We’ve all been there. You arrive hours early for a flight in order to check in and clear security, then you’re left with the dreaded wait time. With limited options, including a few TV’s and fewer shops, it is hard enough to keep yourself entertained, much less the kids. The same reader or device you brought with you also needs to get them through the flight, so you don’t want them to drain the battery sitting at the gate. What to do?

Fortunately, OTG, a company that offers “dining, design, and technology” for airports has come to the rescue. They are leading a new push to install iPads in airports throughout the country. They are already in place at many, including JFK, Laguardia, and Minneapolis/St. Paul to name a few – with other airports like Newark International slated to get thousands in the coming months. The tablets will be installed throughout terminals and will be free to use.

Customers will be able to browse the web, check on flight info, order food and beverages (to be delivered to where you sit!) and soon, small sundries like neck pillows and toiletries.

This comes as a great boon to families, as parents will get a hand keeping the kids entertained, as well as avoid the need to wander the terminal too much. With flight information and food service where you sit, there is no more need to walk a toddler down the concourse to find posted departure times, or turn your back on a little one as you pay for lunch. Families will also enjoy the ability to keep bags packed and simply sit a child down in front of an installed iPad, rather than unpacking a suitcase to find where your own device may be stashed.

The iPad stations will also include more charging stations to help keep your own devices juiced up, a welcome addition for anyone who has previously fought over few available plugs. As a side note, we recommend traveling with an extension cord so that if you do manage to score an outlet, you will be able to charge multiple devices at once. You may even be able to help a fellow traveller out.

Read more about the planned expansion here and keep an eye on your nearest airport for the added convenience and functionality of installed tablet computers.