Travellers are spending more time in airports. (Comstock Complete)

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IgoUgo.com recently conducted a North American survey of its members and found that more than 73 per cent of travellers said they are spending more time in airports due to flight delays or layovers. But what was really surprising was just what people are up to on their layovers.

Apparently, one-third of people are spending more time in the bar; 36 per cent pass the time by eavesdropping; 16 per cent drink with strangers and 8 per cent attempt to sneak into the VIP lounges. The results also show a majority of travellers still turn to typical activities such as reading (74 per cent), eating at a restaurant (60 per cent) or walking the terminal for exercise (43 per cent).

Additionally, more than half (53 per cent) admitted to participating in behaviour at an airport that they otherwise would not have. Some of their out-of-the ordinary activities include:

· Giving an email address or phone number to strangers

· Confiding personal secrets in people they just met

· Kissing strangers

· Assuming a false identity

· Sponge bathing in the bathroom

· Asking strangers to watch their luggage

· Sleeping in the children’s playroom.

Nearly 30 per cent of IgoUgo members would rather go to the dentist than have a two hour layover. However, when asked, there are some airports that make layovers more bearable than others. According to members:

Top 10 Favourite U.S. Airports for Layovers

· Las Vegas

· Atlanta

· Denver

· Chicago O’Hare

· Dallas/Fort Worth

· Los Angeles, LAX

· Honolulu

· San Francisco

· New York, JFK

· Minneapolis/St. Paul

But for some adventurous travellers, staying in the airport is the last thing on their minds. In fact, 12 per cent are using their layovers as an opportunity to see something new by leaving the airport to explore the city. When travelling outside the U.S., that number jumps to 26 per cent. IgoUgo members ranked their top ten favourite non-U.S. airports to have a layover as:

Top 10 Favourite Non-U.S. Layover Airports

· London Heathrow

· Amsterdam Schiphol

· Paris Charles de Gaulle

· Singapore Changi

· Frankfurt

· Vancouver

· Tokyo Narita

· Munich

· Zurich

· Dubai

- Information from Travelocity.ca and IgoUgo.com