2020 is the gift that keeps on giving, with new experiences for everyone all the time. I have to travel in the future and the airport I am going to be passing through is now locked down.
That means my connection, which is just short of five hours, is going to be far from exciting. According to reports, London Heathrow Terminal 5 has only WHSmith, Fortnum & Mason and Pret A Manger open for business.
With It Locked Down, What The Hell Am I Going To Do?
Well, for starters, it won’t be a full five hours. As I’m connecting, I’ll have to take the dreaded Heathrow transfer bus from Terminal 2 to Terminal 5. That should kill at least half an hour, if not the guts of an hour.
On the other side, boarding for my connection will start half an hour before flight time. That leaves about three and a half hours of dead time. No doubt I’ll hit the shops as I’ll want something to eat. Another half hour gone.
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- Airports are not that exciting when they’re mainly closed.
I guess I’ll have to make sure to bring a book with me, find a nice perch and read away. Luckily I enjoy reading and once I’m nose deep in a book, the time passes without me noticing it.
Another alternative is to keep fit. I can walk from the A gates to the C gates and back using the secret underground walkway. Might as well get those steps in! I suppose it could be much worse, the flights could be cancelled or it could be a 12 hour layover.
Overall Thoughts
I’ve been in an airport terminal that was mostly locked down before, when I passed through Dublin in August. While lovely and quiet, there is not a lot to do.
It’s no big deal when you’re on the first flight, as you can arrive at the airport to minimise your time there. On a transfer, you’re essentially hostage to the flight schedule and I have zero alternatives to reduce it.
Have you been stuck for a while in a locked down airport before? What did you do to pass the time? Thank you for reading and if you have any comments or questions, please leave them below.
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Featured image by Jack Cheeseborough via Wikimedia Commons.
Check-in image by Terminal 5 Insider via Wikimedia Commons.
Re: Books. If you have a Kindle/Tablet that allows downloads from Amazon, there is a sizeable amount of bundled series of well, trash. For as low as $ .99 you can download some of the most awfully written slop imaginable. It’s a guilty pleasure of mine, like a horrid movie or appalling song, so wretched its endearing. And a MAJOR time killer. Not for all tastes but by the time you’ve waded through the muck, you’ve killed a good number of hours.
Hahahaha! Now that sound like an interesting concept – reading trash. I’ll have to add that to my consideration pile!
You wont be let down Trent, deliciously putrid stuff,
Some airports have massage places you can visit. Once, I had membership to two different lounges so I visited both to kill time.
A friend of mine religiously goes for a massage before his flight when flying through Amsterdam as a little treat. It’s a good thing to do and a perfect way to pass time. Thanks for the comment!