Would you sleep at the airport?

Discussion in Travel started by Denis Hard • May 28, 2014.

  1. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    Cheapskates will do anything to save money. A blog post I read recently suggested that if you are visiting a foreign city and don't intend to stray far from it, you needn't waste any money sleeping in a hotel. You can tour the city during the day and at night, get back to the airport and spend the night there.

    Looking further if this was doable I came across these tips [for travelers, yeah but if you intend to sleep at the airport they could be helpful]

    Log In

     
  2. Hedonologist

    HedonologistActive Member

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    Well I have a flight leaving at 6am soon, and I may sleep there for just one night. I don't really like the idea of doing it though, but there are no alternative flights. I suppose most of my sleeping will get done on the plane but I'm not looking forward to having a disrupted sleep cycle.
     
  3. Jrh2

    Jrh2Member

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    I would never sleep at an airport, I would much rather stay in comfort and pay for a hotel for the night. It doesn't have to be an expensive hotel so I don't see why you would stay at an airport to save money. The only time I have stayed at an airport was when I went away when I was younger and the plane got in late at night and the next plane left early in the morning. I couldn't sleep in an airport though so I would just be sat there bored.
     
  4. tcomfortbl

    tcomfortblNew Member

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    I would never prefer to stay at an airport unless I had to!
     
  5. Nickchick

    NickchickWell-Known Member

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    I wouldn't dare sleep at an airport though I had to take a nap on the way to San Diego and on the way back. I eventually fell asleep on the way there but on the way back, I barely got any. I am thinking it helped that it was not our fault because the plane was late and they booked us for a later flight which was several hours later so I got too stressed about it to sleep. It's hard enough to sleep for me as it is but it was terrible there because the chairs are completely uncomfortable and you got the announcer going every few minutes even when the airport was closed.
     
  6. H.C. Heartland

    H.C. HeartlandActive Member

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    My husband and I have to sleep at airports all the time. But it is not because I want to. I will give you an example: this Saturday we fly out from one country at 1am and then we land in another country at a different time zone the next day in the morning. Then we land in our home country early evening (their time) but it will actually be Monday early morning (original departure time). So this means, at some point within 3 days we will need to sleep. And this did not include the 10 hour bus ride on bad roads we will take to get to the airport. So yes, we have often slept in airports. But we try to take turns because you need one person to keep an eye on your stuff so your luggage doesn't get stolen. Or else if you don't have a lot of luggage on your person you can put your back pack or whatever you use for carry-on in a place where you will feel it and wake up if someone is trying to get into it. It is not comfortable sleeping in airports but it will do the trick if you don't have anywhere else to go.
     
  7. mikelouis

    mikelouisActive Member

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    Not really. It will be my last option. Am sure there must be a couple of cheap hotels around the airport that I can get some nice sleep rather than sleeping on the seats and waking up with a cranky neck.
     
  8. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I wouldn't be too against it, especially if I could keep my things safe anyway maybe by checking them in somewhere while I sleep. Airports these days are great and they always have lots of nice stores and restaurants in them, and not to mention they usually also sell a lot of what you'd need as necessities as well such as toothpaste and socks. I think I could handle it especially if I were to only do it once or twice, because no doubt, I'd still find hotels a lot more preferable.
     
  9. Peninha

    PeninhaWell-Known Member

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    I would sleep in the airport, no problem, if I have a flight in the next hours, but going on holiday and choosing to sleep in the airport just to save money, that I would not do. There are other options, like couch-surfing for example, that we can use to save money or camping that is fairly cheap too, so no need to stay in the airport, at least in m opinion.
     
  10. prettycolors

    prettycolorsActive Member

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    Depends on the country I'm in and on the time I have to spend there. Airports have great security but there are countries where I still wouldn't sleep so exposed. If I'm between flights I usually stay awake and if I'm there for a longer period I find an inexpensive room at some hostel after a quick online check. Saving money is great and all, but not at the expense of my well being :eek:
     
  11. Pat

    PatWell-Known Member

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    This is the only way I would sleep in an airport, if I was traveling like the post above and needed to make connections.
     
  12. largecow

    largecowMember

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    I literally saw a person at 5 am in Chicago blow up a queen size airbed by the gate area and slept there with his shirt and shorts on. He was sound asleep along with his son, I assume. It was the funniest sight I have ever seen and I know he gained popularity on the internet. Haha!
     
  13. Jessi

    Jessi<a href="http://www.quirkycookery.com">QuirkyCooke

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    Erm, not in the way you suggest, no. How do you get back into the airport? In the US, you have to pass various security checkpoints before you even get to benches. Otherwise, you'd have to sleep right out in the main lobby and someone would tell you to leave probably.

    That being said, I HAVE slept for many hours at an airport when my flight was repeatedly delayed and I didn't want to risk not getting onto the next plane....much less waste money on a hotel that would be way overpriced.
     
  14. nash22

    nash22Active Member

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    Definitely wouldn't if I didn't have to. Lots of shady people around today. Probably would wake up and my things are gone or some crazy person decides they want to go crazy on a random innocent person like me.
     
  15. wander_n_wonder

    wander_n_wonderActive Member

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    I think if you are really trying to save, sleeping in the airport is not so much of a bad idea. It is relatively safe and you won't feel so bad because there are other passengers who do so while waiting for their flight. However, I still recommend that you take the necessary precautions in watching over your things as if you are careless, you can also still lose some of your things.

    I would probably do this once or twice, but I don't think doing it in very trip is a good idea. I still want to have a good night's sleep and I also want a place where I can shower properlyl
     
  16. jewel777

    jewel777Active Member

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    While I would prefer to sleep in a comfy bed, I would not look down at the idea of sleeping at an airport. There's plenty of security and around, and other passengers sleeping as well. I wouldn't try to do this at a bus station though. It's been a long time since I traveled on the Greyhound, but from what I remember, they don't allow sleeping in the stations, and wake you up and check your tickets.
     
  17. ami560

    ami560Member

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    I have slept in airports before during REALLY long layovers, but I was with family then. We slept in shifts, as airports can be very insecure at times. I've heard the horror stories of people having wallets, passports, credit cards, laptops, all stolen while they dozed off during a layover. Other than that, I have never tried sleeping in an airport overnight in lieu of a hotel, but I did read an article about a guy who sued one of the lounges for free lunch everyday. He bought a first class ticket, then used it to get in the airport and into one of the airline lounges. After eating and going home, he would reschedule his ticket for tomorrow, so that he could come again the next afternoon. Rinse, repeat, and he apparently did it for months.
     
  18. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    Not by choice, but I have slept on the airport before! Last time I went through Miami's airport I missed my connection flight because my first plane got delayed. As the connecting flight was at 11pm and the last one leaving to my destination for the day, I had to wait until around 6 am of the next day which was when the next plane left! It was tough but I survived...
     
  19. whnuien

    whnuienActive Member

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    The only time I slept at the airport was when I had a flight leaving in early morning and to be honest I actually didn't manage to sleep at all. There was one time my husband and I had to stay at Stansted Airport overnight as we had a flight to Edinburgh the next morning and it was during winter season.

    We were both shivering like crazy and we fought for our small thin blankets :D We were so tired that we spent the next whole day sleeping at home. So yes, I will not sleep at the airport to save my traveling cost.
     
  20. forextraspecialstuff

    forextraspecialstuffActive Member

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    That's an interesting idea but not one I would ever adopt unless I absolutely had to. I can see it being a great money saver but I would much rather budget for the price of a hotel than count on sleeping in the airport.