Long Flights

[petals]

Just wondering what does everyone do/bring with them to amuse themselves on the long flights from UK/Ireland to America?

 

[Button]

I take my child, at 4 years old he keeps me busy on board!

 

[karen1987]

Usually the inflight entertainment is enough, but I have my iPad mini loaded with films and games like Sudoku just incase. I'll have a book with me too, but find it hard to concentrate on flights for some reason.

 

[wayneg]

I used to sleep most flights but as I get older I don't seem to manage so easy, last Sunday coming home I got about 2 hours max, rest of time I just put my headphones on and listen to music from my phone.
I have no idea how anyone concentrates on a 7" screen to watch a movie/tv, something I can't do.

 

[Dimplenose]

I can't concentrate on a flight - so 15 minutes of seat back tv, comedy show on my mp3 player, try and nap, a couple of pages of book, stop to eat, crossword puzzle, a few pages of a magazine, have a loo break, repeated for 8 hours or so!

At least now the kids are grown up I don't have to play top trumps for hours on end.

 

[Kath2003]

We tavel in the school holidays. By the time we get on the plane, I'm usually so exhausted that sleep and rest is all I'm good for.

Otherwise, sudoku and a good book. The flight really isn't that long so it doesn't take much to keep us amused.

 

[cliveywolves]

8 Year DD, Sleep, Read, In Flight Movie, iPad, Moan a little !

 

[BudgieMama]

I'm fairly difficult to keep occupied, and struggled with our 8 hour flight to NYC last summer (I get very restless!).

I used a combination of:
In Flight Entertainment (including playing the games against my husband)
iPod - with plenty of Audio Books- one of the few things that will keep me still and contented for an extended period of time.
Games on my tablet
Films on my tablet (the IFE was awful on our flight home, barely any choice, but I have a few films that I can watch whatever my mood- Despicable Me saved the day. Love those Minions!)
Kindle
Prima magazine
Eating!
Napping
Talking

 

[NatalieMT]

Last time I actually quite enjoyed our flight, we usually glue ourselves to the TV screens and that's it but the Virgin flight had this 'seat chat' messenger thing so because our party of 15 was a bit split up and on several rows we had a little chat going round. We also had some celebratory cocktails, just made a good time of it! Children weirdly also seem to like me (staring at me, playing seat peekaboo!), so we usually end up having some conversations with other families about their holiday plans and stuff, given most people are going to Disney that's nice!

I think it also somewhat depends on your family situation, there's no young children in my family, youngest we've been away with was 12/13, so although they need looking after it's not quite the same as if they were 4/5!

 

[scoobydooby]

I hate it. Have to work hard to get my head in the right space. I find the first hour can be taken up faffing about and settling in. Then I try and make myself watch a whole film. Then I try for a sleep. Usually that's about 4 hours gone and I tend to clock watch and agonise for the rest. Not a good flyer or example really!

My teenage son has it cracked. He just watches back to back movies quite happily.

I get up and down quite a lot too as I get horrible fat feet and ankles if I don't. Slept for four hours coming home in May due to all the alcohol they plough you with the first hours of a return PE Virgin flight. My feet and ankles ballooned.

 

[sovietsong]

Last time I loaded football manager to play on my ipad and the time flew in lol

 

[petals]

I've always found I can't sleep for very long on the flights either I wake up all choked up or something else bothers me. My ears in recent years have been awful on long flights especially when we're about to land and I've actually been in tears more than once with the pain

Flight this year is 9 hours land and change to another plane for 4 hours! I was planning on getting the most recent Kingdom Keepers book and keeping that for the plane though. I also got the hidden mickey book so I can study
Then maybe getting movies on the ipod. Was wondering if there was anything else though..

We flew with Aer Lingus last time and their planes were great because everyone had their own little tv screens you could play games, watch movies etc but we're going Delta this year and unless they've changed the last time we flew with them it was a screen every few seats and everyone watched the same thing like it or not.

 

[queendisney]

I am used to this flight nowadays so it seems to go quickly. But I basically stick my IPOD in my ears asap, but the seat back screen on to the sky map and that's it...sometimes I doze other times it just doesn't happen.

 

[pickers1982]

Last time I loaded football manager to play on my ipad and the time flew in lol

How did you do?

 

[disneyholic family]

same as the above - when the kids were young, i referred to every flight as the "flight from hell" (but our flights are 13 hours non-stop so hell lasts a very long time)..
i devised all sorts of games and entertainment for them for those 13 hours...
but it meant i never got a wink of sleep.....and since we always arrived in New York early early in the morning, it meant continuing for the rest of the day (waiting for the next flight, flying, car, hotel, etc etc etc)...
pretty much 30 hours of hell to get to the happiest place on earth..

but i digress..

if your question is about kids, i have a thousand tricks up my sleeve that i'd be happy to share..

if it's adults - now in my old age (which is older than wayne), i tend to sleep for part of the time (if i'm so lucky as to be in business class where sleep is possible) and watch movies the rest of the time. On my last flight i think i managed 3 full length movies plus a few hours of slumber....

plus i have a full complement of books and games on my iphone...yes i read on my iphone....constantly...wherever i am......
and thank god we can now use our electronics during take off as that is a wonderful distraction for me....(i am deathly afraid of flying...also of elevators, where i also distract myself by reading).....

 

[kevin_cambs_uk]

It don't really bother me. I am not at work, or doing housework or cleaning the car or DIY or cooking or laundry so I find it really nice to just sit there, listen to music and relax waiting to get there, while someone brings me a drink and some food. I quite enjoy the while experience as its part of the holiday.

 

[starrysky]

Watch movies on the IFE most have plenty of other options of TV shows as well.
If I can see what's on before we fly and there is not much I load films onto my IPad. If you have sky plus with the on demand you can get movies for free but they are time limited once you start watching them though they last 30 days if you don't so you have some for the way home if you plan it right.
Or you could down load a favourite tv show from amazon or iTunes and watch that. Say 13 episodes at 45 mins and that would more than cover the time.
If I want to sleep I put on my eye mask and find some classical music on the IFE and that helps me nod off.
The time normally goes past pretty quick by the time you factor in time to have a loo trip or meal time etc.

 

[sovietsong]

How did you do?

Took crystal palace all the way to the champions league then failed miserably and got sacked lol

 

[maclondon]

I was luckily upgraded to Virgin Upper a couple of years ago
the screens are terrible quality - everyone was using iPads.

I'll be loading up our android tablets, possibly bringing headphone splitters. - the back seat screens are ok - but the quality is pretty poor on all of them - for various technical reasons.

 

[Lolsmum]

For me or the kids?

My kids (6 and 8) are actually really good at the long haul now. My family are all in the US, scattered about, so we fly pretty often. They each take a backpack with:

DS/3DS and some games
ipod touch/my old iphone
earbuds
Kindle Fire (this one was a new one for my daughter on our last trip, and soooo useful)
2 books
1 activity book
reporter's notebook
pencil case with pens and pencils
a couple of small toys in a small, sealable bag
a couple of snacks
a refillable water bottle
a brand new kid's magazine

Even without the entertainment system most flights have (yes, I'm looking at you American Airlines), they keep themselves pretty well occupied now. I bring a few extras (stickers, extra magazines, my ipad with some other films I know they like, pipe cleaners) I haven't actually had to bust out for the last few trips.

For me, the entertainment stuff is pretty similar. My phone, my ipad, my kindle, 1-2 paperbacks (for when they won't let you use an electronic device), a couple of snacks, a puzzle book, and pencils.

I have found the travel sickness tablets my son and I take pretty helpful in getting off to sleep. I won't take them when I'm alone with the kids, but they are great if I'm travelling alone or my hubby is coming with.