If you have several hours (I’d say more than 5) your best option may be to leave the airport entirely. In London, you can catch the Underground into the city centre for only a few pounds. You can wander around, grabbing fish and chips and a cup of tea.
Many large cities have bus tours where you can hop on and off to visit different sites. Even if you never get off the bus, you’ll have the chance to see Times Square in New York, the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles and Buckingham Palace in London. While the bus tour costs more than just walking around a city, if you’re not familiar with you’re surroundings it will save you a ton of time and effort so you can make sure you get back to the airport with plenty of time to catch your flight.
Books are Better
If it looks like your airport is tiny, still living in the stone age and absolutely isolated, here’s a bit of advice when scouting out the newsstand: books are better than magazine in the dollar to word count. A magazine will be loaded with advertisements and photos and can often cost $4-6. In a 4 hour layover, you could flip through four different magazines, each time shelling out cash and getting very little in return. A book, on the other hand, will keep you occupied for hours and is usually only around 2-3 times the cost.
If you only want light reading, check out the children’s section. The Harry Potter books have more adult fans than children and are extremely engaging. Other, similar books will not only entertain but also make the time fly by.
Don’t be Afraid to Ask
After reading all of these handy tips, you may not even need to use them. Depending on your final destination, there may be an earlier flight than the one for which you are scheduled. Check with the ticket counter and the boarding areas for your airline. Since 9/11, many airlines have changed their policy about free stand-by substitutions but it doesn’t hurt to ask. Airlines are looking to keep their seats full and their customers happy. Make sure you are polite and explain your situation clearly, showing boarding passes and all necessary identification. You may be on your way earlier than expected.
Layovers can be a pain and no one wants to waste time when they’re headed for a vacation or to see friends or family. Instead of sulking during your stay in the airport, next time you travel try one of these tips. The time will move faster and you can even have a mini-vacation on the way to your vacation.