We all know we need to be at the airport hours before our flight! So what are the best things to do before boarding?
Instead of just sitting there, getting bored, listed below are 35 things to do while waiting at the airport.
The recommendations come from years of traveling – and even sitting in an airport for 6 or more hours before a connection flight arrives.
So use this list of the best things to do while waiting for your plane so that you make the most of your time!
As you will see, some of these are fun things to do at the airport, while others are incredibly productive things to do while waiting for a flight!
Waiting for a flight? Here are 35 things to do while waiting at the airport
1 Learn a new language
You can start studying a language while waiting at the airport. It can be a language you know nothing about, or it can be the language spoken in the country you are about to visit.
Or you can simply consolidate a language you learned a while ago.
Either way, you have options and many apps – for instance, I use Duolingo and Mondly.
2. Talk to someone sitting next to you
Yes, don’t spend your time only on your phone. Talk to strangers – yes, I know, the no safety rule says never doing that.
But you can look at the people next to you, and you can see if they’d be interested in a conversation.
You may learn many interesting things about them, their country, travels, etc.
3 Check your emails and reply to some of them
I mentioned including productive things to do while waiting for a plane, and this is one of them.
If your goal is 0 unread emails, then you can use the time you have at the airport to read and reply to emails.
Taking into consideration that many airports offer free Wi-Fi, it’s a free thing to do at the airport.
4 Do some shopping or window shopping
One of the things to do while waiting for a flight is to do some shopping.
You can buy souvenirs for yourself and your family or even products that you need and don’t find in your country or that are cheaper at the airport (for instance, we discovered it is cheaper to buy our perfumes from one of the airports in a big European capital).
If you don’t have money to do some shopping, then you can do some window shopping and discover what’s new there.
5. Talk to flight attendants or people from the business lounge
Again, talking to new people will get you out of your comfort zone and will allow you to pass the time faster.
Discussing with flight attendants or with the staff from the business lounge it’s one of the cool things to do while waiting to board your plane.
6 Buy postcards (and make sure you send them)
Not too many people are sending postcards anymore, but it is wonderful to receive a postcard from friends and family members.
So check the (souvenirs) shops to see if there is a cool/funny/gorgeous postcard you can buy for your mom/dad/aunt/best friend/loved one/kid.
As there are post offices in many airports, you can even send that postcard from there and make a nice surprise to your loved ones!
7 Read a book
Why not use the time you have while waiting for your plane to read that book you wanted to read for so long?
8 Clean your phone and gallery
Do you have any apps you’re not using? Then you can delete them.
Do you have many photos on your gallery that are not extraordinary? You can use the time you have waiting to board your plane to delete those photos that you don’t like from your gallery and to make space on your phone.
9 Send some emails or messages to your family and friends
One of the things to do while waiting for your flight is to get in touch with your family and friends.
You can reach out through your email or messages.
I’m recommending you not to use a video call, all because not everyone around you is interested in what it is that you have to discuss.
10 Eat something / Drink some coffee
Yes, it’s expensive, but if you need to, eat something.
Plus, the food is usually good. I tried restaurants in a few airports, and I’ve never been disappointed.
And you can try some of the local dishes – not a bad benefit either!
You can also relax at one of the airport cafes – maybe try some new coffee mixes!
11. Charge your devices
There are usually sockets where you can charge your devices at the airport.
So one of the best things to do while waiting for your flight is to make sure your gadgets are fully charged.
12 Listen to a podcast
You may learn many interesting things from podcasts, so why not do that while waiting for your plane? It’s definitely one of the best activities before boarding.
13 Plan some things
One of the best ways to be more productive is to use dead time, and waiting for your flight is dead time.
So get your notebook or your calendar on your phone or an app and write down the things you plan on doing tomorrow, the next week…
You can use this time to plan carefully your activities for the next few days or for when you come back from your vacation.
14 Take a walk and stretch your legs
If you have multiple flights, then use the time in-between connections to walk a little.
It will do you a lot of good!
15 Listen to an audiobook
If you’ve downloaded an audiobook a while ago but never got to listen to it or if you already have a book you started to listen to, then this is a great time to listen to that book!
16. Do some work
Yes, you can work while waiting to board your plane.
You can outline a new course or a new product or service you want to sell.
You can write a new blog post.
You can schedule some social media posts.
You can do many things, regardless of the domain youțre working in, so transform waiting for your plane into productive time.
17. Get pampered
You can enjoy a mani-pedi, a massage, a spa treatment, or even get a haircut while waiting for your plane.
18 Explore the airport and its attractions
There are some airports with special installations and attractions – like the famous fountain in Changi airport in Singapore.DE VERIFICAT NUME SI DE PUS LINK!
Make sure you don’t miss the chance of enjoying that special to see at the airport.
19 Take advantage of the airport’s (free) amenities
Many airports offer amenities that you may not even know about.
From drinks to a pool (Changi airport, Singapore), from sports equipment rentals to museums with free entry (Schiphol, Amsterdam) or even to a beer garden (Munich International Airport) or to a cultural center (Incheon International Airport, Seoul), and to many-many more, there are extraordinary amenities you can take advantage of while waiting for your plane!
20 Take some cool photos
Maybe you’ll see a wonderfully painted plane for a special aircraft.
Take some pictures as you may never know when you’ll need them!
21 Update your social media accounts
Maybe you want to show the world where you are right now or you simply need to post something on your social media.
Use this time productively and do that!
Or, you can look for new, interesting accounts to follow! Or you can interact with your followers/friends.
22 Catch up on your business meeting notes/presentations
If you’re traveling for business purposes, and you’ll have business meetings or you’ll deliver presentations, then you can use the time waiting for your plane to update or review them.
23 Watch a movie on your smartphone/tablet/laptop
If you don’t feel like working, shopping, or listen to an audiobook or to a podcast, then you can relax by watching a movie.
24 Write something/ your impressions
If you’re a blogger, one of the things you can do while waiting for your plane is to outline an article or to write and publish one if you have time.
You can also just write down your impressions about the airport, people you see, various details you could add to your next blog post for your book.
25 Learn some simple phrases in the language spoken in the country you are about to visit
If you’re visiting a new country, one of the best things to do while waiting to board your plane is to learn a few simple words and phrases in the language spoken in that country.
Find out how to say thank you, welcome, excuse me, etc.
26 Research any particular cultural things you should know about the country you’re about to visit
If you’re travelling to a country with a different culture, for instance from Europe to Asia, you should discover if there are any important cultural taboos or things you should know before visiting that country, especially if you didn’t do this before getting to the airport.
27 Relax by playing the game on your phone
Sometimes all we need is to relax, and one of the ways to do that is to play a game on your phone. Download an app you like or play one online to pass the time before boarding your plane.
28 Take a nap if you need one
Be careful with your stuff, but if you really need a nap, take it.
29 Explore the city
If you’re a layover is quite long, and if you don’t need a visa to enter that city, then take into consideration exploring it for a bit, especially if you don’t know when you’ll be able to visit it for a longer period of time.
You may not be able to visit all the famous places, but you could still get the game so that city and maybe one or two landmarks, and that will still be a win!
30 Play something with your family or friends
If you’re not travelling alone, then one of the best things to do while waiting for your flight is to play something fun with your family or friends.
You can play cards or pen and paper games, or something on your tablet/smartphone/laptop.
You can also choose I’m A Puzzle and solve interesting puzzles. These jigsaws are also excellent games to play while you’re waiting for your flight as they’ll challenge your brain and help ease the anxiety that comes with airport delays.
31 Time for yourself: meditate, gratitude, etc.
One of the things to do at the airport is to relax and one of the ways to do that is by meditation.
Use an app or just close your eye and meditate for a few minutes and the other rechargeable batteries.
You can also use the time to write down a few things that you’re grateful for.
This is a habit that, if adopted on a constant basis, will help you get into a state of harmony at abundance and it will help you in every aspect of your life.
32 Buy a newspaper or magazine in the local language and try to read it
Many of the magazines I saw in the airports are bilingual, and that comes in handy when buying it and trying to read it.
But you can also buy a newspaper or magazine in the local language and try to understand what it says. It’s a great way to practice that language, if you’ve studied it in the past, or a new way to learn new words in a different language (you can use Google Translate to discover the meaning of a few words from the articles).
Plus, you can give that newspaper or magazine to your significant one at home and let them read it too, if they are not travelling with you right now.
33 Listen to the anthem of the country or about to visit
It won’t take long, and it will be fun.
Read its story – and discover even more about the country’s culture and history.
34 Make an appointment you’ve been postponing for a while or need soon
Maybe you need to do your annual eye check-up or to go to the dentist. Why not use the time you have before boarding to schedule those appointments?
35 Learn more about your destination / plan or finalize your itinerary
If you’re still wondering what to do at the airport, then one of the things to consider is a little bit of research.
You can learn more about the city or about the visit and maybe even plan an itinerary, if you don’t have one, or you can see if there is anything you’d like to add to your existing itinerary.
You can also learn more about some of the places you want to visit on your trip.
These are the best things to do while waiting for your flight, in my opinion.
What’s your favourite activity while waiting at the airport?
