We all know that hanging around in an airport is like waiting for death.
For the most part, these bustling departure points are largely insufferable, often teeming with disagreeable people and lacking in character, not to mention the labyrinth-like passageways you must negotiate to find your terminal …
… but there are a few ways to make your airport experience slightly more tolerable.
Before you’ve even reached the airport, of course, you’ve done everything in your power to make the journey as smooth as possible – booking car parking at Edinburgh airport, making sure you have travel money, sending the dog to the kennel – but inside the terminal, things grind to a halt.
Indeed, unless you’re an avid plane spotter who gets his or her kicks out of a Boeing 737 or an Airbus A380, it’s highly unlikely you’ll enjoy spending a second longer in the airport than you have to, but when your flight is delayed, follow the tips below to kill some time …
Take a Good Book
It sounds obvious, but when you’re stranded in an airport at the mercy of the airline, the last thing you need is to be waiting in the departure lounge reading the fire exit instructions for the hundredth time. Consequently, stock up your Kindle or grab a bestseller from the shop – it’ll save your life.
Listen to Music or watch a movie
There’s nothing worse than heading to the gym without your earphones, so imagine spending an unexpected few hours in a lifeless airport without any music? It’ll drive you mad in no time, which is why you should remember to charge up your MP3 player before you head off to catch your flight. If you’re a horror movie aficionado, you can also go to sites like HellHorror.com to find movies to watch on various OTT platforms.
Bring Your Tablet
Whilst the only tablet you’re likely interested in is a valium just before takeoff, when you’re delayed, your iPad is worth its weight in gold. All you have to do is get yourself into that WiFi sweet spot and watch a few hours of Netflix (we recommend a Breaking Bad marathon) before your flight departs. Alternatively, you can head over to sites like https://www.arkadium.com/free-online-games/casino/ and try your luck at playing casino games. This may also be a better way to kill time while waiting for your flight.
The popularity of Internet-distributed TV services such as Netflix, Amazon Video, and Hulu have all contributed to the popularisation of a specific mode of TV viewing known as “binge-watching.” Engaging in this ‘culture and technology blending behavior might entail prolonging viewing experience and engaging with a narrative world as well as emphasizing the story world over the lived experience. It makes no difference whether you’re watching a comedy series or a horror one. Somewhere down the line, it definitely affects your state of mind. However, if you watch the series in situations such as while waiting for a flight, it can be a good way to pass the time.
Head to the Bar
Admittedly, we don’t advocate getting tanked up before your flight (this isn’t a lad’s holiday to Ibiza, after all), but having a few light refreshments in the airport bar will help you relax and, in all likelihood, make you forget why you were annoyed about the delay in the first place.
Of course, this article is simply a bit of light-hearted fun, but if you’d like to share your own tips for killing time at the airport, please hook up with us in the comment section below – we’d love to know what you get up to when that airport boredom kicks in!
Image courtesy of Wikipedia Commons