Sleeping at DTW
 

Quick question for all. We have an overnight layover in DTW coming up in a couple months. I've slept at a number of airports over the years on the floor, cots, or long rows of chairs.
We just purchased an air mattress. It's a high one to make it comfortable. Does anybody know from experience if the airport personnel or DL gate agents would have a problem with an air mattress? Or as long as it's out of the way they don't care?
Thanks in advance.

I know about sleeping in airports.net. That site has proved to be very useful over the year and. I was asking for personal experience though. If anybody has ever used an air mattress at dtw or any other airport.

Hotels cost money which im trying to avoid.

What kind of air mattress? Is this a camping mattress (one that self inflates and rolls quite small) or a larger "Aero Bed" style?

I have see the former in use on a number of occasions. The latter would make me feel somewhat self conscious to use in an airport setting.

I don't think your plan will fly - pun intended.

DTW is a 24 hour airport insofar as it is available for operations around the clock. With regards to scheduled services, however, there's a big gap, and I believe airport police will tell you that you have no business on a concourse. Today (for reference) Delta's last scheduled departure is a 10:38PM to AMS, and last in-bound a 12:30AM arrival from ATL. Tomorrow's first outbound is a 6AM to ATL.

There are numerous 2* (and below) airport hotels with shuttles. On a good night $90+ tax will even put you at the Sheraton.

People have to sleep inside when they miss flights, flights are cancelled, etc. They dont kick you out because your connecting flight isnt for a few hours overnight.

Correct. As a travelers assistance volunteer at MSP (comparable in size to DTW, just slightly larger) I occasionally help passengers who plan to stay overnight in the airport, showing them the carpeted quiet areas, the stashes of mattresses (available in winter), the food providers that are open all night, etc. I've even seen a Delta agent let a passenger check a bag early so that she could spend the night airside rather than in the ticketing area (she had BPs for both days but hadn't been able to check her bag through because of the long connection time).

I've never had a problem spending the night in an airport. AS long as you stay airside you're good. Once I left MIA to go sleep on S. beach overnight so I could see the sun rise but the bus driver strongly discouraged it as she said there numerous bums and it wouldn't be safe.

Im referring to an air mattress the size of an aerobed. Different brand but same style, not a self inflating pad. I don't see what the problem would be as it fits in my carry on and we would be out of the way. We're continuing onto an international destination so I don't be want to bring it if anyone has experience of them not letting people. And I know it sounds redneck which I'm fine with. Air mattresses make great rafts to float down the river just in case you've never tried it.

They have oversized padded benches in the hallway on the way to the Westin. I see people sleeping there all the time. They are not airside, but I would do that before the air mattress.

I never heard DTW clearing out the airside after the last flight. It is just too large to make it worthwhile.

Just a bit of advice, the tram that runs the length of A will shut down at a certain point, but the announcements will keep going through the night. So between the "woosh" of the train and the announcements, don't plan on sleeping much even if you are a heavy sleeper.

Also, I don't think you will be able to get the air mattress motor through security. Fan blades and TSA don't mix. You may luck out, but I wouldn't bet money on it.

At the end of summer, you can buy a pool air mattress at Wallymart for under $5. Before it is inflated, it is totally flat and is about 10 by 10 by one inch. Easy to put in your carry on. No problem with TSA.

When connecting through places like DTW to Europe in winter with the chance of a snow delay in DTW, I carry one. I have never had to use mine thank goodness. Since it will not pack very small once inflated, if I did have to use it, I would leave it and give it to a fellow strandee. Best under $5 value.

Most airports do indeed restrict travelers to confined areas of the airport (typically within the baggage claim) "after hours." Do not be deceived by "24-hour" terminals and TSA checkpoints -- while these facilities and services are available 24/7, unless you have an immediate need (late or delayed flight, airport employee, etc.) to use the facilities, you may be asked to leave or not permitted to enter.

I've encountered this situations oodles of times, mostly when I was traveling NRSA. For example, "after hours" at ORD, Chicago Aviation Police would direct you to the baggage claim, where cotts were set-up nightly for stranded travelers (I'm not certain if they still offer the cotts). During IRROPS, these cotts were set-up inside the terminals and passengers were permitted to stay -- but that was the exception, not the norm.

I do not know DTW's current policy (although I know at one point they did direct "overnight" passengers to the baggage claim area at Midfield and to the lobby area of L.C. Smith .. of course, this was a decade ago) and I would encourage the OP to contact them to find out.

You can get several 3-star and 4-star hotels within 10 minutes of DTW via Priceline's name-your-own-price bidding system for under $70. Heck, you could rent a car, park it somewhere -- an airport garage and the 24-hour Wal-Mart in Taylor (10 minutes away from the airport) come to mind -- and sleep.

Last summer, I slept airside in JFK after missing the last flight of the night. I tried sleeping airside in Boston two years ago when I arrived on the last flight of the night and departed on the first flight of the morning, but airport security -- not police -- kicked me out after 12 a.m. Three years ago, I slept airside in Los Angeles as I was on the first flight of the morning. I stayed in the Sky Club until it closed and then slept behind the gatehouse where I was departing the next morning. Worked out fine. I woke up early, went to the Sky Club, showered, ate breakfast and then boarded the flight.