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

That sounds good, OP. Thanks for letting us know. Hope the rest of the trip goes smoothly.

I’ve slept overnight in an airport at that age and was absolutely fine. There are usually lots of others doing the same.

However why can’t she just get an airport hotel? As pp have said, can you transfer her some money if it’s a financial issue?

There’s a big difference between sleeping inside departures and the public areas before you go through security. If she’s in the departure gates beyond security she’ll be absolutely fine, have spent many hours in airports all over the place. Secure passport and phone under clothes, sleep on bag. Stay close to somewhere like Starbucks.

or get a sleep pod / hotel!

I ended up spending 24hrs airside in JFK due to a cancelled flight, we ended up having a lot of fun but I was lucky as I was with 3 other friends and so we were able to make the most of the situation. If I was on my own, I would feel safer staying in a hotel.

She'll be fine. Deffo worth asking the airline for accommodation vouchers but they tend to be a bit weaselly about it unless their actual plane was the problem - otherwise it tends to be circumstances beyond their control and they won't cough up.

Very inconvenient for DD, but good job she landed safely. There were severe storms in the New York area this afternoon. Just FYI - BA started direct flights from LHR to Charleston, SC in 2019 but discontinued them during the pandemic.

Good idea to see what the airline can do. If they don't play ball, best to spring for a hotel.

Now I know what a Hollywood bathroom is!

Who is she flying with?

If she is airside, I'd think it would be fine. But perhaps she is not, given the setup in us airports.

I spent the night at the airport in Morocco alone at that age. It was ok, there were cats. In general if you are going to be out all night, the airport is one of the safer places to be...

The airline should provide a hotel.

personally wouldn’t see it as a problem sleeping in the airport should be pretty safe my DD was in Ghana at 18/19 ans currently in Malaysia at uni and had plenty of challenges along the way. She’ll be fine

I did similar at that age. All valuables hidden in clothes, sleeping on bags. It wasn't too bad, but I was young and hardy 🫠

If a hotel isn't possible that is.

If she booked a through ticket from her home airport to South Carolina, then the airline should be providing accommodation. She should go to the airline's help desk and ask what they're doing.

I ended up with a night in a hotel in Addis Ababa last year for the same reason. The airline had it all under control and got me taken there, fed dinner and breakfast, and picked up again in the morning and taken back to the airport.

Can she get a flight to Atlanta then to SC? If nothing else she can get to Atlanta and there are hotels just off the airport connected by a tram (they are in between the airport and car rental). A little less daunting than spending the night in NYC.

But if she can’t or doesn’t want to… a good dinner find a good spot to hunker down and she’ll be uncomfortable but fine. At 40+ I wouldn’t want to do this but as a 20 yo I slept in a lot of weird places while traveling out of necessity and cheapness.

ETA: It’s spendy but this hotel does have availability tonight. https://be.synxis.com/?_ga=2.82590864.769914216.1716843947-796217281.1716843947&_gl=11i0reyb_gaNzk2MjE3MjgxLjE3MTY4NDM5NDc._ga_8EPSLHVEHK*MTcxNjg0Mzk0Ny4xLjEuMTcxNjg0Mzk1My41NC4wLjA.&adult=1&arrive=2024-05-27&chain=24658&child=0&currency=USD&depart=2024-05-28&hotel=7182&level=hotel&locale=en-US&rooms=1

Is she already through security? There won’t be ransoms hanging around if she is.

Really not a great idea to sleep in a public place in NYC area, imo.
Sleep pods are outside security, so not sure next day flight will be allowed.
If it were my DD, I would spring for a hotel. The hotels run shuttles to the airport, so she could get there and back.

Over the years I have been stranded in various airports, never felt unsafe - at that age I didn’t have money for hotels but have also been in situs where had to stay in airport in case flights did go. She’ll be fine.

The airline should be offering to cover accommodation, has she asked about that?

I really would not recommend this - I moved back from NYC a few months ago. I went to collect a friend late once from there and the place was teeming with people with visible mental illnesses. A lot of homeless people try to sleep there. Most US airports don't actually let people sleep overnight. She should get a hotel from the company if they've cancelled her flight.

When I was 20 I spent the night at Heathrow Airport. My phone and passport were in a small bag. I looped an arm through its strap and slept with my head on it.

I'm guessing it's a bit late for her to find the other people on her delayed flight?

The sleep pods sound like a good idea, but is there any cover for a cancellation in her travel insurance? Is the airport obliged to help stranded passengers?

But surely if there's a problem at the airport there will be lots of people in the same position so lots of people around and lots of security, it's an airport after all, so unlikely to be people going around robbing other passengers unnoticed.

She won’t be the only one! the airport is 24hrs, flights are continuous, staff, cleaners, police, passengers… I’ve slept on a bench there…

Given it's only 5pm at jfk that seems an odd choice. I agree a hotel a better shout, or at least jump on the air train to see some of NY!

There are sleep pods and minute suites at JFK I think, maybe better value than a hotel.

I think it's a busy enough airport that she won't be unsafe, but a pod/hotel would of course be best for comfort.