In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,856
In 2012 I slept in a pair of airports.
- ORD. Arrived at Midnight, through immigration/customs and back with my bag around 1 AM. Next flight at 6:20 AM. Cheapest hotel was $75 and it was horribly reviewed (some Ramada property) so I slept at the airport. I found an area behind a Hudson News in the baggage claim area of Terminal 1. The problem was there were incessant annoucements (welcome to Chicago! This is a security message! etc.) and it was freezing cold. I got about an hour of sleep. Thankfully, the security checkpoint opened at 4 and the United Club at 4:30. Still, a bad experience.
- YVR. Arrived at 1 AM, long long secondary search at immigration got me through at after 2 AM. Next flight at 6 AM. Found a comfortable set of seats in the lower level outside customers/immigration and laid down for a few hours. A much better experience.
These days I have more money and less patience and probably wouldn't do it again unless hotels were prohibitively expensive.