Airports can be a nightmare, from the processes enforced to the dull stretches of waiting. You have to arrive at the airport hours in advance, queue to get the bag checked in, hoping that your scales were correct, and then get smooshed through security while fearing what they might disapprove of in your hand luggage. But the fun doesn’t stop there.
Next up, you’re welcomed by the bustling area of food and overpriced goods, as well as the crowded gate list screen. Once the gate number comes up, you have two choices: wait around and end up at the back of the very long plane queue or walk as briskly as possible to the gate.
Those who get to pick their seats, don’t like standing for too long, hate queues, or just want to sit on the plane as quickly as possible will go with the second choice. However, when you make it to the terminal and sit by the gate, you’ll find that there’s a good hour of nothing ahead.
So, it’s best to prepare yourself for this empty window with specialized activities that can be done in short spurts in case you need to quickly get to your feet and don’t block off your hearing as you listen for the tannoy announcements telling you that it’s time to start the queue.
Used in the right way, mobiles are perfect
Now, you don’t want to be rude sitting on a lengthy phone call, and you don’t want to immerse yourself in a chat with your friends on a messaging app as you might miss some airline staff activity and end up missing your place at the front of the queue. However, mobiles are ideal portals to airport waiting room-optimized entertainment. Music, shows, and movies aren’t really viable options here, but quick games are perfect for the situation.
The most prominent is Pokémon Go. At airports, there are plenty of gyms and wild Pokémon popping up all of the time, allowing you to dip in and make a catch while being vigilant. Many people have also turned their attention to the ever-accessible iGaming industry for doses of entertainment. Not only has the industry brought popular online games like Book of Dead to phones, but there are also offers like the OJO kicker codes which offer free gaming. So, with a code, you can spend the waiting time playing popular games for free, and, as the games don’t require a lot of focussed gameplay, you can keep an eye on the gate and queue marker.
Ditch the bulk and get yourself a mini-book
A classic go-to entertainment medium to pass the time at an airport gate and on the plane is the noble book. Nice and simple, pages and words, a good book can make time fly by. However, reading a book that’s too good can not only distract you for too long, but it can also be very bulky.
This setting does, however, make mini-books a top option. The first and most obvious form of mini-book to go for has to be a mini language book, such as from the Collins Gem range of phrasebooks and dictionaries. These will allow you to quickly sharpen up your foreign language while also saving precious bag space.
On the other hand, you might want more of a casual read but in a smaller package and with smaller pages to allow you to put in a marker and leave it in an instant. For this, seek out the increasingly popular ‘dwarsligger’ style of books. These are pocket-sized and work as horizontal flip-back books, with Penguin Random House producing several.
If you have a daunting date set for the airport waiting room, be sure to have optimized gaming apps and mobile sites primed and ready on your phone, or get your hands on a mini-book.
Feature photo source: Pixabay
Categories: Travel
