Additional Coverage:
- I slept at the airport before an early flight to avoid waking up at the crack of dawn. The noise and the nerves left me regretting my decision. (businessinsider.com)
Airport Sleepover? One Journalist Says ‘Don’t Even Think About It!’
Considering spending the night in an airport terminal to save a few bucks or dodge that dreaded 5 a.m. alarm? One brave (or perhaps, sleep-deprived) journalist recently put this budget travel hack to the test, and his advice is unequivocal: just don’t do it.
Pete Syme, a Business Insider journalist, chronicled his attempt to catch some Z’s at London Gatwick Airport before an 8:50 a.m. flight to Dublin. What started as a seemingly clever money-saving strategy quickly devolved into a night of regret, punctuated by noise, an eerie setting, and a distinct lack of restful slumber.
Syme arrived at Gatwick around 11 p.m., already feeling the effects of a day’s work and a pre-airport run. He anticipated a quiet, albeit unconventional, night. However, stepping into the terminal, he was greeted by “clinical lights and squeaky white decor,” creating a surprisingly unsettling atmosphere as he wandered past empty check-in desks.
Upstairs in the departures area, a couple dozen fellow travelers were already attempting their own airport slumber party. Some were sprawled across rows of seats, others used backpacks as makeshift pillows on the floor, while a lucky few had snagged the cozy booths of a 24-hour café. Despite the “safety in numbers,” Syme found it challenging to relax surrounded by strangers.
He attempted to create a comfortable spot on a bench, using a folded hoodie as a pillow and zipping up his valuables. He quickly lamented the budget airline’s carry-on restrictions, wishing he had an extra hoodie or a neck pillow. A forgotten sleep mask also proved to be a critical oversight, leading him to cup his hand over his face in a futile attempt to block out the light.
Headphones in, Syme tried to zone out, but sleep remained elusive. Around 1 a.m., police officers made their rounds, their radios a constant reminder of his unique lodging.
The whirring escalators and sporadic chatter further shattered any hope of peaceful sleep. Thirty minutes later, a moment of “utter doubt” led him to jot down in his notes app: “How naïve I was to think ‘How bad could it be?'”
A slight change in position and pulling his cap over his face offered a brief reprieve, allowing him to finally start nodding off. This moment of peace was short-lived, however, as the seats began to shake – a fellow traveler at the end of his row was charging a phone.
Moments later, a trio of men settled nearby, their loud chatting and chortling echoing through the otherwise quiet terminal. Adding insult to injury, one of his AirPods then died.
Deciding a change of scenery was in order, Syme went for a walk. Downstairs, while charging his phone, he observed ground workers arriving for their shifts and a family greeting new arrivals, sparking thoughts of how much easier airport sleeping might be with friends or family, or while on vacation without the inherent stress of a work trip.
Eventually, hunger pangs led him back to the departures area, where, blessedly, a comfy armchair in a café had opened up. After a bacon roll, he finally managed to drift off for a couple of hours, pulling his cap back over his face and with recharged AirPods in place.
He woke around 6:15 a.m. as the airport began to hum into life, grateful for the “smidge of sleep” he’d managed to snag. A final jolt from someone stumbling into his chair sealed his fate, and he soon headed for his flight.
Syme concluded that despite struggling to sleep on planes and trains, the airport terminal was “definitely the most challenging.” He believes no amount of preparation could have overcome the unsettling sensation of trying to sleep in the “liminal space” of an airport, surrounded by strangers.
His final verdict is a clear warning to other travelers: next time, he’d gladly shell out for an airport hotel or simply brave the early morning alarm. Some experiences, it seems, are just not worth the savings.