Airport snacks
For some reason I have failed to learn time and time again to ensure I have money when flying home from somewhere.

Typically as the end of whatever trip I'm on nears I ration the local currency and spend near enough up to the last coins I have.

That is how I came to find myself in Barcelona airport with about 25p of spanish coins.... waiting for my flight 2 hours later.... which ended up being delayed for 12 hours.... when I discovered cheapo student bulk buy flight deal offers me no food voucher goodness for the delay.

After 4 hours the shops closed for the day, leaving 8 hours to kill with nothing to eat but some cinnamon (!?!?!) flavoured tic-tacs and free water from the fountain (needed to take the taste of the tic-tacs away). They may only have 2 calories, but that's nearly 100 cals in a pack!

You think I'd learn but I've also repeated this trend in the following airports;
Manchester
Glasgow
Heathrow
Gatwick
New York (Newark)
Tokyo Narita
Fuerteventura (Canary Islands)
Sydney
Brisbane
Cairns (plus major sunburn)
Geneva
Amsterdam
Dubai

I think I might start leaving some money in my passport or something as last time I found myself reading the menu of Wetherspoons for 3 hours whilst enjoying 2 cups of 59p coffee!

If my rating wasn't so piss poor I'd have a credit card by now to max out.
(golddust QOTW now revolves around being a cunt, Tue 20 Nov 2007, 17:30, 5 replies)

You could..
get some travelers cheques, just a small amount like £20, they are generally such a pain to change and need planning that you won't bother. Ergo when you have X hours to kill at your next airport you can cash em and you will have some cash.

I speak from experience. Went out to Moscow with my flatmate to visit my dad. I didn't need to take any cash with me, however he choose TCs, took ages to get them cashed.

Plus side is they are complexed enough that you cannot operate while drunk.
(StyX is staring at you, yes YOU!!!, Tue 20 Nov 2007, 23:12, closed)

don't
do what i did and stash some money in a book thinking on the way back you'll find it and while you're stuck in bali airport on a 9 hour layover you'll have 30 US dollars which will buy you coffee, duty free etc...

if you're anything like me you'll swap the book with a fellow traveller and forget all about it until you come to pay for your live saving dinner... then have to beg for cash from the disgruntled passengers on your next flight with the promise that you'll take them to a cash point just as soon as your mum comes to pick you up at heathrow.

the shame.
(Rakky (forgot her password) The muffin maverick, Wed 21 Nov 2007, 4:18, closed)

Did you know
on any of those occasions that you'd be catching a plane later and that you might have a delay? Buy a sandwich maybe...?
(frankspencer, Wed 21 Nov 2007, 9:53, closed)

planning to eat
I don't plan ahead, however on one occasion I had money at the airport and had an hour to kill so went to the pub and ordered food and a beer.

Food arrived, I got my condiments etc lifted food to mouth to bite and the tannoy called me by name to the boarding gate!

Turns out the cockup was two-fold (when I got cross at the gate). Firstly my ticket was printed with the wrong time, meaning I had 30 minutes not 60. Also the smug git on the gate said "We like to get all our passengers on early".

So on the one occasion I ACTUALLY bought food, I wasn't able to eat it as the airline likes to be prompt. Sh1t happens eh?
(golddust QOTW now revolves around being a cunt, Wed 21 Nov 2007, 11:28, closed)

I believe
that that's one of the reason's credt/debit cards were invented. Just a thought.
(Seance Trumpet has got no beef with a man enjoying a croissant, Wed 21 Nov 2007, 17:28, closed)