Woman Skips Airport Lounge, Chooses Cheaper Way To Sleep ‘Like a Baby’

A video of a passenger sharing a “pro travel tip” for sleeping at airports has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip was shared by @operation.adventure and has garnered over 339,000 views since it was posted on August 23.
A note overlaid on the video says: “POV [point of view]: you refuse to spend $100/hr to stay in the airport lounge so you whip out an entire bed and sleep like a baby for $0 instead.”
The footage shows a woman in an airport setting unfolding a “blowup” bed before inflating it by hand and laying on top of it.
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A caption shared with the post says: “Pro travel tip. Next time you have an overnight and/or long layover, bring a blowup sleeping pad and blow that thing up in a quiet corner of the airport for the cheapest night of rest you’ll ever get.”
The airport sleeping hack in the viral clip will be a welcome tip for many travelers who might find themselves stranded at an airport, especially during flight delays and cancellations.
Passengers should always check with their airline to see if hotel stays are offered for delayed flights to be able to catch some rest in a more secure setting rather than a public area like an airport.
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The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) advises: “There are no federal laws requiring airlines to provide passengers with money or other compensation when their flights are delayed. Each airline has its own policies about what it will do for delayed passengers.
“If your flight is experiencing a long delay, ask airline staff if they will pay for meals or a hotel room. While some airlines offer these amenities to passengers, others do not provide any amenities to stranded passengers.”
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Travel is set to reach “record highs” this year, with global tourism spending expected to hit $2 trillion, according to a December 2023 survey by Euromonitor International, the market research firm.
According to a July report by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), total passenger demand in June was found to be up 9.1 percent, compared with the same month in 2023.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, said in the report: “Demand grew across all regions as the peak Northern summer travel season began in June.”
“North American carriers saw a 6.6 percent year-on-year increase in demand,” according to the report, and “capacity increased 8.6 percent year-on-year, and the load factor [the percentage of available seats an airline sells on its flights] was 88.7 percent, the highest among regions.”
The sleep hack in the viral post has sparked debate among users on TikTok, with some praising the tip.
Elliott said: “This is brilliant. Those mats are so small and easy to pack, I think I may do this next time I fly. I have chronic health issues and being able to lay flat would be a gift!”
CAMILA REYES wrote: “So smart i never considered my self-inflating sleeping pad.”
“That’s a really smart way to inflate a mattress,” noted criisator.
Others were not as convinced by the idea, such as egosyntonic12 who said: “No blanket? No emotional support fan?? I could never.”
“I would be terrified someone would interfere with me or my stuff while sleeping,” noted
oldmaidentypeshoes.
12waitforit3 agreed, saying: “I don’t trust public places that much lol.”
Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.
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