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?

Yay! Glad she’s sorted.

@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. 🤣

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.

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/

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.

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 😀

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

https://www.sleepinginairports.net/

@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.

Jfk is safe.

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.

Does she not have travel insurance? That would usually cover an hotel room.

But no, she’s no more likely to be robbed at JFK than she would be at LHR.

@Ohnobackagain It is worth checking. But there is way less protection than we have under the EU. We had to sleep on an airport one night as the airline did not have to give us anything as the flight was delated due to bad weather. There were lots of others sleeping there as well.

Yes, she is covered under our travel insurance. As the TWA hotel was so expensive, I am doubtful the insurance will fully cover the cost of the room. However, didn't want DD travelling around New York on her own to find a cheaper room.

I actually treated myself to a day pass at the TWA when I had a long transit time. It's expensive, but the hotel is awesome; possibly too late now for a swim but if she can, she should. Even if not swimming tell her to head up to the pool and roof bar to watch the planes and at least get some enjoyment out of the expense.

That’s really neat!

I slept in much worse places than a busy airport 😂. She’d have been fine. Valuable zipped inside your clothes, sleeping on your case in an area with staff around at most times. It’s an airport. People sleep in them all the time!

She’ll be much more comfy at the hotel of course, but this sort of thing really isn’t something to panic over.

Which airline? Took me a little while to find this summary from a lawyer in instagram that posts about delays etc

https://erika.com/flight-delay-compensation/?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=stories&utm_campaign=contentdistribution&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZbcaxOZ3NCzHlKx9E8ZvTmA_szMremjVIXGXRZ2NwaBnZKWFe7vARi9ys_aem_AV5puYK9EGvelWztjwHHplZoO3HhiP8DIaqb1ZNi0i15d454RKGfKGT6an9yuPXZV62UTb9UwK0Php0dO4Oir3Ek

What US airlines are legally required to do with weather-related delays is zippo. However, agents sometimes have leeway and will give vouchers for hotels and meals at their own discretion. I’ve gotten those multiple times when many passengers were being rude and I was simply polite and understanding.

one of the busy travel holidays in the states every where is packed with people traveling;it might take more time

Yup… this. If it’s mechanical or something else the airlines are pretty good. If it’s weather you are at the mercy if someone wants to do something for you.

Well I slept in Newark airport at that age, just put valuables in clothes and lay on bag. There were only cleaning staff and some security. I felt safe. This was a while ago tho.

I spent nights in airports, bus stations, and train stations when I was that age and younger. My parents would not have been at all worried if they had known. Coping with inconvenience can be tiring and strange, but it's part of life, in my opinion, and actually helps us not to assume that things are supposed to run smoothly. I do think that my kids' friends sometimes have trouble telling the difference between that minor inconveniences and deeply troubling threats.

I would class a night in JFK as an inconvenience, but perfectly safe.

I'm a grumpy old person though, and have a tendency to think that 'young people these days' are overly anxious, unable to accept things they can't control, and just generally lacking in resilience. (Not implying that any of these descriptions applies to the OP's daughter though, of course!!!!)

Jesus woman, let her grow up.

She's an adult you know. She'll be able to navigate her way around and it will be the making of her. Not like she's in a country where she can't speak the language. Get a grip.

You need a hobby.

My son (32) has travelled all over, solo or with friends. There's mobiles now, which is not the case when I was travelling.

Presumably she’s inside the terminal not on a bench in the pickup area. She’ll be fine.

have a tendency to think that 'young people these days' are overly anxious, unable to accept things they can't control, and just generally lacking in resilience.

I agree.