Dealing With Airport Delays

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Load Up Your Laptop

Waiting out a long delay can be a nightmare if you don’t have a conduit to the outside world. Besides obvious diversions—internet access and music and video entertainment—I’ve supplemented my laptop with two extras: Slingbox software, so I can tap into my home television system, and The Complete New Yorker, which includes every issue in the magazine’s 80-year history. I never want for reading material. (The New Yorker is owned by the same folks who publish Portfolio.com, but I bought my software at retail long before I agreed to sit in Seat 2B.)

Have a Nice Meal

There’s a term for having to hang around an airport: It’s called dwell time, and it’s why airports have transformed themselves into shopping malls and food courts. I have no use for airport shopping but am happy to linger over a good meal. Many airports now have branches of beloved local eateries, and chef-entrepreneurs like Todd English and Wolfgang Puck are building airport-specific chains. Even the formidable Gordon Ramsay has ventured into airport dining; his aptly named Plane Food opened last week in Heathrow’s troubled new Terminal 5. You can drink in style at airports too. A chain of surprisingly cool wine bars called Vino Volo is sprouting up at airports around the nation.

Get a Good Bed

In worst-case scenarios—when you’re stuck overnight—don’t wait for your airline to provide accommodations. Even if it’s willing to pony up, the lodgings may only be a step above a hot-sheets motel. And you’ll wait hours for a voucher and a shuttle bus. Arrange your own accommodations and argue with the airline about compensation later. I’ve programmed my mobile phone with the reservation numbers of my favorite hotel chains, and I call immediately to beat the crowds. Alternately, make a reservation online. If you don’t have a preferred hotel chain, consult the appropriately named AirportHotelGuide.com.

The Fine Print…

Getting stranded at the airport has spawned its own diva: Harriet Baskas has published a book called Stuck at the Airport; profiled dozens of airports for Expedia.com; writes a monthly airport column for USAToday.com; and recently launched a Stuck at the Airport blog.

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