8 Super Productive Things To Do at The Airport While Waiting For Your Flight

By Chinelo Ngene

Spending hours at the airport can be exhausting with long lines, flight delays and layovers. Travellers spend several hours at the airport waiting for the next flight and doing what they can to pass time. This article lists the most productive things to do while you wait for your flight and no, napping isn’t one of them and neither is people-watching. Try out one or all of these eight activities at the airport and board your flight knowing that your time was well spent.

Read

The easiest things to find at the airport are books; they are a favourite among travellers worldwide. Pick up a newspaper to stay in the loop of current happenings around the world. Magazines can also be a huge information resource as there are magazines on various topics. You can glance through a fashion magazine to find current fashion trends or read a lifestyle magazine to find out the latest diet regime. With some extra time to spare, pick up a magazine on a new interest and learn new tricks in fields like gardening or interior decoration. Pack a few good books and even if you don’t finish them at the airport, you can pick up where you left off on the ride to your hotel room or while waiting for a meal at a restaurant.

Indulge

All work and no play makes Jack a dull traveller. If you’ve got a few hours to spare at the airport, use the dead time to spoil yourself. Visit the airport lounge and have a drink or two, peruse the restaurant menus and try food you wouldn’t find at your local restaurant. Some airports have showers and spas, perfect for relaxing after a day of running around, so take a cold shower or let go of some tension with a pre-flight massage. Find out what other things your airport has to offer, you might be surprised by what you’ll find.

Shop

Airports have some of the best souvenir shops around. Travellers can window-shop and buy destination specific gift items. Forgot to pack a toothbrush? Not to worry, convenience stores at airports have all the things a traveller needs to get by, plus more. You can shop for books, magazines, snacks, gadgets, travel accessories and a host of other last-minute essentials. Walk from one terminal to the other to check out what they have in store and by the time you get back, your flight might just be ready for boarding.

Watch A Movie

The average feature film lasts for two hours, and what better way to stay entertained than to be spellbound in the suspense of the latest action-packed movie. Get a few movies on your laptop, tablet or mobile phone, or stream a few online. Time flies when you’re having fun, and it’s especially true while watching a movie at the airport. One film could be all you need to forget how long you’ll have to wait for your flight. Make sure to have a fully charged device before leaving your home and find out what the latest movies are so you can stock up on them.

Have a Good Convo

Airports are filled with people looking for adventure and new experiences. Many travellers are eager to find others who share the same interests with them and a common destination is a good place to start. Don't limit it to those you can see at the airport, take the conversation to the web, meet on Facebook, spend time on Twitter and chat on BBM, all great ways to socialize while waiting for your flight.

Scribble Down

Write postcards, letters, emails, ideas, and short notes, anything you've always wanted to put down on paper. This can spark up great ideas you never thought about before. More than likely, you’ll be moving from one place to another throughout your trip, use the time waiting at the airport to create a travel itinerary. A travel itinerary details what places you will be and when, including your travel dates, flight details, hotel reservations, and a list of places you want to visit.


Play Games

Both the young and old get stuck in long delays at the airport. After all the chatting and shopping, there's only one thing left to do - pull out your iPhone and engage your mind with a good game of Temple Run. Running for your life in a crazy jungle can be a great way to kill time.
If you're not too tech savvy, go traditional and pack a deck of cards with you. Ask a fellow traveller if they would like to play, it's a great way to make new friends.

Surf The Web

The internet is so vast that you can do almost everything on this list right through your laptop or smartphone. You can read a book, play games, catch up on news, tweet and watch movies. It’s an all-in-one travel companion that keeps you engaged from the ride to the airport to the time you board your flight. Some airports offer free Wi-Fi access at terminals to keep travellers happy, so take advantage of the opportunity and surf away.


Chinelo Ngene writes for Jovago.com