Nap Time! More Airports Are Testing Out Sleeping Pods
As if sleeping on an airplane wasn't already hard enough for some people, trying to catch a few winks at the airport can often seem like an impossible task — unless you know where to look. Knowing how important shut-eye is to travelers, and that an uncomfortable metal chair isn't conducive to honest-to-goodness sleep for most human beings, more airports are starting to embrace the sleeping pod concept.
Like something out of The Jetsons, you may have seen these space-age-looking devices while trying to find an unoccupied piece of carpet at a handful of airports around the world. In Terminal 3 at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), you'll find 37 GoSleep pods, which are described by GeoBeats News in the video below as "chairs that flatten out into beds with a garage door-like closure that seals you in and protects you from noise and passersby." A two-hour rental at AUH costs $22 in case you're interested in an extended power nap during a long layover.
Helsinki Airport (HEL) has 19 of the same pods, located at Gates 18 and 38, which are a bargain at 9 euros (~$10) per hour. They're also a growing trend in airport lounges — you'll find them within two marhaba lounges at Dubai International Airport (DXB), while Zurich Airport's Swiss Business Lounge features several chaise lounge pods as well.
But sleeping pods are not just an international treat. Earlier this year, JetBlue partnered with MetroNaps to offer its passengers complimentary 20-minute "JetNaps" in JFK's Terminal 5. Just be warned that there are only four of them, and that they're available on a first come, first serve basis. But even if you don't see someone waiting to take your place, don't try and push the 20-minute rule — you know how cranky tired travelers can get.