You can use the time to mail your friends. This isn’t at all hard to do in most airports. Forget about paying for expensive lounges. Set yourself up outside their window, very often there is a power point there too, and their WIFI leaks out, so you can use it free.

Watch people. Now this is my favorite. Airports have to be the melting pot of humanity. There are people from all walks of life and you can spend hours just observing.

If you are going to be there for a really long time, then you need to find a place to sleep. More and more airports have brilliant places to sleep. Sets of chairs tucked away. Unfortunately not enough. So you really have to hunt them down. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if less was spent on architecture and more on comfy chairs? Recliners even. If you travelled to the airport in your car, you could even return to it for some sleep. Airport parking IAH allows you to return to your car if you so wish.

Find your way to your gate. This one is important. How many times we get sidetracked and when they announce boarding you realize that the gate is the furthest one from where you are.

And above all else, keep a firm grip on your sense of humor.