Flight Delay Survival Guide: 10 Essential Tips to Keep You Entertained

1. First things first

The best thing will be to get to the departure gates and wait there for your flight, so you don't have to wait for sudden announcements or to keep looking at the airport monitors. You will have to stay alert for these and if you miss them you can get into trouble.

2. Come prepared

You can even call your near and dear ones telling them about what your situation is. You can even use your tablet or laptop, for doing your work or to complete your study assignments. You should bring noise-canceling earphones or ear-buds to make sure that the noise around your seating area doesn't disturb you. Most airports now have kid’s zones where they can play with young ones of their age group.

3. Get your devices ready

You should bring your devices charged up, so you have something to keep you busy. You can listen to music of your choice or play various video games installed on your smartphone. You can also bring a device that will charge your devices without a power connection. You should have enough mobile data and you should purchase a pack for the destination too, unless you will need a new SIM card there. You can even bring a book as it will be the best companion as you wait for your flight.

4. Lounges to rest

Some airports have lounges belonging to particular airlines, entry to which is usually restricted to those with first-class and business-class air tickets. Most of these will allow others to enter but there may be charges for it. These will be worth paying for as there will be free Wi-Fi connections, free snacks and drinks and you can relax with a comfortable seating arrangement. The lounge access is also complimentary for those passengers on the airline's frequent flyers program if you have a sufficient number of reward points. If the airport is charging you for its lounge access, you can expect the airlines to compensate for this. You will always prefer these if you are a business traveler, as you will not be missing your online meetings and there will be sockets to keep your devices charged.

5. Come with enough cash

You should bring enough change with you for the tea and coffee machines. You will have enough time to walk to the nearest vendor to get some snacks and return to your seat at the departure gate. You may even be offered discount vouchers from the airline and you can keep a receipt of everything that you eat and drink, as the airlines should look after you if their flights get delayed. You should always bring a water bottle with you to quench your thirst when you feel like hydrating yourself. You should always take some snacks with you, as you will need to eat something in case you have to wait.

6. Contact the authorities

You should try to contact the airport staff as soon as you hear about the delays, about what the situation is and how long you may have to wait. You can even seek compensation for the long delays as long as it is the airline's fault. If weather is behind it, you will not be compensated as such circumstances are beyond the control of the airlines. If the delay is too long for you, you can lodge a complaint with the airline and try to book another flight for later. If you are catching a flight from what is not your home city, you can look for hotel accommodation too. In case of overnight delays, you should be given accommodation and transportation vouchers from the airline. If you have purchased insurance for your flight, these too will cover some of the costs of your trouble.

7. Airports can be entertaining

If the delays are long enough you could go for some duty-free shopping or try items at the popular restaurant chains, the eateries you will find mostly at the airport. Some airports have art galleries or gardens, if not they will have views of the airlines taking off and landing to keep you entertained.

8. Keep everyone updated

You should also update the person waiting for you at the other end about your status and that of the flight. If you have airport transfers booked, you can get into trouble as most of them will wait for you for a limited period. If you find someone with common interests at the airport, you will have a new friend unless you already are with a group.

9. Keep yourself active

You will need some exercise if you have to wait for a substantial period of time. If you have someone flying with you, they could watch over the hand luggage as you do this and you can do the same for them when it is their turn.

10. Stay comfortable

For most flights you will be coming in comfortable clothes, so this will put you at ease while you wait and if you haven't you should always bring such clothing to stay relaxed. If you are coming with your family, you should bring something with you to keep your young ones busy, like something they prefer to eat and the older ones comfortable, like blankets.

Conclusion

With these ideas, we hope that you will be able to make yourself comfortable as you wait for your delayed flights. It’s best to keep yourself busy, so you don’t get negative thoughts or get depressed. It’s not your fault that the flight is late, so make the airline do everything for you, that they are supposed to do.