One of the most frustrating occurrences during our time spent traveling is experiencing a flight delay. Building up expectations for a vacation only to find out you won’t be there when you expected, as well as knowing that the delay has now impacted plans you’ve made for your arrival, can be very irritating. Unfortunately, bar complaining and potentially securing a seat on another flight, there’s not a whole lot you can do other than simply wait. The problem here is that delays can range from mere hours to whole days, depending on the regularity of the flight you’re getting. Luckily today, most of us are equipped with a handy device that can be used to keep our attention during times like this, and that is the humble smartphone. Here are a few things you can do with your smartphone to help you pass the time and help you cope with an excessive flight delay.
Make Changes To Plans
As we mentioned briefly above, the plans you have likely arranged for after your flight is going to be delayed as well. This is the perfect time to rearrange those plans and ensure that they are salvaged in some way. If you’ve pre-booked an airport transfer, for example, or had a friend picking you up from the airport, you should contact them to reschedule so that they aren’t waiting for hours. If you had arranged to meet people, such as going out for a meal with friends and family upon your arrival, you should also look at rescheduling this, too, even if it’s later on in the day, just in case the flight delay means that you will be pressed for time. It’s worth remembering that you’ll likely be much more worn out by the time you arrive after the delay, and you might simply want to get some rest once you get to the place you’re staying.
Sort Your Photo Albums
Taking a vacation often means that you’re going to be getting lots of photos. This is the case for many people, and ensuring that your photos are organized can be laborious. Now might be the best time to sort through your old photos, delete any you no longer want, and sort those you wish to keep into albums on your phone or your Facebook account, for example. As well as sorting through these, you could also create some albums ready for the vacation ahead, getting a head start on the photo organizing you’ll want to do after this next vacation. While certain smartphones will store photos via the cloud, some will store them on the phone’s storage. This is especially common with Android phones, so deleting and uploading old photos will also free up space for your new photos.
Tidy Up Your Inbox
Like your photos, sorting through other things like your email inbox can take a long time. But if you’ve got plenty of time on your hands, this can be a productive use of that time. If you’re the type of person that lets their email inbox fill up with thousands of emails like most people on the planet, then you’ll know that sorting through thousands of emails just isn’t feasible. Consider sorting through the first few pages and then marking the rest as read en masse. After this, use your email inbox features, creating folders for all the important emails you expect to receive. You can also create rules for certain senders, sorting their emails into relevant folders to reduce the time you need to manually sort them in the future.
Play Some Online Games
Not everything you have to do needs to be something productive. After all, there is a strong possibility that you’re going to be frustrated enough that you’re not going to want to do something that requires a productive mind. If you need to boost your mood a bit after finding out you’ve got to deal with a delay, you could use your phone for some entertainment. A popular choice here is to try out some games. You can find plenty of online games to play via app stores, whether it’s a puzzle game, a strategy game, or something more in-depth and story-driven. As well as this, you could also try your hand at some online casino games. You can find plenty of slot games at online casinos like Jackpot Casino. Be sure to check out online slot game reviews, too, so that you can choose the best one to suit you.
Watch A Movie Or Show
In a situation like this, you might also want to get engrossed in something slightly longer than a few quick games on your phone. A movie can be a great way to pass the time. Find yourself a charging port and relax while watching one of your favorite movies on one of the many online streaming platforms available. As well as movies, you could also spend time binge-watching some TV shows, too. As well as being entertaining, watching movies and TV in a situation like this also serves another purpose. They can act as timestamps during your wait so that you don’t necessarily have to sit watching the clock the whole time. Let’s say you have a two-hour delay, for example. Four thirty-minute TV shows will kill that time easily. Using this method can help reduce stress and worry that you might miss your flight if you don’t keep your eye on the time. Of course, it’s smart to check every now and again, just in case things change. It may be worth keeping one headphone out so that you can hear any announcements that may relate to you.
Listen To A Podcast
Similar to watching a TV show or film, listening to a podcast is another great way to pass the time. There are countless different podcasts available for you to listen to. Topics can range from true crime to the paranormal and everything in between. Often, people will choose to listen to podcasts related to a specific topic they find fascinating such as a fandom podcast about their favorite TV show or franchise. Alternatively, you could choose a podcast about a topic you wish to learn more about. You could also find one that aims to teach you new skills, such as language-learning podcasts or shows about things like coding, mathematics, science, or history.
Try Some Meditation
Many people today try their hand at meditation. Of course, we’re not saying that you need to roll out a yoga mat in the middle of the airport terminal and sit cross-legged on the floor. Meditation can be a very personal and subtle activity. Essentially, meditation is a form of relaxation in which you calm your thoughts and control your breathing. This can help you feel like time is passing much faster as you’ll be focused on these meditation techniques rather than the world around you. Meditation can also help you feel happier and healthier from a mental and physical perspective. There are plenty of great meditation apps available online, and it’s worth downloading one on your smartphone, especially if you’re an anxious person. A situation like this can heighten stress levels, and working to bring those levels down with meditation is a great way to stay calm and focused on your journey.
