What to do on a long flight.....

[KyraS]

We flew from Memphis to San Fran (4 hours) with a 2 hour layover and then from San Fran to Tokyo (11 hours) with an hour layover and then from Tokyo to Guangzhou China (another 5 hours). To say it was horrible is mild I couldn't sleep until the last 5 hours and I only slept then because I had gotten sick. On the long haul flight they had tons of movies, games etc. that you could choose from but I couldn't stay interested. I tried reading coudn't do that either. I just kind of sat there and let my mind wander, LOL!

After doing that flight and then don't forget the return flight although a little shorter because of tail winds, feel I can fly anywhere, LOL!

 

[KyraS]

Oh and I meant to also stress the water, water, water. We always buy some at the shop after security and put it in our carryon.

 

[supercarrie]

I live in the UK, but fly back home several times a year to CA. I always pack my iPod, ebook reader with lots of books loaded onto it, and check out the film selection ahead of time on my airline's website. After going through security, I always pick up a bottle or two of water and several magazines (I don't normally buy magazines so its always a treat!)

Remember the restrictions on liquids in your carry-on - so you will need to buy bottles of water after security.

 

[PaulaSB12]

I have a six hour flight on Wednesday.... trying to figure out what to bring with me to stay busy!

Do you have an mp3 player? If so an audio book will help the time go quickly.

 

[daisax]

I also find it helps to not do ANYTHING in the beginning. In other words, delay opening the book/puzzles, etc. until I've killed time reading the airline magazine, maybe the Skymall book, etc. Especially if I've been reading my book in the concourse while waiting for the flight to be called.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

if you have a laptop with you, you can watch DVD's on it.

also take your Ipod!

 

[monkey68]

When I flew back from Israel, it was a 12 hour flight. I've also taken many 6 hour+ flights as well, since I do a lot of traveling. Also have experience with 13 hour train ride followed by 6 hour wait in an airport followed by a 9 hour flight home.

Try to sleep if you can. I actually take a little throw blanket and a neck pillow instead of using the ones they give. But sleep will make time go faster. Also, some planes now have XM radio, last flight I went on, I took my ipod and didn't even listen to it because I loved the XM radio. Sudoku bores me, I can't do more than a couple, and I can solve them pretty quick. Are you traveling with anybody? When I go with friends, we bring a deck of cards, or UNO cards and play some games during the flight. We're not loud, we don't play any of those card slapping games, but it does help to pass the time.

Have you got any work to do? I wrote my personal statement for med school applications on a flight back from Israel. I find flying to be really relaxing and are usually very productive times for me as far as getting work done.

And really, 6 hours is not that bad, after a couple hours, you won't even notice the time passing. I don't notice the difference between the 6 hour flight to London or the 12 hour flight from Israel. After a certain point, things just sort of blend in and you enter an almost trance like state.

 

[crashbb]

I'd take an iPod, a magazine and a dvd player with a disc of a TV show I like.

For the love of all things chocolate, if you do bring your DVD player, use your earphones! Not suggesting that you wouldn't, but just putting it out there.

I had a nasty experience last week. Ironically, the man made such a fuss after I asked for the volume to be turned down (I didn't even ask for it to be turned off all together) that a flight attendant came by - instead of sticking up for him (as he expected) he was told to either use earphones or turn it off entirely (which is more than I had been asking for).

 

[Cool-Beans]

For the love of all things chocolate, if you do bring your DVD player, use your earphones! Not suggesting that you wouldn't, but just putting it out there.

I had a nasty experience last week. Ironically, the man made such a fuss after I asked for the volume to be turned down (I didn't even ask for it to be turned off all together) that a flight attendant came by - instead of sticking up for him (as he expected) he was told to either use earphones or turn it off entirely (which is more than I had been asking for).

I always bring my noise-cancelling earphones.

One time I had plugged them in and could hear through them...but I didn't plug them in enough, so it was also producing sound from the box. I was watching the screen and didn't notice that the woman next to me was watching, too. The stewardess came by and tapped me to ask if I could get the sound off and I was all apologetic and the woman next to me said it was fine with her, she was enjoying it, and would it be okay with the stewardess if I left the sound on, lol. (No. That would not be okay.)

That would be the one and only time anyone had to deal with sound from me. And as it turned out, two people can plug into my box and the woman next to me (Julie was her name, in the very unlikely event she reads here) had headphones, so everyone was happy. I love a happy ending.

 

[Micca]

Take a copy of War & Peace. Either you'll finish it, or fall asleep.