20 year old daughter having to spend night at JFK airport.

The TWA Airport Hotel is actually the old terminal. So your mum's friend would have flown out of this terminal, which opened in 1962.

It closed in 2001 when TWA folded. Since it was on the National Register of Historic Places (because it was designed by Eero Saarinen) they couldn't tear it down. In 2019 they re-purposed it as a hotel.

Jfk is safe.

@DaughterStranded US airlines are, I think, obliged to compensate a bit like ours depending on cause so there could be some funds due for that perhaps. Although not if outside airline’s control. May be worth checking.

Here's the ultimate resource on this type of question:

https://www.sleepinginairports.net/

Glad that recommendation helped. You’ll have to report back on how it was. My ‘stranded at JFK’ story ended with a crazed taxi ride to LaGuardia and an unexpected night in Boston. I’d love to have a back up in the future 😀

She'll be much happier with a room. But I wouldn't worry if she had stayed. I ended up spending the night in one of the big US airports once and I came out of security as I was a smoker then and wanted to be able to pop in and out. I saw lots of people bedding down to sleep so I joined them in that seating area and hooked my bag on my arm and used it as a pillow and laid out to sleep like they did. I slept ok considering and felt very safe. It was only in the morning when the staff started clearing people out I realised the rest of the sleepers were homeless- they were fairly well kept and were absolutely no trouble (I guess they valued the safe place to rest). I've also 'lived' security side for 24 hours in a US airport on standby for a flight and felt quite safe laid out on some chairs in a quiet corner. There are always people around and cameras.

Omg the TWA airport hotel looks amazing!

Mom has a friend that was a TWA stewardess in the 60s, based out of JFK. I’ll have to find out if she ever got to stay in the hotel.

https://www.twahotel.com/

Fun memories!

It’s really been a huge help later when I had to travel alone for work. It’s only Europe but I’m so much more comfortable than I would be if I’d never had those problems.

@AliceOlive Bloomin’ heck, that experience beats my rumbling stomach one!

Of course, back then our parents had no idea what was happening…and mine thought it was funny when I told them. Different times. 🤣

Yay! Glad she’s sorted.

Ah right, scrap all that as I can see you've got her sorted. Didn't know about the TWA hotel, unless I discounted it on expense grounds without looking at location.

Not really very helpful but I did the exact same journey this time last year. Same date.
Anyway, that flight wasn't cancelled but I did have tickets coming back through JFK from somewhere else a couple of months ago with a tight connection I was worried about missing. I therefore did some research just in case the first leg was delayed. Most of the airport hotels aren't actually on site at all. You have to get the air transit train thingy and the shuttle buses to hotels run from (near) the end of the line. She could get a cab though, to avoid having to wait at the station for the shuttle bus (as they're a bit hit and miss on timings). We did that a couple of years ago.
Fortunately, I was transferred onto a direct flight back to LHR from my airport of origin so I never had to test it out.
Good luck to your dd. I have one a similar age and I would be having kittens in your shoes. It will all work out though and become a tale to tell in future.

If she’s airside by the plane gates she will be fine. Just uncomfy and bored. But I’d get a sleep pod or hotel if there is one connected. It’s only if you’ve gone though and got luggage etc and then yes you get all sorts wandering about. So don’t stay there.
Me and a friend once had this happen when we were 20 and they shut us out the airport and we sat/laid on a bench outside from about 11pm until it opened about 5am! Luckily it was somewhere warm!

But if she is on a connecting flight I’d tell her to go to the airline and ask what to do. They may provide her with a hotel.

Glad you got her sorted. I wouldn’t fancy a night in JFK.
The TWA hotel is a 60s airport theme hotel. If she wants to turn the problem into an opportunity they have a rooftop pool.

I spent the night in a train station in Rome, sitting on the floor playing solitaire for hours. Felt like the whole waiting room was watching me.

I’d had the shits of my friend’s boyfriend, and decided it was time to head home so I’d be there for Christmas. My flight was leaving out of London so I was facing days of traveling alone to get there. Had to take the bus from Termini to some other Rome station. Couldn’t speak Italian and it was dark when I learned I could only get the right train from a station across town.

The train ride was a nightmare, too because some kid kept hitting on me in Italian until I lost my mind and started yelling at him in English. Punctuated every sentence with “Do you understand?!!! Why not?!!! Don’t you speak English?!!” Then I sat in between cars for the rest of that leg of the trip.

Sorry for the long story, but that trip home alone was good for me. Early 90s also.

Yes, @AliceOlive , I spent hours waiting in bus stations and airports back in the 1990’s- once I only had 20p left after having to change my ticket and had to sit in the bus station while a family chomped their way through a takeaway supper next to me. After that, I always made sure that I had some emergency cash, I was so hungry! No Apple Pay or Venmo back then. 🤣

I understand the mum worry but honestly it’s less than 10.5 hours before she’d need to be back there again.

I think a nice dinner, a good book, lots of snacks will see her through. They do have pods, too.

I fondly remember nights like this when I was younger.

I spent the night at JFK when I missed my connecting flight. I was 20 as well. I don't think I slept though. I wasn't the only one there, but mostly it was cleaners. If there's a 24 hour cafe or shop she can go near there perhaps? There are sleep pods at T5 I believe.

I did this many years ago coming home from camp America as we had run out of money and no-where to stay but the airport staff would not let us sleep, they just kept moving us on. I can't remember what we did in the end, just sat in a cafe all night I think !

Ahh, I’d be worried just like you are OP — hope you/she can sort it soon for both your sakes.

She will be in the terminal though where only ticketed passengers are allowed.

I agree with paying for a pod or a club if she wants. I think she is safer in the terminal than a seedy nearby hotel!

Glad she’s getting some accommodation, that’s the best idea.

I’m on the East Coast and we’ve had stormy weather today, my area is currently under a tornado watch!
Don’t worry, I’m not close to NYC.

But it doesn’t surprise me at all that flights are being canceled.

Get onto Expedia or the like and book her a hotel.

Hope she’s sorted soon so you can relax and go to bed