9 Stages of a Long Airport Layover

If you’ve ever had a lot of hours to kill, you’ll remember the smell of ‘all the perfumes’

All Credits: PA

For many of us, the time spent at an airport is usually restricted to a few hours at most, as we wait for a long haul flight after check in. But for others who choose or need to change planes, it can mean a layover – where you are in one destination for many hours.

If you have ever had a long layover, these are the stages you’ll know all too well…

1. Duty free shopping

Sooner or later, you will succumb. Before you do, you try one perfume, then another… eventually, over the course of 10 hours, you smell more Moulin-Rouge-the-morning-after than eternal youth.

2. Thinking the airport hotel is fancier than it is

It’s so exciting if you plan to stay in a hotel near the airport for your layover. How exotic, being so close to a transport hub. All the planes outside are carrying hundreds of people all over the globe, and you’re there, in the centre of it.

No matter what the toiletries aren’t fancy and you can’t really unpack: This is living on the edge, and somehow the mini bar feels more accessible than even in your fancy hotel room you just left in your holiday destination…

should I leave heathrow airport to sleep in the city for a connecting flight in the morning or just live in the airport for 14 hours? the idea of customs and luggage and hotel check in and drive time just to sleep...bah

— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) January 27, 2019

3. You will end up in one of the restaurants even when it’s not a meal time

No hotel? Well, that means it’s restaurant time. Even if it’s not a meal time. With so many to choose from, you might find yourself running the gauntlet of everything from noodles to the caviar bar. Just how long can you stay at the table eking out that carafe of water or coffee, you wonder.

Add to that the time you spend in the bar – hey, if your layover is long enough, you might end up having one too many, getting through a hangover then having a fry up. We don’t recommend spending a whole layover drinking, though, for obvious reasons.

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Layover in Madrid and it looks like airport Jamón for breakfast. I’ll suffer through. #RoadToLyon

A post shared by Ken Goodman Photography (@kengoodmanphoto) on Jan 25, 2019 at 10:18pm PST

4. You could read a whole book and you’ll play games

When did you last finish a book in one sitting? Exactly! Airport layovers are great for reading and the best thing is, there is always a shop to buy a new tome if you finish yours too soon and want to start another. You might get lucky and find a book swap recruit somewhere – scanning the other travellers for someone who is about to finish their novel, too.

When the reading’s all done, you turn to that most trusty of pastimes, cards. You might even go so far as to buy a travel scrabble or Uno. After all, if there are arguments over who’s the winner, you have time to make up before you board the plane.

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When the journey is measured in miles #AirportLayover #AmsterdamCalling #Holiday #Trip #Fun #Game #CardGame #UNO #thestutisho

A post shared by Stuti Singh (@stuti.singh.92) on Oct 23, 2018 at 7:10am PDT

5. You consider paying for a posh lounge

At first, it’s too expensive. Five hours in, you’re wondering why you haven’t done it. You either go for it or hesitate again then truly regret it another two hours in. Is it too late now? You spend another half an hour debating this.

I‘m four hours into a six-hour layover at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, and I’m going a little bit crazy pic.twitter.com/3sFQyKd8e8

— Ellie Mulder (@LEmarie) January 27, 2019

6. Wondering if you could do some sightseeing

Many people manage this and it can be a fabulous way to spend layover time. Stopping in LA on the way home from New Zealand? Time to head to Hollywood Boulevard or Rodeo drive for a speedy lunch before your flight back to blighty. It can involve some planning – such as leaving your bags somewhere safe and not losing track of your new check-in time.

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On a mad dash around San Francisco yesterday evening. Beats waiting in the airport lounge. I like America a lot! . . . . . . #usa #america #sanfrancisco #pyramids #dusk #airportlayover #sfoairport #instatravel #travel #tourguide #fishermanswharf #picoftheday #topdecker

A post shared by Peter Woodman (@petes_feet) on Jan 3, 2019 at 3:35pm PST

7. Wishing you’d brought a better travel pillow

And then buying one and falling asleep on a chair that is akin to a concrete torture instrument. How much was that lounge again?

8. Exercise

Yes, some people will consider exercise and some will even manage it. At one hotel in Changi Airport, Singapore, there’s a rooftop pool where you can do some lengths and watch the planes take off. Much better, some might argue, though, is riding the airport trolleys (stay away from the baggage carousel!). You decide to try and have a race in the middle of the night, and find you’re quite good at going around corners.

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I seem to be making this a habit - spent my layover in the #yogaroom at #OHare It doesn’t have wall paintings to mimic and is a bit smaller than the yoga room at #dfwairport but it has big mirrors and a nice wooden floor! Next stop: San Diego!! @flyohare #airportlayover #airportyoga #handstandtraveler

A post shared by Paige Martin (@acropaige) on Dec 28, 2018 at 11:08am PST

9. The dash to the boarding gate

Despite having hours to get there, somehow the long wait means you end up racing through the shops buying magazines, water and legging it to the boarding gate with hardly any time to spare.