You’ve packed your things, printed out your boarding passes and made your way to the airport – but crikey, it’s a boring place.
We’ve all suffered the pains of waiting on a flight before. It’s like Waiting for Godot, but without the possibility of an intermission. You’ll amble around these plain white purgatorial hangars that have all the charm of a doctor’s office.
And with a place prone to delays, you’re going to want to hit the express lane to distraction. So, what can you do to make the wait for your flight a tad more palatable?
Park your car – without the fuss
You’ve driven into the airport and now it’s time to find a parking spot – so the stress begins.
You’ll drive around the labyrinthine mazes of the car park, searching for an empty spot, pulling your hair with every missed opportunity.
But some airports offer the opportunity to remove the stress from your parking. Leave your vehicle with an airport meet and greet service, which will take it off your hands, drive it to a safe area and let you travel knowing your car is in safe hands.
Become a VIP
While leafing through the magazines at WH Smiths is fine, it’s hardly an electric way to start your holiday.
What you need is a glimmer of glitz, a dollop of pizzazz, a feeling of finery. You need a VIP area that can relax you through your departure.
The cream of the VIP departure lounge crop will offer you champagne, free newspapers and magazines, luxury seating, a selection of meals and even a games room to keep the kids distracted for a while.
You’ll still be waiting around – but you’ll be doing it in absolute comfort.
Get locked and loaded
There’s nothing worse than showing up at the airport and having precisely zero things to do. You’ve packed nothing – the best you can do is stare at the countdown for your flight departure and hope it speeds up.
As with any big trip, stock up on a variety of past times, reading materials, DVDs (and something to play them on) and a laptop to while away those lonely hours in the departure lounge.
You’ve got the power
Is there anything more annoying than watching your laptop battery drain away, and the best you can do is hope it doesn’t turn itself off before you’ve saved an important document.
When you’re kicking about the airport, make sure you find a seat near a plug socket. And bring a few different adaptors for when you’re stuck in any foreign departure lounges. You won’t regret the extra prep.