You’ve done it. You’ve booked your dream trip, you’ve packed your bag, you’ve got some good spending money in your pocket, and you can’t wait to see what you’re going to get up to. However, now you’re on the way to your dream destination, your flight has been canceled and you’re now forced to wait in an airport for hours on end until another becomes available. It’s a total disaster!
So now you’re just waiting in a lounge, you’ve got your carry-on bag next to you, and there are a few shops open around you. You don’t know how long it’s going to be until you can get in the air again – and you’ve checked with the desk multiple times – and you need to find a way to fill the time.
That’s where we can help. If you’re stuck traveling for a lot longer than you thought you would be, take a look at the list below and see if you can make the time pass a bit faster.
Buy a Good Book
If you’ve got a good book, you won’t be stuck in an airport. Well, it’ll feel like you’re not, anyway. A good book lets you fly off to another world where other, more interesting, and exciting things are happening, and if you get suckered in enough, you may even forget where you are right now.
Head over to a nearby bookshop (most good airports have them) and pick up something that both looks and sounds good. You may have to use up a bit of your souvenir budget here, but you can keep reading the book throughout the entirety of your vacation. Even with an hours-long wait, it’s unlikely you’re going to get through the whole thing!
Get Your Headphones Out
Did you bring your headphones with you on your trip? If not, see if you can quickly grab a pair from one of the stores; most airports stock headphones, both wired and Bluetooth types, so you should be able to find a set that suits you. A good pair of headphones will see you out the other side of boredom as soon as you’ve popped them in your ears, so don’t be afraid to get a good pair here.
You’re going to need your headphones to enjoy any games you’ve got and any music you’ve saved to your playlist – playing these things with the sound on out loud is a big no-no, even when you’re waiting in a near-empty airport late in the evening!
Download Easy Game Apps (or buy a puzzle book)
If you want to pass some time quickly, make sure you’ve got some games on your phone! And not just any games – you want these to be puzzle-type games that are quite easy to progress through. A solitaire app, for example, where the game combinations are endless and it’s not going to be hard to get a hit off of winning. That’ll stave off the boredom until your replacement flight comes along.
Or, if you don’t fancy staring at a screen for hours on end, why not head into one of the shops and buy a traditional puzzle book? You should be able to find a version that has more than one type of puzzle in, but most people opt for crosswords or sudoku collections. Have a look through the shelves and see what you can find. Oh and don’t forget to grab yourself a pen before you head back out!
In Fact, Download Plenty of Media
You never know when you’re going to get stuck in an airport. As such, make sure you download plenty of media to your phone either before you go or when you’ve got a secure wifi to do it on. Yes, that might mean having to pay for airport wifi, but you can’t be sure how much longer you’re going to need to be entertained.
Download music, podcasts, audiobooks, and even films and episodes of your favorite TV shows. You should be able to do the latter two inside common streaming apps like Netflix and Disney+, so it won’t be hard to collect everything you want in one place. It might take a little while to grab everything, but it’ll be worth it when you’re delayed!
Talk to Another Traveler
If there are other people around, why not strike up a conversation? If they’ve been delayed as well they might just be perfectly willing to vent about that with you. And really, this is how friendships are made when we’re traveling.
If something annoying and inconvenient has happened to the both of you, talk about it and get those feelings out – you might just be heading to the same place and can continue your conversation when you get there!
Have You Got Time for a Nap?
If you know exactly how long you’re going to be stuck, why not fit in a quick nap? This is especially good if you’ve been in the air for a long time already and you’re starting to feel a little bit of jet lag set in. Use this time to refresh and get a handle on the way you’re feeling; tiredness can make things seem much worse.
Say you’ve got two hours before you can get on another flight. That’s plenty of time to get some sleep and have something to eat as well. If you’ve got less time than that, if you can fit in at least 20 minutes worth of nap time, do so! And if you need to pay to access the lounge, why not? It’ll make the wait more comfortable, at the very least.
Stuck in an airport right now? The boredom is probably setting in quite fast. However, you can keep it at bay with the ideas above. It doesn’t matter how long you’re going to have to wait; try out a few and make this time more leisurely and relaxing than it is boring and depressing!
