How to Have Fun When Your Flight is Delayed

It’s a beautiful Spring day…but you’re spending it inside a terminal, no plane in sight. What you know for sure is that your flight is delayed. What you don’t know is for how long. At this point, we all go through the fear that our plane may never come, our trip may never happen, or even worse, that we’ll never get home. It’s hard not to fear the worst when our travel plans are suddenly shrouded in mystery.

Luckily, there’s more to do during this time than worry yourself crazy! Think about it this way, when’s the last time you’ve had this much time to yourself without the ping of emails and chats at work or loved ones who always seem to need something from you at home? To help you capitalize on this sudden free time, we’ve put a list together of some fun things you can do while you wait:

Catch up with some of your favorite TV shows

Have an outlet nearby? Camp next to it with your electronic devices (and perhaps a snack from the vending machine) and go find that Netflix series you’ve been meaning to watch for months. After all, you don’t want to be the only person in the dark about Game of Thrones, do you?

Take a Chance on Love (Single Readers Only)

What’s one thing all stranded travelers have in common? Frustration and unvented airline-induced anger. So if another person happens to catch your eye while you’re sitting in your seat at the terminal, why not go and say hello? You could vent together, maybe even grab a coffee, and possibly even find out you have a lot in common. You never know! (The worst thing that happens is you could make a new friend.)

Enter a bookstore. Stay there forever.

Sure, the books at the airport bookstore will be overpriced. The only industry more adept at overcharging for items than airport retail stores is sport stadiums’ food and drink stands. But that’s okay, because you have some time on your hands! Meander to that title you’ve been eyeing for awhile and give it a read for a few minutes. At least you can give it a test run before you decide to buy.

Plan your next trip

When you feel your mood start to really get low, head over to Lonely Planet and start planning your next trip. Of course, the last thing you want to think about is another trip that could lead to further delays, but you’ll forget about this delay soon enough. Besides, researching destinations is the fun part!

Make a YouTube documentary

Have enough battery to spare on your phone? Instead of Snapchatting your misery with your friends, shoot a video. You could even include your fellow passengers and start a flash mob or have a lip-sync battle! You never know, you could become a star like this guy. Even if you don’t become the next Justin Bieber, you’ll be sure to have some fun.

None of these solutions sound like the way you’d like to spend your time waiting for your flight? How about the even more efficient idea of claiming a refund for your delay with Airhelp? It only takes three minutes to file a claim and AirHelp takes care of the rest. It’s certainly a practical way to spend your time — and could land you cash in your pocket later.

Image Credit: Lovro Rumiha