Airport time used to consist of browsing whatever the terminal had to offer. Give me 45 minutes before boarding and I could easily emerge from the shops with a magazine, an overpriced gift and some unpronounceable snacks I would uncomfortably eat before boarding the plane.
All of that’s different now, though. Sure, I still can’t resist a good browse in a souvenir shop—there’s nothing like picking up a book at the airport and convincing yourself that this will be the trip when you finally read for six uninterrupted hours. But, my phone is increasingly becoming where I get my leisure and entertainment fix, even while travelling.
It holds my boarding pass, maps and Air BnB bookings, but it’s also become a library, a TV, a games console and a music player. That’s a considerable amount of entertainment squeezed into something small enough to fit in a pocket!
Games to Fill the Awkward Gaps
Mobile games have rapidly earned their place in my travel routine. I want something I can open quickly, play for a few minutes and close the second boarding begins. Word games and puzzles like Wordle and Sudoku typically work better than anything demanding a long tutorial or total concentration.
There’s also a lot more browser-based options that work on smartphones, ranging from multiplayer quizzes to social casino games. These recreate familiar games like slots, blackjack and roulette for casual online play, usually using virtual coins rather than requiring you to make cash wagers. Availability of these games can vary from place to place, though, so it’s always worth finding out what social gaming choices for newcomers are available in your location.
Obviously, to enjoy playing games on your smartphone you need a solid data connection. Airport Wi-Fi has an unfortunate habit of disappearing just as things are getting good, so download a couple of games with offline modes before leaving home. Once you land, a travel eSIM can provide another option.
Download First, Regret Nothing
So you don’t have a good enough connection to sit at a virtual blackjack table? With a bit of prep in advance, streaming will save you from having to endure painfully-dull journeys.
I never assume the plane will have working Wi-Fi, so I also don’t assume that whatever passes for an airport connection will cope with a last-minute movie download either. Before travelling, it’s worth saving a curated selection of content to your device. Think: a few episodes of your favourite show, a movie you’ve been itching to see, an audiobook or a couple of podcasts.
You don’t need to swallow up all the storage on your phone here, but take advantage of the download and offline options on Spotify or Netflix to create a small entertainment library for the journey. And, before you hit a connectivity deadzone, it’s worth opening up these apps to ensure you’re signed in or to verify the downloaded content.
Let Your Phone Lead the Way
Smartphone entertainment doesn’t have to stop once you leave the airport. Self-guided audio tours, treasure-hunt apps and geocaching can turn an afternoon’s sightseeing into something much more interactive.
Geocaching is particularly good fun in a new destination. Use your phone’s GPS to hunt for small containers hidden by other players beside landmarks and in hidden corners of a city. City-trail apps work in a similar way, using clues and puzzles to lead you between locations—just download the route before setting out.
What say you?
Thoughts on the Evolution of Leisure?
Let’s hear it!
