Long waits are part of flying. Sometimes they are your own doing, an early train or a cheap fare with a big gap, and sometimes they are handed to you by a delay.
Either way, the aim is the same. Reduce discomfort, keep your things safe, and do not miss the flight at the end of it.
Landside or airside
Before security you can usually leave, store bags, or use hotels and public transport. After security the choices shrink to what is inside, but you cannot miss your gate by getting stuck in a queue.
If the wait is more than around five hours and the airport is well connected, staying landside for part of it is often the better call.
Step by step
Step 1: Decide where to spend the time
Check queue times for security, then choose. Long enough wait and a nearby city centre can make sense, but leave a large buffer, and confirm your bag situation first.
Step 2: Deal with the luggage
Left luggage counters and lockers exist in most medium and large airports, sometimes both landside and airside. It costs a few euros or dollars per hour and completely changes how comfortable the wait is.
Step 3: Pick your spot
Power, wifi, food and toilets nearby, ideally close to a departure board. If you plan to sleep, quieter piers away from announcements are better than the main concourse.
Step 4: Guard the ending
Set an alarm for boarding, not departure, and check the gate again an hour before. Gates move, and in large airports the walk between piers can be twenty minutes plus a train ride.
