Making the most of a long layover
The good:
Burn Notice, ALL OF SEASON TWO.
(This is how I spent a 12 hour layover in Dubai)
The bad:
Me plus a large pelican case with gear in it plus my normal suitcase which I was required to collect and re-check for my connecting flight.
The ugly:
You can only check in 3 hours before your flight – so there I was, with all this gear in a food-court outside the super glam Dubai airport terminal… waiting for what seemed like FOREVER watching Burn Notice ON AN iPOD.
So, other than watching movies on your laptop or tablet, reading that book that’s been collecting dust on your shelf or simply people watching, what is there to do in an airport terminal???
Some of my favorite suggestions to help pass the time and make the most of your next extended layover:
- Create your own games: I have a scavenger hunt where I watch for three categories of travelers: Sleepers; Runners; and Pajama wearers. If I see all three in one trip I consider it a victory! Runners are usually the easiest to spot, sleepers have their own wing in Amsterdam and Paris, the floor is usually littered with sleepers in Dubai; however, pajama wearers are the most difficult to find outside of the US.
- Spot the stars: I have seen Jude Law in the Bordeaux train station, Keifer Sutherland in Laguardia, Herman Edwards in Chicago, Sulu (George Takei) from Star Trek in Omaha, and Jeb Corliss in LAX. Unfortunately I’m not the paparazzi, so I don’t ask for photos.
- Business lounge access: There’s nothing like idling away the time than hanging out in the business lounge. Flying on a business ticket will get you into your airline’s airport lounge; having airline status will get you +1 access to the lounge as well. Otherwise, paying your way into the lounge varies from airport to airport and airline to airline. Free snacks, drinks, wifi, plus better facilities and cushy chairs are all reasons to spring for lounge access.
- Catching up on emails: This is the perfect time to read through and organize your inbox, and an even better time to fire off some emails to friends and family. I use Sincerely’s Postagram app to send postcards with great success. No wifi access? I use Evernote to jot down my thoughts when I don’t have access to the internet, once I have a connection I copy/paste the notes into emails or handy blog topics like the very one you’re reading right now!
So while sitting in an airport may sound like the most obnoxious thing ever, consider this: How much time do you spend every day trolling on FaceBook or watching TV? Consider airport time a great chance to keep those daily tasks from piling up on you when you get home.
