Sometimes a long-awaited vacation begins with a nuisance - a flight delay. There are several hours ahead, and the prospect of spending them at the airport seems most likely.
What to do?
Contact your airline counter. As a passenger whose flight was delayed, you have a number of certain rights: in the event of a flight delay of 2 hours or more, the airline must provide you with drinks, for 4 hours - hot meals, for 6 or 8 hours at night and daytime, respectively - a hotel with transfer. Of course, all these benefits are provided free of charge as compensation for flight delays.
The second option can be lounges or hotels located near the hotel. You pay for this kind of pleasure yourself.
If for some reason there is no opportunity to go to the hotel and you do not want to overpay for the lounge, you need to take into account some of the nuances that will help make your overnight stay at the airport more comfortable.
Tips for an overnight stay at the airport
The most important and most difficult thing is finding a comfortable place to sleep. It should be borne in mind that at some airports there are special areas for passengers flying in transit. Please check with the airport staff about the availability of such rooms. Otherwise, it is necessary to choose the most comfortable hall according to the conditions: it can be both arrival and departure halls. If the airport is located in several terminals, it is worth seeing them - perhaps they are not so crowded and the seats are more comfortable there. Be sure to ask the service staff if your chosen room is closed for the night.
It is better to choose a place to sleep near power outlets in order to be able to charge your gadgets. Unfortunately, there are usually few of them at airports, and they are usually installed near vending machines with drinks. You can sit on several seats or on the floor. In any case, be prepared that the hall employees may come up to you and demand an explanation, because, of course, you cannot live and sleep at the airport. Usually it is enough to report a delayed flight and show your ticket and boarding pass.
For your comfort, if you travel frequently, it is useful to have with you a small blanket (your own or borrowed from the plane), a tourist inflatable pillow, an eye mask and earplugs that are designed to save you from cold, light and noise during a long flight or in case of an emergency. overnight stays. Any warm clothes will also be useful, since it is cool at airports even in summer. A book, magazines and a player with a large number of songs will help to brighten up leisure in case of insomnia.
If you managed to find a suitable place and make yourself more or less comfortable, do not rush to fall asleep. Be sure to take care of food and drink as some cafes and shops tend to close at night. Also, consider a security system for your personal belongings. Some airports have special facilities for storing passengers' luggage. In the absence of them, you will have to take care that it was difficult to get your things without waking you up.
Top tip: don't get discouraged and try to be humorous about the situation. An overnight stay at the airport can be an interesting experience that your friends will be happy to hear about.
