Layovers - or that long wait after TSA for your first flight - are a strange limbo time. 1-3 hours isn’t enough to leave the airport and, yet, is plenty where you want to do something. Adding to the challenge, airports increasingly feel like the doctor’s office, where social taboos run rampant - don’t talk too loud, don’t bother others, don’t make eye contact with the family across from you. While you could pull out your phone and doomscroll the entire time, we’ve come up with five ideas that fill the time in more enjoyable ways:
1. Start A Conversation With A Stranger (Yes, Really)
Notice someone sitting nearby who seems available (they aren’t on a call or in the middle of wrangling kids) and approachable (maybe skip the guy wearing the “I’m Not A People Person” t-shirt). Begin by addressing the obvious - introduce yourself and ask them if they don’t mind some company. Yes? Great, ask them about their trip. You’d be surprised how open people get when they’re between time zones.
Why it works: It turns an isolating space into a shared moment. If you need an icebreaker, a few pictures from your own trip or of the adorable niece you’re heading to visit will do the trick.
Keep it powered: Your phone’s your wingman.
2. Host A Picnic At The Gate
Start by hitting the food court. Picnics are fun, not forced - let the family choose what food they want even if it means standing in a few different lines. Once you get back to the gate, lay out a scarf or blanket on the ground if you have one and gather around with your meals. Bonus points if you invite a stranger to join.
Why it works: It turns rushed solo-snacking into something intentional for the group.
Keep it powered: Long layover? Find a quiet gate for your picnic and stream a movie on your laptop. Use a portable charger to keep your location options open.
3. Become An Expert On Something Niche
Download a language app, watch a knot-tying tutorial, listen to a new podcast or let yourself go down a Wikipedia rabbit-hole. This isn’t about productivity - it’s about curiosity. This can also be a great way to kickstart a phone call. Learn something interesting and then give that friend from college your overdue phone call to share it with them - nothing gets the ball rolling quite like a “I just read this wild fact and it made me think of you!”
Why it works: Doomscrolling on social media usually makes us feel guilty after. Learning something doesn’t, especially when it leads to catching up with an old friend.
Keep it powered: Airport outlets are notoriously unreliable. The usual sequence is: You can’t find one. You do, but it’s full of chargers. You find another and it doesn’t work (for no apparent reason). Use phone and laptop power banks to bring the power to you.
4. Edit Photos And Videos From Your Trip
1,000 new photos on your phone? Pull them up on your laptop to relive your favorite moments on the big screen. Crop in on silly faces, make that epic sunset your background, and turn those short videos into a highlight reel. While this idea works best when coming home from a trip, you can apply the concept to heading out by changing the editing to planning. Book a fun restaurant, reserve the scuba lessons, or give grandpa a call to remind him when you land.
Why it works: It creates a time capsule of your trip and passes time very quickly. You probably won’t make it through all of your images!
Keep it powered: Having a powerful laptop power bank keeps you in the flow - no matter how long the layover.
5. Take A Power Nap (While You Power Up)
It’s time to get past feeling self-conscious napping in public. Everyone head-bobs when seated, so either embrace it or find a cozy patch of floor to shut your eyes. Travel is tiring and sometimes the most fun you can have is a quick recharging of your brain. Double the benefit and charge your electronics while you sleep.
Why it works: Doing nothing on purpose is the ultimate act of rebellion in a go-go-go space like the airport.
Keep it powered: The last thing you want is to miss your next flight. Travel power banks help ensure your phone stays powered - and alarms stay active.
Conclusion: Make The Most Of The In-Between
Putting these ideas to use will help pass the time and fill you up during a time that can otherwise be a drag. Having human connection, whether that’s with a stranger in person, on the phone with a friend, or with your travel companions, usually does the trick. This doesn’t mean your phone, laptop, or tablet needs to disappear. Find ways to use them that are productive, connecting, creative, or rejuvenating.
Don’t let faulty outlets or battery life limit your layover. Explore BioLite's travel-friendly portable chargers >
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