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

[DaughterStranded]

Not an AIBU, but posting for traffic as really worried.
20 year old DD has arrived at JFK airport to find connecting flight to South Carolina cancelled due to signalling issues. The next connecting flight will go 7am tomorrow morning. There are no earlier flights to any nearby airports available.
DD has decided to spend the night at JFK airport. I am worried she will fall asleep and get robbed of her phone/money. Anyone else had this situation to deal with? Any advice or tips anyone?

I am also curious to those that said they would refuse their 20 year old daughter help (or support) in this situation. So how would that call go? If they rang in the middle of the night, strange country needing help would would your response be? 'No darling sorry, I know you are alone and distressed 1000s of miles away, and yes it's potentially unsafe and you feel vaunerable but you are over 18 now so it's really time you stop calling your parents for help tut tut. Well anyway good luck I'm off to bed now goodnight' And then what? You tuck yourself in for a good night sleep....really 🤣🙈
Or perhaps they sadly wouldn't bother to call at all as they already know what your response would be.....

So pleased it’s all sorted, homeless people hang out in the airports in the US at night, no way I’d sleep in one.

I have read somewhere that US airlines have no obligation provide hotels or sustenance, nothing like the support in the UK and EU

They do so when the delay is caused by something within their control. Their own equipment failure, staffing issues, etc.

But not in the case of weather or something else external.

This is nonsense. Only ticketed passengers are allowed beyond security checkpoints in U.S. airports.

I always travel alone round the world with a thin flat money belt next to the skin and inside my jeans. Even on an overnight train in China. Can fit passport, cards and cash. It isn't bulky and not hot and sticky. I have never been asked to remove it at the control checks.

You should check with airline, normally they give compensation (refund) if the delay is over a certain amount of hours.

I got about £300 back for the flight being about 12 hours late once.

It is worth a check

Not outside EU

This.

Sounds like you got some helpful advice and surely that's what Mumsnet is for.

It’s great it’s busy there
can she ask member of staff to help her out ?
bless good luck .. keep us posted

If a 20 year old doesn't know how to sort out something as simple as this without phoning home to mummy then why would you let them go to the USA on their own ?

They have credit cards, they have internet, you hope by age 20 they have some common sense but clearly not.

@cavalier Thanks for your good wishes. Staff said they couldn't help as cancellation of plane was due to factors outside their control. I paid for a night at the hotel at JFK and DD got flight to South Caroline yesterday. She is now at her friend's house having a fab holiday!

Why would a 20 year old adult need help or support in this situation? Or be distressed? That’s my whole point, there is nothing more than mild discomfort involved in sleeping in a well lit, clean airport bristling with cctv and patrolled by security.

Of course if any of my children were in genuine trouble or danger I would do absolutely everything I possibly could to help them.

I agree. I used to travel abroad at this age and just turn up to find somewhere to stay. This would not have thrown me.

She wasn’t sure as to the best option so she asked advice. Perhaps she was considering sleeping in the airport but wanted a second view on if it was safe? I ask for advice from friends and my parents on various things. Could I make my own decision? Of course but sometimes you bounce stuff off others and she clearly wasn’t sure the airport was safe or not. Some airports are safer than others.

It strikes me that different people feel differently about mini adventures like this. When I was 20 I would have been thrilled at the idea of sleeping at the airport. It's kind of childish but I was excited by anything I hadn't done before (hotel would not have been as interesting!). However if I'd been in constant touch with my mum at that age she would definitely have reacted the same way as OP and insisted on booking a hotel. I would have felt obliged to comply (to stop her worrying) and felt overprotected, stifled and annoyed. I'm relieved I got to travel in my 20s without my mum's interference.

However, both my sisters would have HATED to be in that situation and would have jumped at the chance of help from my mum. So it really depends on who it is.

I’ve just come back from JFK
its a decent airport and it’s safe - lots of people and security about
I’m sure she’ll be ok

From a US airline in the US???

Where you pick your bags in the US you are not airside for internal flights. Literally anyone can walk into the airport! Once you’re checked in and through security that’s a different matter…

Did her original flight depart from the U.K. and was the connecting flight on the same ticket? If so, she should be covered by EU261 for compensation.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/holiday-cancellations-and-compensation/if-your-flights-delayed-or-cancelled/

You are able to turn around and go right back through security. Did it a few weeks ago.

I’ve never once seen a homeless person inside a major airport in the US. Not in the ticketing areas, not in the secure terminals. Not in small airports, nor in massive ones.

Certainly not in baggage claim.

I'm glad your DD is OK and has gone on to enjoy the rest of her trip. Well done you for being such a fabulous parent and helping out. Good for you. I would do the exact same thing for my 2 DS's. I think my parents would still do the same thing for me too. I'm 53! 😂

I do see online that it’s a thing, but again, not a problem for a ticketed passenger.

https://www.aviationpros.com/airports/news/21293224/i-had-no-choice-for-many-homeless-people-ohare-has-become-a-nighttime-refuge

I would take what is said online with a pinch of salt. I have slept in a US airport when there was a flight delay and been woken up by security who wanted to see my ticket. Another person had assumed I was homeless. I was not. I was just exhausted and sleeping.