How To Survive Getting Stuck Overnight at the Airport
This past weekend, I went back to New York to spend time with my family and friends for Thanksgiving. It was great! Then I traveled back to Missoula, and it wasn't so great.
Getting from New York to Missoula is a little difficult - there's no direct flights, which means there's an increased chance that something will go wrong. Yesterday I flew from New York's JFK Airport to Salt Lake City, with the intention of connecting to another flight that would get me to Missoula around midnight... but instead it got cancelled and I was stuck in the airport overnight.
Spending the night in the airport is a frustrating experience, but you can make it through. Here are five ways to make sure your airport adventure is as stress-free as possible.
1. Mark Your Territory - Find your spot, hopefully near where your gate is for your rescheduled flight, and put all your stuff there. This is now your corner of the airport and nobody can take it away from you.
2. Be Near An Outlet - Make sure you've got your phone charger with you, because there's a lot of scrolling through Twitter and randomly texting people that you know are asleep that's gonna go down.
3. Pack an Emergency Pillow - I did not have a pillow and had to bundle up some shirts as I laid on the floor to try to sleep. It was not comfortable and I do not recommend it.
4. Make Sure You Notice Somebody with a Distinctive Shirt on Your Flight So You Can Spot Them Again in the Morning and Follow Them Just to Make Sure You Know Where You're Going - Thanks, dude with the tie-dye Modest Mouse t-shirt.
5. Bring Earplugs - It's tough to sleep when there's a janitor in the same room using a loud cleaning machine, which I know now from experience.