Flight delays: 5 ways to make airport waiting less miserable
By Ascah Mwango, August 30, 2026Few things can test a traveller’s patience like a flight delay. You arrive at the airport on time, check your bags, clear security, find your gate, and settle down, only to watch the departure time keep moving further and further away. Suddenly, the airport becomes your temporary living room, office, restaurant and, if the delay is long enough, bedroom.
Flight delays can happen because of bad weather, aircraft issues, air traffic restrictions, staffing problems or other operational challenges. While passengers cannot control most of these problems, they can control how they spend those frustrating hours.
Instead of staring angrily at the departure board every five minutes, here are five simple ways to make airport waiting a little more bearable.
1. Eat something, but do not empty your wallet
A delayed flight can turn an ordinary traveller into a very hungry traveller. Unfortunately, airport food is not always kind to the wallet, especially when you have several unexpected hours to kill.
If you have not eaten, get something reasonably filling rather than surviving on crisps and a tiny bottle of juice. A sandwich, wrap, fruit, yoghurt or another simple meal can keep you comfortable without making you feel like you have just financed the airport restaurant.
If you travel frequently, it also helps to carry a few permitted snacks in your hand luggage. Something as simple as nuts, biscuits or a cereal bar can become surprisingly valuable when a delay stretches across lunchtime.
Do not forget water. Sitting around an airport for hours while drinking nothing because you do not want to buy another bottle is hardly a winning strategy. Just remember that security rules apply to liquids, so check what you are allowed to carry through security before packing drinks.
2. Charge your phone before the battery becomes an emergency
Your phone is probably your most important travel companion during a delay. It carries your boarding pass, communication, entertainment, maps, work files and, increasingly, your entire travel plan.
That is why waiting until your battery reaches five per cent before looking for a charging point is a terrible idea.
If you spot a charging station near your gate, use it early. Better still, carry a charged power bank in your hand luggage. Airline rules can vary, but power banks and spare lithium batteries generally need to be kept in carry-on baggage rather than checked luggage.
Save important information before leaving home too. Download your boarding pass, hotel details, important phone numbers and anything else you may need offline. Airport Wi-Fi can be wonderful when it works and mysteriously useless when you desperately need it.
3. Keep people updated and stop the panic calls
If someone is waiting for you at your destination, tell them about the delay as soon as you know it.
A simple message saying, “My flight has been delayed. I will update you when I get a new departure time,” can save you from several worried calls asking whether you have landed.
This is particularly important if someone is picking you up from the airport, if you have a connecting journey or if you are expected at work or an event. Airlines may also send operational updates by SMS or email, so make sure your contact details are correct when booking.
Keep checking your airline’s official app, website, email and airport screens rather than relying entirely on rumours spreading among passengers. One person saying, “My cousin works here and apparently the flight has been cancelled,” is not necessarily an official announcement.
4. Turn the waiting time into your own entertainment hour
Once you have eaten and charged your phone, accept the uncomfortable truth: you may be sitting there for a while.
Instead of scrolling through the same social media posts until you can recite them from memory, download something before your journey. A movie, podcast, audiobook, playlist or a few episodes of your favourite show can make a long delay disappear much faster.
If you have work to do, this can also become an unexpected productivity window. Answer emails, organise photographs, finish a report or catch up on messages. Just make sure you remain close enough to hear boarding announcements.
For travellers who do not want to work, there is nothing wrong with simply resting. Find a comfortable seat, stretch your legs occasionally and enjoy the rare opportunity to do absolutely nothing without feeling guilty about it.
5. Know when to stop waiting quietly and ask for help
There comes a point when patience should turn into a conversation with the airline.
If the delay becomes substantial, ask the airline staff what is happening, whether a new departure time has been confirmed and what options are available. If you have a connecting flight, ask whether your onward journey needs to be changed.
Do not be afraid to ask about meals, accommodation, rebooking or other assistance where applicable. Passenger rights vary according to the airline, country and reason for the disruption, so do not assume that every delay automatically comes with compensation or a hotel room.
Most importantly, remain polite. Airport staff did not personally delay your aircraft, and shouting at the person behind the counter is unlikely to make the plane magically appear.