by Sarah Donaghy

Created on: January 31, 2009   Last Updated: February 13, 2009

Long airport layovers are a fact of life. We're all traveling more than we ever did before. Handling long airport layovers is a skill worth developing in all frequent fliers, and with a bit of practice, airport layovers can be fun!

The first step is to know your airport. The more you fly the more familiar you will become with the airports you use regularly. If its the first time you'll be passing through an airport, look up the airport's website. You can tell from the website whether there is a lot, or not much, in the way of services, shops, and entertainment. This will allow you to plan accordingly.

It is also worth finding out, in the event of a 5+ hour layover, what the transportation links are like into the city from the airport. For example, having a long layover in Chicago-O'Hare isn't bad news, it's an opportunity. The subway links the airport with the center of town in about 40 minutes. It is possible to take a stroll by the river, ogle the Sears tower, have a fantastic lunch, and take a short bus tour of the city before heading back to the airport with plenty of time to spare. If the airport you're traveling to is close to the city center, and if your layover is sufficiently long, you can build a little bit more sight seeing into your trip.

The more you come to know your airports, the more you can plan a little more in advance, too. If you're comparing two flight itineraries, both with a layover, but one has you laid over in Detroit (a notoriously boring airport with very few services) and one has you laid over in JFK (which has some fantastic shopping, easy transport into the city, spas, a hair salon, and some surprisingly good restaurants), pick the itinerary that goes through JFK. As much as is possible, try to control the airports you get laid over in, and pick the ones where you have the most fun.

No matter the amount of forward planning in choosing airports, unexpected lay overs and delays will crop up. It is always better to expect the unexpected and have a few extra activities available to pass the time.

Start with a brisk walk around the terminal building. Remember, at the end of all this waiting you'll be getting on a plane and sitting for several hours. Window shop all the trinket stores, book stores, restaurants and the other random outlets. Make mental notes of the ones that grab your interest. You may discover interesting and unusual things, like a row of those massage chairs, a shoe shine service, or a really big bank of large screen TVs

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