Airline route cuts and drastic schedule cutbacks mean you’re probably going to be spending a lot more time hanging around the airport waiting for a flight.

You could use that time to snooze, eat, or work. Or you can head out for one of the cheap, educational, car-free side trips I list in my most recent At the Airport column on USATODAY.com.

For example, the Louis Armstrong Museum is a short bus ride away from New York’s LaGuardia Airport; the movie theaters, theme park, and other attractions at the Mall of America are a ten minute light-rail ride away from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport; and the Museum of Flight, home of the Aerocar (below), is a short bus ride from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

(Photo: courtesy Museum of Flight)

Have you discovered a great airport side-trip destination? Add a comment below.