Questions for people who fly a lot about electronics on the plane

[Floridagram]

This is not DIS related but I do not know where else to find help. I do not fly much and when I do it is only on trips of a couple of hours. We are going to Hawaii and the trips are 15 and 18 hours so I am trying to figure out how to entertain myself. I do not have an IPOD or anything like that and do not want to by one if would be a waste.

I saw on the airline website that now some seats seem to have something that would charge your device at your seat, but of course we have cheap seats and do not have that. Are those ports (or whatever you call them) only for those specific seats?

How long does a charge work on an Ipod and don't you have to have a computer to recharge them? I have a laptop but that charge only lasts a couple of hours.

Also I have thought about getting a kindle but don't know much about that. How do you keep them charged on a long trip? I know I could take some books but they are so heavy...

Any suggestions to make such a long flight more enjoyable would be appreciated. Going will be good but coming home is the long flight and I will be up all night.

 

[sparky1011]

We have flown on United and some of their flights do have 110 volt power outlets located under the seats, from what I remember there are 2 outelts for 3 seats. You can look at their website and check in flight services for more info. Som e flights to Hawaii do have VOD in the back of seats in front of you but this is not many of them. All of the flights will at least have over head TV's showing movies and some music channnels.
Hope this helps.

 

[sam_gordon]

This is not DIS related but I do not know where else to find help. I do not fly much and when I do it is only on trips of a couple of hours. We are going to Hawaii and the trips are 15 and 18 hours so I am trying to figure out how to entertain myself. I do not have an IPOD or anything like that and do not want to by one if would be a waste.

I saw on the airline website that now some seats seem to have something that would charge your device at your seat, but of course we have cheap seats and do not have that. Are those ports (or whatever you call them) only for those specific seats?

How long does a charge work on an Ipod and don't you have to have a computer to recharge them? I have a laptop but that charge only lasts a couple of hours.

Also I have thought about getting a kindle but don't know much about that. How do you keep them charged on a long trip? I know I could take some books but they are so heavy...

Any suggestions to make such a long flight more enjoyable would be appreciated. Going will be good but coming home is the long flight and I will be up all night.

First, regarding the charging ports on planes... I have never used (or even seen) one, but from my research, *IF* you have seats that offer it, there's two kinds of ports. One requires an adaptor (sold separately of course), the other is a standard wall outlet. You can go to seatguru.com, put in your airline & flight and see what's available. That's not a guarantee though since airlines can change planes.

As far as how long a charge works on any device, it depends on a lot of factors... age of the battery & what you're doing with the device (playing video will eat more battery than playing music for example) has the biggest influence (IMO).

My current laptop's battery runs about 9 hours. My old laptop's battery wouldn't even fully boot into windows.

My Kindle fire lasts about 2 days before needing a charge, but I don't use it all the time.

SeatGuru (and the airline website should) will also tell you what entertainment options are available. I would have a book or magazine available in case all my electronics die on a flight that long.

Also, if you're travelling with someone, maybe a deck of cards or other "portable" games.

 

[Horace Horsecollar]

Some aircraft have 15V DC cigarette lighter-style receptacles at many seats.

Some aircraft have 15V DC EmPower plugs at many seats.

Some aircraft have standard 110V AC 3-prong outlets at many seats.

And some aircraft have no power outlets of any kind.

I fly mainly on American Airlines and I pay attention to published seat maps, so I almost always have either a lighter-style receptacle or a standard outlet. I have an Apple adapter for 15V DC; it keeps my MacBook going indefinitely when it's connected, but it does not charge the battery. Aircraft 110V outlets work with electronics just as in American homes.

 

[shoney]

My Kindle is old! One of the first ones. I just finished Stephen Kings 11-22-63 without having to charge it (and that was a long book). It lasts a long time as long as you keep the wifi off.
I noticed one of the newer models (I was thinking of upgrading) says the battery lasts 8 weeks.

My kids have ipads and ipods and they seem to be charging all the time.

 

[hlg22]

iPhone/iPod - yes, the length the battery will last depends on what you're doing with the phone (just listening to music vs video, games, in flight internet, etc.). I have a couple of these Duracell rechargable batteries that will give me more time for long flights.

If your trip is not a direct flight, many (most) airports now have charging stations or outlets built into seats in the waiting areas, so you can recharge on your layover.

Kindles - I have a standard kindle and I only have to charge it every few weeks, and that is with leaving it on 24/7 and actively reading 1/2 - 1 hour a day, on average. Remember with a kindle on the plane, you will have to turn it off for takeoff and landing.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think the reason my kindle fire doesn't last long is I (and the kids) use it to play games in addition to reading. This goes back to how you use a device affects battery life.

 

[Greysword]

If you enjoy reading, you should look into getting an e-reader. They are pretty cool, and easy to use (both physically and in terms of complexity). If you are not a big reader, a couple books would likely last you the whole 15 hours

Extra batteries are good for your laptop/cell phone and there are plug-ins to provide additional power for items without a whole battery.

If you could provide some additional info, such as airline and aircraft type, we could probably dial in some ideas.

Oh and by the way, this is the perfect board for asking this question.

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

Many airlines offer outlets primarily in business class and above, but some planes do have outlets in economy seats. As suggested, check seatguru.com for your plane's configuration. You might want to even chose your flight based on the type of plane; I often do! Just keep in mind that aircraft swaps can happen.

You can get external chargers for your iPods/iPads which will extend the battery life. We have a couple and they work well. If you don't have a non-stop flight, you can find charging stations in the airport, although they are often full of other people's devices. Sometimes you can find a wall outlet to use as well.

You should have entertainment options on your flight as well. Again, what is available depends on the airline and the plane, so check this out before buying your tickets.

 

[bumbershoot]

Per my in-house expert (he works in the Kindle dept), a Kindle Fire should last 10 hours when reading (with wifi off). Other Kindles should go even longer. The one I used to use (pre-paperwhite) can last a week or more with me reading a couple hours a day. The paperwhite actually lasts ages, too.


I would look at your exact airline to see what features they have.


And remember to bring something to look at for takeoff and landing, when electronics have to be off.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

My Kindle fire usually lasts about 9 hours with the wifi turned off.

I've also got an Ipod that I listen to music on but I'm not sure how long the charge lasts since it charges itself every time I upload a new podcast.

In addition to having those with me when I fly, I also bring a deck of cards, 2 magazines and if I'm going someplace new that I bought a guidebook for, I'll have that with me too.

I've never been on a long flight though - 4 hours has been my longest.

 

[lindsey]

I have a question about kindle fire. If the WiFi is off, but I'm watching downloaded movies, how long should power last?