Recently, I read a story on a travel website about a California woman who wanted to start a new life in another state.  She packed up what she could in a couple suitcases and spent her last bit of money on a one-way ticket to Idaho.

I’m sure she was looking forward to leaving the past behind and thought in just a few hours she could turn over a new leaf and start anew.  I bet her heart was fluttering when she made her way to the airline desk and handed over her ticket.  I can only imagine the horror that filled her heart when the attendant told her it would be an additional $60 for her luggage.  Remember, she spent the little money she had to purchase the ticket and  perhaps didn’t know many airlines charge for bags, or it didn’t occur to her there may be such a large additional baggage charge.  Needless to say, this led to events that left her stranded in the airport for eight days.

According to the article, she spent the time wandering the airport, stuck.  She was sentenced by the airline fees to stay in her pseudo- jail until she could pay $60 bail to be released.  She existed on packets of trail mix until members of the Airport Church of Christ paid her baggage fees and flight change fees so she could leave her “Terminal Hell.”

If you are thinking that life imitates art, you are correct.  “The Terminal” starred Tom Hanks and Catherine Zeta-Jones.  Hanks was an immigrant who lived at JFK for months when he was denied entry to the United States.  The movie was loosely based on a man who lived for 18 years in the Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

The moral of this story is, you need to plan for trips so you won’t get blindsided by unforeseen fees or travel surprises.   At ParkSleepFly.com you can stay the night with one of our partner hotels before or after your trip.  Parking and shuttle service is include in the park, sleep, and fly rate.  Packages can include anywhere from 3 to 14 days of parking with the night’s stay, often at a lower price than parking at the airport alone.

Don’t be left out in the cold.  Have your plans include ParkSleepFly.com