Tips for Working Remotely in an Airport

For many of us, airports are the worst of what humanity has to offer – they’re like an expensive and very crowded purgatory that you’re stuck in for hours on end, just waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

But time is money and the more time you waste, the more you have to lose. But your remote job allows you to work anywhere, so why not make the most of your time by setting up an ad-hoc office and doing some work at the airport? Here are some tips to get things done safely and efficiently.

Set up shop near an outlet

Outlets are in high demand in airports, so run, don’t walk, when you find one; sit as close to it as possible, so you can keep your devices charged up and ready to go. The last thing you want is to run out of battery mid-email or while you’re waiting for an important phone call. However, airport outlets often turn out to not actually work, so be sure to check first, before you haul all your stuff over. Having a charged up power bank on hand is also always a great idea.

Tip: If you can’t find a working outlet, airport employees will always know which ones work, so be sure to ask around.

Be careful with unsecured Wi-Fi networks

Okay, so let’s say you’re all set up and getting on with work, but now you need to use the internet, and you’re running out of data on your phone. Luckily for you, there’s free Wi-Fi at the airport! Not so fast – that connection is not really secure, and you are risking a lot by using it. Every bit of information you send over this network can be accessed by others, so only connect to a public, unprotected network if you have a VPN, or if you’re only planning on doing light surfing. But if you can get a password for the internal, secured Wi-Fi network employees use, even better.

Spring for the VIP lounge

VIP lounges seem like a total rip-off, because they’re charging you to essentially treat you like a human being. But if you’re there for the long-haul or have important work you need to get through, you might as well pay for it. This way, you’re guaranteed to be able to sit down, enjoy a cup of coffee, and do your work in peace, instead of camping on the floor, chained to a dirty outlet, right next to someone sleeping on top of their backpack. You’ll be so much happier and more productive come boarding time, trust me.

Bottom line

Perhaps trying to work at the airport is not ideal, but it certainly can be done. As long as you’ve got your laptop, a lot of patience, and make some strategic choices, you can make the most of all this time that would have otherwise been wasted playing Angry Birds or buying ten more things you don’t need in Duty-Free.