Traveler’s Guide: Spending the Night in the Airport
It’s every traveler’s worst nightmare: You arrive in your layover city to find that your connecting flight has been canceled. No matter what the reason, from mechanical difficulties to weather conditions, last-minute cancellations can catch even the most seasoned traveler off guard. Since it’s impossible to predict when one of these worst-case scenarios might happen, it’s always best to ere on the side of caution when you’re planning your next flight just in case your accommodations for the night ended up being the cold floor of an airport far from home.
Alternative Plans
When you’re booking your airline reservations, it’s a good idea to be aware of alternative flights that will take you to your destination. Try to book an early morning or mid-day flights and check the schedules of other airlines that service the airports that you will be in. If possible, avoid flights that arrive late in the evening since these are generally the flights that can leave you stranded overnight at the airport. Moreover, planning your transportation service from Palma airport to can picafort is also really helpful as well.
Watch the Weather
Any time you’re planning a trip it’s common to check the weather at your ultimate destination, but while you’re at it make sure to check the forecast for any layover cities during your flight. This information can be immensely helpful when it comes to predicting any potential weather delays during your flight.
Pack Smart
Most travelers, especially frequent ones, tend to pack their carry on luggage light. Due to strict FAA guidelines that restrict the items that can be carried onboard an aircraft; many have resorted to limiting their carry on baggage to the barest of essentials in order to make it through security without the potential of a strip search. With this in mind, here are some critical elements that you will definitely want to make sure you have in your carry on luggage just in case you’re caught in a worst-case scenario.
A change of clothes. This seems to have been an old rule that has been somewhat forgotten, and even if you opt-out of packing an entire outfit make sure you consider some essentials like clean socks, underwear, and especially a sweatshirt or jacket.
A blanket and pillow. Travel-sized blankets and pillows are more than just a convenience if you happen to find yourself stranded miles away from home. Even if your actual flight time isn’t that extensive, be sure to make room for these luxuries in your carry-on luggage. Trust me. You’ll be glad that you did.
Other critical items. Just because you remember to pack it doesn’t mean you’ll have access to it if you’re stranded in the airport between flights. Make sure that critical items like your cell phone charger and toothbrush are in your carry on bag and not in the suitcase you checked in.
Know the Rules
FAA guidelines are strict, but if you know the rules you’ll be able to pack your carry on bag to efficiently sustain you in case of disaster. Most airlines allow you the option of bringing one carry on bag along with one personal item, which includes a purse or briefcase, onboard the aircraft. Women should consider packing their normal handbag in their check-in luggage and transferring only their wallet to a larger sized shoulder bag. This will help you to increase the amount of space for packing essential items without hauling around a lot of items that are of no use. Men should consider an over-sized briefcase with additional storage to use for the same purpose.
Guidelines also limit the number of liquids and gels that can be carried onto an aircraft. According to these guidelines, liquids and gels, which include toothpaste, shampoo, and lotion, must be in three-ounce sized containers or smaller and must fit into a single quart-sized zip-top plastic bag. While it may seem unnecessary to pack these items in your carry-on luggage, especially for a short flight, it’s well worth the extra effort if you happen to find yourself stranded in the airport.
Extra Stuff
Sometimes it’s the extra stuff that can really pull you through a long night on a cold floor in an airport. Make sure to take a book, laptop or portable DVD player, MP3 player, or some other form of entertainment. The more you have to keep you pre-occupied, the faster time will go by.
It’s also a good idea to research your layover locations before your trip. Be prepared with a list of possible hotels to call for last-minute reservations, especially if you’re traveling with small children. Airlines will often give hotel vouchers if flights are canceled due to mechanical difficulties or some other fault of the airline, however, if a flight is canceled due to the weather then there are generally no discounts given. If you’re unwilling to spend a long night in the airport waiting for the next available flight and then be prepared to act fast, hotels fill up quickly when there is an excess of displaced passengers.
Final Thoughts
Worst-case situations tend to bring the worst out in people, so if the worst case happens to you then make sure you maintain your temper. Be aware that the person at the airline counter has no control over the plane that you were supposed to be on. Therefore yelling at them will only extend the process for those in line behind you and make everyone even more irritable.
If the worst-case situation happens to you then remember to smile, be kind, and try to pay a compliment to the person at the counter. It might seem impossible but using that method is what got me a ticket on the 8:00 a.m. flight – while everyone else got put on stand-by. Just keep in mind that being a jerk doesn’t make anyone want to do you any favors.