Going to the airport three hours before your flight can be a bit of a hassle but because passengers don’t have much of a choice, it’s been a passenger’s discipline to lock in an allowance of three hours advanced in their schedule. While most passengers hustle to be on-time, unexpected incidents such as a bad weather condition or technical problems can cause delays.

To pass time, we listed 10 things you can do in Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) while waiting for your flight:

Weigh in baggage

To avoid having excess baggage and paying for additional fees, you can check the weight of your baggage inside the airport. There’s a checker near the checking-in lane where you can double-check your baggage for free. Just to be sure, this is a must-do especially for those who have doubts if their baggage is too heavy or not.

To avoid taking too much time and hassle, do this to have a peace of mind on your belongings. It’s better to check way before your flight than a few minutes before because you will rush with other people. In this way, you can still re-arrange your things when needed.

Impulsive buying

Not highly-suggested but once you pass by Pandora, Mac, Victoria Secret, and Kiehls for instance – sometimes you just have to allow yourself for some luxuries. When you have extra money to spend on yourself, why not do some shopping? But be careful not to spend a lot, you are still traveling to another destination.

It’s okay to do impulsive buying every once in a while. And when you’re stuck in an airport filled with goodies you can buy, who won’t be tempted? Just choose wisely and don’t go home with empty pockets!

Charge your gadgets

The most practical thing to do while waiting for your plane to arrive is to make sure all your gadgets are fully-charged. Especially if it’s a long flight, you have to have green bars to be able to use your phone without hassle. Usually, planes doesn’t have sockets for charging so unless you have a power bank, you must take this opportunity.

There are various charging stations and sockets around the airport. You just have to keep your eyes on your gadget to avoid having them stolen or grabbed by other people. Make sure you stay alert – if not, keep your gadgets secured inside your bag.

Take a nap

This is a bit risky, especially if you can’t take any chance in missing your flight. But if you really need to take some zzz’s, make sure to have someone wake you up or set an alarm on your phone. If you are a heavy sleeper, we suggest you proceed to the next thing to do.

When your flight is early in the morning and you got delayed for almost half a day, you will obviously be tempted to sleep. You can take a light nap, if you must. Just be conscious of your surroundings and your belongings.

Go on a food trip

Sweets, pizza, pasta, Chinese cuisine, Filipino food, or just snacks and chips? You can choose what would suffice your hunger with the different restaurants around the airport. Just ask the guard or check the map to know where will you want to go.

It’s common for us Filipinos to have a big appetite and when we spend our time waiting, we usually think about eating. This is not a problem inside NAIA 3 because you have various options to choose from. Explore and buy affordable meals that would satisfy your cravings!

Have a sip of coffee

This is a perfect suggestion for those who have to wake up very early to be at the airport. Staying awake while waiting for the flight won’t just help you ooze away any bit of stress felt through the check-in process, it allows any diner to pass time by surfing online while grubbing on good food.

Ka Tunying Cafe, located at the 4th floor of NAIA Terminal 3 is equipped with Sanremo Coffee Machines which whips some of the most thirst-quenching and soul-filling coffee. You can also grab a cup of joe from Bo’s Coffee, Starbucks, and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafes. You will surely catch your flight on-time!

Go for a window shopping

Given that NAIA 3 is an airport, different business establishments are present and window shopping is a great way to pass time. There is a fine selection of imported items and branded goods to indulge on.

From food, shoes, clothing apparel, books, souvenirs and many more – you can roam around the 4 levels of the terminal and indulge yourself with different items and products. Duty-Free, Adidas, Island Souvenirs, Pasalubong Philippines are just some of the stores you can go to. What’s one of the best way to pass time? Window shopping, of course.

Use the airport’s Wi-Fi

It’s a bit cliche to have the airport’s Wi-Fi as a suggestion while waiting for the flight. But hours do seem to pass by faster when one’s surfing online, NAIA 3 has readily available internet access for passengers and travelers to use.

You can watch videos on Youtube, take a snap to post in Snapchat, make an IG story update, or just chat your special someone in Messenger – all these are possible because of the stable internet connection provided inside the airport. With earphones plugged in, you can relax with music on while surfing through the Net. You could also check-in online for less hassle!

Get to know co-passengers

The airport is one of the best places to meet a diverse selection of people. If you have some spare time, why not get to know your co-travelers? It’s always interesting to bump into or come across OFWs, travel bloggers or just people your age who are looking for their next adventure.

You’ll never know, those people are also traveling to the same location with you – instant friends! The key to a good travel experience is to be friendly and make new friends. The stories other people have will make the wait more bearable and exciting. You’ll definitely hope you’ll see them again!

Read

If you want to delve into another universe, reading is the fastest way to do it (aside from traveling of course). It’s also an addicting habit that doesn’t just feed the mind but beefs up the imagination. You will surely lose track of time with a good read.

Choose a nice spot in the airport, probably in a quiet cafe, and you can read their your favorite book. A must for any traveler to have on their hand-carry is a nice book that could take their boredom away. Sometimes, you’ll be thankful for a flight delay because you get to finish a book!