I applaud a passenger who came prepared to face an extended Delta Air Lines flight delay in Orlando…he brought the mattress along.
Delta Passenger Sets Up Mattress In Gate Area At Orlando
A fellow passenger captured the picture above, at the gate for Delta 9897, a special section from Orland0 (MCO) to Atlanta (ATL) on Sunday night operated by an Airbus A330-300. Orlando has recently faced weather delays and fuel shortages, leading to a number of flight delays.
Orlando hits hard. @paulyhoward @MitchMossRadio @dustinswedelson pic.twitter.com/WSFFcAIZua
— General Mitchy Moss (@badpeatmoss) December 13, 2022
Certainly, cots, sleeping bags, and even some blow-up mattresses or hammocks are not unheard of at airports, but this is a huge one and it looks far more comfortable than trying to sleep on chairs or on the floor.
@Delta this is NOT ok! Shouldn’t a delta rep tell this guy at LAX that an inflatable floor mattress is not allowed!! pic.twitter.com/bTw5OJgezH
— Marck (@marckie415) October 15, 2017
This is what our @AmericanAir delay has come to in @PHXSkyHarbor — 4hrs and counting… pic.twitter.com/pVzeeA6kfF
— Erin (@tumblin2hot4u) October 11, 2022
CONCLUSION
I’m not about to start carrying an air mattress, but I am impressed at the foresight of the passenger. We have one of these mattresses at home and the whole thing can fit into a carry-on bag. It’s actually not a bad idea if you are a budget traveler wanting to minimize hotel expenses…
(H/T: View From The Wing)
Big brain moment.
Buddy Pass rider? 🙂
When I have early morning flights with DL out of JFK, there’s always someone with a small air mattress camping out in front of check-in where they had an overnight connection and didn’t want to overpay for a hotel. I understand why people do this.
Just wondering…how many readers would carry this 27.19 pound (it looks very much like the Intex Dura-Beam Ultra Plush Pillowtop Bed Air Mattress) inflatable air mattress with them to the airport if you didn’t know your flight was going to be delayed or cancelled? And, since the flyer is already in the airport and this air mattress wouldn’t fit under the seat in front of him in its included tote bag, wouldn’t we have to assume all he could have with him in addition to it is a small backpack or laptop bag that he could put under? The photo sure makes it look like he also has a full-size carry-on, so is that where he puts this mattress? And if so, are we to assume he checked any clothing, etc. for his trip? Color me skeptical….
What about a 5G option on this thing? Built in WiFi so you’re immediately alerted when your flight is boarding. It can also stream calming sounds.
@Maryland you’re onto something here, the numbers work out
I cannot stop thinking about this. Actually it could be operated through a website. Order your comfort, pay, and like the amazon lockers, user is sent a code to open. Easy. Product cost is low. Each unit could possibly recoup in a few rents. And a blessing to families and those who wish to be comfortable for a bit. I would invest
I know I’d bring a blow up air mattress with me to the airport if I was going somewhere that required me to have it for the duration of my time there. That guy is a smart cookie for sure.
One could be a little jealous. Heck, someone could open a kiosk rental for these. 😉
You beat me to the punch….
And it will called Airside Mattress!
Set up shop in AA hubs for maximum profit
Good plan. You’re now executive director of operations
That’s what Yotel is for. I know there isn’t one in MCO, but when I fly international, I try to book the connection thru an airport that has a Yotel and make my layover for several hours so I can take a nap between flights.
I’ve used Yotel in Amsterdam and Paris CDG and they are clean, comfy, and quiet. During my last trip to MNL, I booked a Yotel for 8 hours in each direction. It’s wonderful to be able to sleep, take a shower, put on some clean clothes, and then get on your next flight.
Looks comfy all right, but I doubt I’d be able to sleep since it’d feel like everyone were looking at me (taking my picture)!
No problem. Airside Mattress will have a cabana like canopy for prying eyes. You’re now executive director of product development!
A privacy pop tent will solve the privacy issue
What about a pup tent?
Maybe, maybe not, . Most seriously someone should peruse this idea. And thank you Matt for spurring this concept. Someone take it to Shark Tank. There is demand & need.
No no no, y’all have it all wrong! If you formally create the product and market it to the airports they will see dollar signs and enact a policy where air mattresses/cots/hammocks are only allowed to be rented within the airport, cannot be brought in from outside, and subsequently overcharge for them. Stop trying to profit from someone’s good idea and ruining it for the rest of us!
The flight in the gate pictured departed 16 minutes early. I guess the sleeper showed up early to catch some sleep.
It’s pretty dedicated to bring an air mattress just for the possibility of flight delay. Some folks might be traveling with an air mattress to use at their destination, and if the flight gets delayed, it’s fortunate you have one on hand.
I think anyone who has travelled enough has gotten stuck in airport overnight from time to time. Selling these in airports would seem to have a similar value to the folks who sell umbrellas in London and other cities as soon as the rain sets in.
There are a lot of international airlines that fly nonstop to Orlando, but XXX-MCO-YYY is not an itinerary you can commonly book… My bet is this passenger was connecting on two separate tickets with a long layover and saving themselves the hotel costs.
I actually have that same kind of mattress. It is big and heavy, and when I have traveled with it (e.g., to someplace without an extra bed, have packed it and its inflator in a separate suitcase and checked it. I’m not sure it would even fit into most carry-ons.
I not for the air mattress, how about a folding foam rubber yoga mat. Just something to keep you off the hard floor or dirty carpet ……
One picture I wish I had taken was of a rather flexible German woman in Frankfurt airport who wanted to sleep on the airport benches that were designed to discourage such a thing via large metal loops as armrests. She simply slipped her head through the loop somehow and pushed her feet in and slept soundly but it looked as if she was taken prisoner.
I would prefer a tent…