Five and a Half Tips to Surviving Airport Delays

Father of two and dad blogger at The Colorado Writer Andrew Kensley, reveals his best tips for those seemingly interminable hours at the airport:

The mere mention of the word “delay” strikes fear into the heart of parents traveling with small children. In December 2007, I endured essentially two full days of delays on a trip from Denver to Grand Rapids, Michigan, with my then 22-month-old daughter, Sophia. My wife had lucked out with our 4-year-old on their separate flight on another airline and with a different connection. (Don’t ask.) From Denver to Oklahoma City to Chicago (oh, ORD, how I love thee) to Grand Rapids, I learned quickly the ins and outs of airport survival, and how to turn a nightmare into…well, pleasure would be a stretch…a tolerable and nearly-enjoyable situation.

1) Always bring more supplies than you think you’ll possibly need. Handy, non-perishable snacks like Cheerios, crackers and Goldfish can help occupy several hours of downtime. Fill up your own bottle with water from the fountains. If you’re in a crunch and need to purchase, go with fruit cups to satisfy your guilty-parent conscience, and bagels and cream cheese for the substance. If you’ve ever seen the size of American bagels, you’ll know what I mean. That’s three meals right there, so get lots of napkins.

1.5) The same goes for clothes, diapers and wipes. On my ill-fated Christmas trip to Grand Rapids (oh, the memories…!), I had brought extra baby supplies but still ended up having to borrow diapers and wipes from sympathetic parents. Kindness of strangers is a bonus, but don’t count on it everywhere. You’d be surprised how hard it is to buy diapers in airports. And don’t stress if your kid is stuck in the same dirty clothes. It doesn’t bother them.

2) Find space to stretch out. Toddlers want nothing more than to run around and explore, and they need safe space to do so. Boarding areas are like the Disney World of airports. Lots of chairs to climb on, around and under, windows to pound on that don’t break, cool machines like airplanes and ground crew trucks to watch, interesting people to observe (politely, of course) and limited escape routes. If you have older kids, find a deserted gate; in the bigger airports, there is always one, even if you have to take a train to a different concourse. It’s not like you’re going to miss your flight. Speaking of trains…

3) …Transportation is mesmerizing for curious kids. That includes escalators, elevators, moving sidewalks. I’ve ridden trains in Detroit, Orlando and Atlanta, for upwards of 30 minutes with my kids, and it’s fun. You’ll never see the same person twice, unless you meet someone else who read this article.

4) Chill out. There’s absolutely nothing you can do, so set up camp and pretend like you planned it. When you’re traveling alone with your little one, it’s understandable to worry about leaving your stuff while you go to the bathroom or get food. With security as it is now, I agree. But seek out a nice older couple (ask if they’re going to visit grandkids), or another young family to watch your bag for a few minutes while you stretch your legs and roam. Offer to reciprocate, and you will have made friends for you and your child. They’ll probably end up sitting next to you.

5) Don’t be afraid to socialize with the natives, because everyone’s as tired and frustrated as you are. I once taught an entire high school girls soccer team to do sun salutations in Dallas during a two-hour delay. It’s even possible to get some exercise so you don’t feel like a slug. I’m no longer surprised by how most people are friendlier to those traveling with kids, especially in challenging circumstances like long delays.