, enter an airport or to use the bathroom. When approached, suddenly speak a new language. Learn Klingon if a real language doesn't interest you. Although you understand you are being asked for money, be bubbly and happy, but confused by your tormentor's actions. When the offender holds out his/her hand for money, thank him, bow out of respect, shake his hand and smile.

Travelers on a budget can thank the Web site's founder Donna McSherry, now a travel agent in Toronto, who spent the 1990s traveling on the cheap (living off of peanut butter, getting free lunches from tour guides, and accepting "car rides from strangers (women drivers only...please she's cheap, not dumb)." Now we just need a way to actually fall asleep on planes...

Photo: Steve.portigal via the Intelligent Travel Flickr pool.

Comments

[Joe Jordan]

Thank you for encouraging travelers to anticipate and plan for problems and delays while traveling during the holidays. Business travelers do it all year-round. How can we expect an already over-loaded system to comfortably integrate thousands of people without some challenges? I routinely anticipate delays when building an itinerary for any business trip. If traveling now and my schedule would allow it, I would select the earliest flight with at least two or three scheduled flights after it. The last flight out of town on a busy day is an extremely risky option--unless you really didn't want to see Aunt Flossie anyway.

[Annette]

That site is hilarious! I love how many of the people seemed to be staying multiple nights in an airport - and getting away with it. Very Amazing Race.