People who have been on a flight before are probably expecting to go on standby mode whenever they're at the airport, partly because they know there's going to be a very long wait ahead of them. Now it won't be that terrible if your flight is a real long-haul one but you got to admit it's a bummer when the time you're stuck at the airport took longer than the actual flight.

1. People who have been on a flight before are probably expecting to go on standby mode whenever they're at the airport, partly because they know there's going to be a very long wait ahead of them. Now it won't be that terrible if your flight is a real long-haul one but you got to admit it's a bummer when the time you're stuck at the airport took longer than the actual flight.
Then how do you spend your precious hours while waiting for your plane?
The sight of backpackers who seem comfortable lying on the floor every which way and business-suited pros trying to master (if they haven't already) the art of sleeping neatly while on the lounge seat are all too common. But taking a nap doesn't always have to be your only choice.
Like all other instances in our life where we have to wait, our options are not limited to spending it alternately complaining out loud and dozing off. As they say, keep calm and...
Bring a book. Make it a point to always have a paperback of your favorite novel, or something else you've been meaning to read. Odds are, you'll be able to finish that before your trip is over. So maybe pack two.
If you're concerned about the extra baggage, then download the ebook versions instead.
Plug in your headset. Listen to your kind of music or to an audiobook version of your fave story, such as classical ones from Micron Associates Travel Guide. By far, this is the most effective boredom buster -- so effective that people nowadays are literally hooked to their earbuds all day long even when they're supposed to be concentrating on something like crossing the streets!
Pack some munchies. Nothing beats eating your favorite snack to keep yourself busy and distract you from clockwatching. Micron Associates Travel Guide recommends making your own sandwiches or cookies beforehand. Or grab a couple packs of chips -- they're good, too.
Do your messages. This is the time to send those see-you-later text messages. Don't be that person who argues with the FAs about cellphone usage. Just don't.
While you're at it, maybe do some review of your itinerary, and make backups of important addresses/numbers, just in case. And if you're one of those people who don't consider themselves techie, start practicing how to turn on your camera now, will you?

2. Get social irl. I'm pretty sure you have your own repertoire of icebreakers so it shouldn't be a problem to start a convo with another human being right? Just put down those gadgets for a while and talk with the person seating next to you, for example. You'll discover you have more common ground other than your complaints about how flying sucks. (Seriously, you gotta start working on your conversation skills if you can't even carry a 15-minute chat with an actual person.)
Or just take your nap - whatever works for you.