Your Flight is Delayed for 9 Hours at Denver International Airport: Here’s What to Do
There are certain times of year that I actively try to avoid flying. The summer busy season, Hurricane season and the Winter Holiday Season. But most people aren’t able to skip these travel seasons. And, if you’re flying across the United States you’re likely to depart from or transfer through one of the following airports: Chicago’s O’Hare (notorious for flight disruptions) Dulles-Fort Worth or Denver International Airport (DIA/DEN). I’m going to share some thoughts and strategies specifically focused on DIA. If your flight is delayed for 9 hours at Denver International Airport here’s what to do.
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Are You Eligible for Compensation?
We’ve all had to deal with a flight disruption from time to time-especially if we travel pretty frequently. There are a couple of things that I now do to protect myself and my wallet when traveling.
- I buy trip insurance-Yep, I’m one of those people who pays the extra $10 or $15 bucks when completing my flight purchase. Why? Because it feels like flight disruptions have become a lot more frequent.
- I learn about my rights as a traveler-Congress passed the Air Travelers Bill of Rights in 2023. Some of the things addressed in the bill:
- The minimum amount that a customer should be compensated if they aren’t able to proceed with travel (bumped from a flight-Denied Boarding Compensation) hidden fees (Frontier and Spirit Airlines I’m looking at you) as well as imposing standards on airlines that would clarify why the took the actions that they did.
- Ask questions and stay calm-Things happen when you’re traveling. Those unforeseen circumstances are often out of the control of the onsite team. Keep cool and work with them. Often being calm is the way to getting your problem solved.
Should You Leave Denver International Airport?
With a 9 hour delay most travelers would be tempted to depart the airport. Before you make your way through the airport and leave Jeppsen Terminal, I have a few questions to ask you:
- Is there any chance that the flight could depart earlier than expected? Downtown Denver is far enough that this could become a logistical nightmare if you don’t consider this possibility or discuss this with the crew communicating with passengers. Fortunately, airlines communicate via SMS messaging and emails so that passengers stay in the loop during a delay. Speak with a team member before doing anything.
- What is the weather like? There are some days when it just doesn’t make sense to head downtown. The most obvious is during a snowstorm. It probably is a bad idea to leave the airport and have to make your way back quickly (even though the train would still likely be running).
- Do you have several bags with you? You’ll have to bring your bags with you while exploring and that might be a PITA (Pain in the A$$) to do. Call Lugden-A suitcase storage option located across from Denver’s Union Station to see if there’s room to store your bags while you explore.
- Have you pulled up the security wait times information for DIA? If there are crazy lines that will change your timing.
- Do you have all of your necessary documentation? You’ll need your boarding pass and legal identification in order to get back through the security line.
Work Through The Logistics Before Heading into Denver
Sometimes it’s a good idea to work through the actual logistics to consider if you’re thinking about leaving Denver International Airport (DIA/DEN)
The general timeline
- You receive a notice that your flight was delayed-The clock starts the minute you get the update from your airline.
- Deciding to depart the terminal-It will take about 20 minutes to make your way from whichever gate that you’re at, boarding the train and then actually exiting the airport.
- Boarding the train-Usually I find that I have to wait around 5-10 minutes for the train to depart based on when I’ve exited the airport.
- Head to Union Station in Downtown Denver-It is the last stop via train. The ride takes 37 minutes from the airport baring any delays or strange situations.
- What about taking a Lyft or Uber? Time of day, accidents on the road and traffic will impact rides heading into Denver. The light rail basically doesn’t have to deal with that.
- Hanging out in Denver-You could hang out for 4 or 5 hours maximum. Why not more? I’m paranoid that something will happen and you won’t be able to get back to the Airport in time.
- Return to the airport-That will take 37 minutes (give or take) once you’ve departed from Union Station.
- Heading back through security-The entire time you’ve hung out in Denver you’ve kept an eye on the security wait times. They can vary and if you’re finding that they are longer than expected-you should return to the airport earlier than you intended.
Schedule a Tour (if possible)
If you get your timing right then a tour may be a great way to leave the logistics of exploring Denver to someone else. If you’re on your own for whatever reason, a tour is a great way to hang out with other people and explore. I’ve shared some tour ideas below.
16th Street Mall Construction
I’ve always said that most visitors don’t need to spend more than 2 hours on the 16th Street Mall. I love the mall, but there’s just so may things to do around Denver that I get frustrated with people think that walking up and down the 16th Street Mall is then entirety of the Denver experience.
It’s not.
And now there is a MASSIVE construction project that has torn up a significant portion of that thoroughfare. While you should visit the walking mall, do know that you’re going to have to navigate around construction. But, it’s so important to support downtown Denver businesses.
What to Do in Denver
I strongly suggest staying as close to downtown Denver as possible. With that in mind, I’ve suggested a couple of places to explore and how to get there from Union Staton. Remember that time of day, year and the day of the week will impact your visit. Your Flight is Delayed for 9 Hours at Denver International Airport so you do have time to explore-just have a plan before you leave the airport.
You should mix and match these activities with your timing in mind.
- Grab a coffee at Pigtrain Coffee located at Denver’s Union Station
- Walk over to McGregor Square (5 minutes)
- It has a food hall, a massive jumbo screen and a cute courtyard that has different activities throughout the year. During the winter months there is ice skating.
- Check out the Dairy Block-Located right across the street from McGregor Square. It is a mixed use space with restaurants, a beautifully built out alley (don’t miss this) whisky and wine bars. There’s another part of the development called Free Market that is adjacent to it.
- Head over to Meow Wolf-An interactive, art experience. It’s very hard to describe what this is. But, both adults and children love it.
- 7 minute ride from Union Station via Lyft/Uber
- Head to the Museum of Illusions on the 16th Street Mall
- Visit the Museum of Contemporary Art–5 minutes from Union Station.
- Relax in Confluence Park –7 minutes from Union Station
Where to Eat
There are some great restaurants and quick eateries located within walking distance of Union Station. I’ve shared a couple that I recommend and are easy to get to via train.
- Dairy Block Food Hall
- If you’re lucky there might be a market, band or other fun event happening while you’re there.
- Zeppelin Station-This is located at 38th and Blake Light Rail Station one stop from Union Station taking the A-Line which is the train that you took to downtown.
- Head over to Avanti Food and Beverage Food Hall 15 minute walk from Union Station (you would walk through Confluence Park)
- Attend an event in or near Civic Center Park
- Civic Center Eats (Summer)
- Ciclovia
- Live music
Your Flight is Delayed for 9 Hours at Denver International Airport
Flight delays happen. They can be very stressful especially if you’re delayed in a city or town that you’re unfamiliar with. If you’re traveling during one of the busier times of year or during an active weather moment it’s highly likely that something will come up. Hopefully, this gives you some things to consider before deciding to leave the airport during a long flight delay.