If you are planning a trip to a far flung nation for your next holiday, then chances are you will have to spend some time waiting around in an airport departures lounge. Even for those of you lucky enough to avoid the numerous natural disasters, flight crew strikes or volcanic eruptions attempting to delay your flight indefinitely, there will still be at least a couple of hours that will need killing.
The traditional way to spend your time in an airport is by either shopping or eating. With most airports now resembling shopping centres with aircraft parking, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to emptying your wallet and that’s before you even hit the duty free! So once you have stocked up on cheap gin, changed up your foreign currency and got aunty Pat her 200 Benson and Hedges, give these ideas a go to see the hours waiting for your flight drift away unnoticed.
Let us begin with what might sound like an obvious suggestion – reading a book. Never underestimate the ability of a good book, the sort of book that hooks you into its world and doesn’t let you out, to while away the hours. In this age of laptops, smart phones and tablet pc’s the humble paperback is often overlooked – but when you have just got off an 8 hour flight, with a 5 hour wait ahead of you, the fact that a paperback book won’t run out of battery, terminally crash or cost your hundreds of pounds when you lose it will be a god send.
Many larger airports, especially those in the far east, offer premium ‘pay-in’ departure lounges that can be used by anyone without the need to sign up for a yearly membership. So if you don’t mind investing a little bit of your travel money, then prepare yourself for a well-earned few hours of luxury that will leave your refreshed and revitalised for your flight. In these lounges you will often have on offer free food and drink, shower facilities, television and even a masseuse – everything you need for a thoroughly pleasant few hours awaiting your flight.
The majority of airports now offer free wifi connection throughout their terminals, so take advantage of this if you are travelling with a laptop or smart phone by logging on. With the internet at your disposal you can catch up on important work, email your loved ones or, most likely, log onto facebook or youtube. You will find that the hours will fly by with every ‘funny cat video’ you watch.
