Sometimes when you travel your flights will have a layover that means you are sitting in an airport for a few hours between legs of your journey. We recently had a 3 hour wait between flights as we were headed to San Diego for vacation. Sitting in an airport for 3 hours can be boring, but not if you are prepared. While an inconvenience to some, these 8 Things To Do On Your Flights Layover are sure to keep you occupied and make the time “fly” by. Thinking ahead and planning for these incidental layovers is always recommended, but sometimes you won’t know until you get there that a delay will happen. We have included some great items that are good for when you aren’t prepared too!
8 THINGS TO DO ON YOUR FLIGHTS LAYOVER
GET SOME EXERCISE. If you checked your bags or have someone who can watch them for you this is a great time to get up and take a few laps around the airport. You’ll be sitting the rest of the day so this is a great time to stretch your legs and get some exercise in. Pop your ear buds in and go for a power walk around the airport. Just make sure you stay where you won’t have to go back through security again. Trust me, security at the last minute is not fun.
CATCH UP ON WORK. If the airport you are at has free wifi this is a great time to log on and work without interruption. Since you are suppose to be out of pocket you can get away with “hiding” those chat or IM boxes and just focus on your work. While vacation time is typically when you want to leave all work behind, I find that the fact my coworkers and clients know I am out of pocket gives me much better time to work. Without distractions I can be far more productive and as a result make much more money.
READ A BOOK OR MAGAZINE. If you are like most of us who work or deal with kids so much that you find yourself falling asleep trying to read, this is prime time to catch up on those books. If you didn’t bring one, there are tons of news stands in airports as well as many to download for free or cheap. I love grabbing free books for Kindle or hitting up the Google Play store so they are easy to carry with me and not take up space.
CALL YOUR MOM. If you life away from your parents you know how tough it can be to find time to simply sit and chat with your parents. Waiting in an airport is the perfect time to plug up your phone to a charging station and give them a call. I live in a dead zone and have no home phone. Yes, I feel like I am in the dark ages at times without a phone to chat, but it works for our family. Those times I am out somewhere with quiet and cell service are when I call my parents to chat.
WORK ON CHRISTMAS GIFTS. Do you crochet, knit or sew? Spend this time looking online for your next project or bring along the items needed to create a new scarf, pair of socks or blanket. Make sure to check airline and TSA guidelines for what is acceptable to bring along. Sadly, some of our tools for crafting can be considered dangerous. If you can’t do your actual craft, you can at least create some Pinterest boards with great ideas.
SHOP ONLINE. If you keep meaning to look for something online but don’t have time to at home, take this time to pull out your phone apps or laptop to browse online. While many don’t like making purchases using free pubic wifi, you can easily load your cart and do all the research needed to find your next purchase so when you get home you can just push “pay now” and be done.
MEET NEW PEOPLE. Some of the greatest friendships and romances started over drinks or laughs in an airport lounge. Head to the bar if you drink and chat with new people. See someone who looks lonely or nervous waiting near you? Reach out to chat and see if they want to share about themselves and let you calm their fears.
WRITE YOUR NEXT BOOK. So this is a little on the comical side, but also serious. If you are an author or want to be what better than airport lounge interactions for inspiration? Observe the people around you can create a fun new story about what you think tey are doing there.
Whether you know about it in advance or it is a last minute change of flight plans, a layover can be a great time to relax, recharge and accomplish new things. These 8 things to do on your flight layover are just the tip of the iceberg. Check the airport for salons to get your hair done, a manicure or pedicure. Look for arcades to have fun gaming in or a corner coffee shop to take in the local music vibe.
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