Dealing with layovers

Most people will take a flight from one point to another at least once in their life, but surviving long layovers is something that only a few people have mastered. If you are flying for your first time and want to avoid most of the layover horrors that happen to other people, the key to it is having the right information before you head out.

Find out what airports you will be visiting along your trip. This includes the airport where you depart from, your layover airport(s), and the airport at your final destination. Get maps of these airports, since this will make getting around them a lot easier. These maps should show you where the food court is, areas where you can walk your dog, rest, where the lounges are, and etcetera.

Try to eat a decent meal before you go, but only do this if you are sure you will not get air sick. There are a number of products on the market to settle your stomach while in flight, but if you feel uncertain at all about eating before you leave, wait until you get on the plane and eat the snack or meal offered there if you are alright. Save eating for your layover, if necessary. You should also be aware that airport food is generally more expensive than food outside of the airport, but this is what you pay for the convenience of having to go outside security, eat out of the airport, and come back in through security. To eat healthier food, try to find a sit down restaurant where someone will wait on you.

Carrying around your luggage while you are on a 10 hour or even 3 hour layover is not a great experience, especially if you have a lot of it. There are sometimes places for you to store your luggage, either in lockers or sometimes services will hold it for you. Make sure you get everything out of your bags that you will need during the layover, though, such as medicine, money, passports, and etcetera.

Airport lounges have existed for many years and are full of first class conveniences, but they will cost you money to get into. Some charge around $50 to get in, others more, and others less, but there is no doubt that if you are going to have a long layover and have the cash, they are definitely worth it. A list of some amenities you may encounter while in one of these lounges includes a place to watch TV, comfortable seating, showers, wireless internet, bars, pool tables, and conference rooms.

While you should be cautious of strangers that approach you, try to use good judgment in determining if this person is out to harm you or not. Most people are not, so if you are certain your valuables are safely stored on your person, engage in conversation and make a friend. It will quite possibly relieve some of the stress you are under.

Finding something to read on the plane is pretty easy in most airports, but many people make the mistake of purchasing a magazine to read on a long flight instead of a book. Purchase a book of several hundred pages simply because there is much more in most books than a person can read in a 10 hour flight.