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?

You did the right thing! Hope she is safely on her way now.

I did a similar thing in my early 20s -but deliberately! Booked a really early flight from a European airport back to the U.K. because it was cheap, naively planning to sleep at the airport. I'd seen pictures on the news of people sleeping in airports with delayed flights so I thought I'd be able to lie down on a bench.

In reality, the benches all had arms in the way, so couldn't lie on them. The airport closed overnight (I'd assumed they were 24/7!). The security or police(?!) allowed me to stay there overnight along with two other lone travellers, a man and a woman, so we were locked in(!) for the night. Security occasionally walked past. There was nothing open other than the toilets and some internet terminals (pre-smartphone days). I ended up staying up all night as was too frightened and uncomfortable to sleep, logged onto a chat forum used by some university friends who took it in turns to keep me company through the night. Airport reopened at 5am ready for flights leaving from 6am. As soon as I landed in the U.K. I headed to a friend's where I slept for the entire day!

My parents still have no idea I did this!

I think she’ll be fine either way. but if you can afford it I think it’s great you’ve paid for the hotel. Better safe than sorry. Hope you get reimbursed by travel insurance.

And just to add - a pp compared it to their child travelling in Ghana And Malaysia. Those are two fairly safe countries and I’ve been to all three airports - I think JFK airport would be the least safest out the three.

@RidingMyBike OMG! That sounds awful! Really scary!

Hope she’s doing well. Maybe don’t post location next time. It could put her in danger.

Well I have now contacted our holiday insurance company. Sadly, the value of our claim is £40! We are able to claim the £40 due to DD losing 15.5 hours of her holiday due to the delayed departure of the connecting flight. However, there is nothing in the policy to cover overnight accommodation.

It's a shame the insurance didn't cover the hotel, but I am still glad I booked it for peace of mind purposes!

You totally did the right thing, OP. So much better to be on Mumsnet grumbling about the cost of the hotel with your daughter safe than any other scenario. Shocker about the £40 though.

I did this on a business trip where bad weather meant that every hotel within 4 hrs was booked and the wait between time we landed (11.30pm) and when we’d need to check in (4am) wasn’t worth it. I was 27 ish.

tbh I just pulled an all nighter. Had to use online check in to get back through security. Then watched Netflix on my phone oblivious to the world.

would say that I had the “security” of not being particularly attractive. I also pulled allnighters as part of my job (financial deals) so wasn’t worried I’d fall asleep. Was very pissed but no amount of money would move hotels closer.

@ScribblingPixie Agreed!

Imagine phoning your mum for help at 20! Blimey. If you're big enough to get on a plane you're big enough to sort out any travel challenges that go with it. Why can't she book herself into a hotel? That's why you travel with a credit card

Well I sometimes still phone my mum for advice and she phones me for advice too.

And it's not that easy to get a credit card when you are a young adult. I don't have one now actually, as I don't like being in debt, even paying it off in full each month. Also, if the hotel is expensive, she might not have wanted to book it anyway.

I've also just remembered that back in the day my father had lost his wallet and called me, reversed the charges, and asked me if I could pay for his petrol! I think he was on his way back from a trip to France.

How terrible of him!

Also, a few weeks ago DH got stranded in London when there was a problem with the trains due to storms. He messaged me and asked if I could book him into a Premier Inn we'd stayed in before. You know, because I was sitting at home warm with my laptop, and he was standing around in the station so it was much easier for me to do it and send him the reference code.

People can be totally ridiculous on here.

Do airlines really pay for accommodations due to weather problems in Europe

No, even if the actual delay wasn't down to the weather but the way they decided to organise their flights accordingly. For example, BA will always cancel short haul first. They make that decision but claim it's down to the weather. Well indirectly maybe, but not specifically as they could have flown that particular plane but chose not to, to prioritise a different one. That happened to me once when I was delayed for 8 hours due to fog at Heathrow, but Lufthansa's flights were going.

I had an 11hr wait in Bangkok airport many years ago, I struggled to stay awake, and it was crap. I ended up ringing my mum and crying down the phone to her. I was a similar age to your daughter, jet-lagged and utterly exhausted. Pay for a hotel for her pls

Sounds miserable! DD sorted now. Stayed in hotel overnight. As far as I know, she has now caught the rescheduled connecting flight 🤞

I’ve no idea tbh, I don’t remember the circumstances of why my flight was delayed, but it was delayed 24 hours and I got accommodation. I’m sure it wasn’t weather related though.

Actually thinking about it, my plane wasn’t delayed it was cancelled (still don’t remember why) and I was put onto a flight 24/hrs later. I’d just arrived in Chicago from New Zealand and I was so tired.

OP, your daughter is 20, she is an adult.
Is she not capable of making decisions herself about an airport hotel or not?

It was nice of her to let you know, but she really should be sorting these things out herself.

I just hope she didn't embark on a gap year through Asia, as she really would struggle!

Perhaps the insurance is in mum's name. It's a family policy.

I am much older than 20. I successfully manage to run my own home, manage a big team of employees and have my own family but sometimes, I find myself asking my mum for help and advice. Maybe she was jet lagged and wanted a bit of reassurance? She travelling alone, so sounds resilient and independent enough to me. It’s not like she’s 45 years old, never left home and called her mum to ask her how to boil an egg!

Do you people never call on others for advice even if you know what to do?! It’s perfectly possible to be independent and capable but still benefit from reassurance from others. Sounds emotionally well adjusted to me. I’m sure those who got a leg accidentally sawn off at Timbuktu airport but never even bothered to get a plaster - let alone phone their mum - are very well adjusted people! 🤔

Do you people never call on others for advice even if you know what to do?! It’s perfectly possible to be independent and capable but still benefit from reassurance from others. Sounds emotionally well adjusted to me

Clearly not. Asking questions and helping each other means you lack resilience.

It could also mean that you are sensible enough to realise you don't know everything.

I also love the idea that a 20 year old should get a cab to a hotel on her own as opposed to staying in an airport. Yeah right.

@gingersnapdrop I specifically wanted advice about JFK airport. It was impossible to post without mentioning location. It is a very big airport, so I don't think revealing location would have identified her.

@TorturedPoetsDepartmentAnthology Thank you!

Ditto! I would still rather know my DD or DS is safe in a hotel room than lying around at the airport. My sanity is worth the cost.

I so want to put that hotel on my bucket list! It just looks like so much fun, especially if you can be by the runway.

I have just been booking quite ordinary hotels in the US and have been shocked at prices.

A random tip. Singapore also has a hotel airside. If you have a few hours layover you can just pay for access to their pool. They provide towels. So a swim, some time in the sun, and a shower ready for the next leg to New Zealand.

I slept at JFK one night about 25 years ago and it was uncomfortable but felt pretty safe. There were lots of other travellers doing the same and I am sure she will not be alone either. You just line up on the seats with your head on your case. She will be fine.

Lol at all the 'mothers' that would leave their 20yr (or any aged) daughters (or sons) to fend for themselves when reaching out for help in another country in the middle of the night. I had no idea so many shitty parents existed! My eldest is 24 and I would do anything to help if they needed me (as would my parents for me aged 40)
Feel so sad that not everyone has this support tbh