How to while away time on a plane?

[Worried1305]

I have to do a long flight soon (12 hours followed by 9 hours, with one short stopover). Please let me know your best plane activities! Preferably original ideas, not just “sleep” (which I will try to do but unsure if I will succeed).

I can't even see a personal preference as a brag 🤷‍♂️

It's like 'bragging' that you like...I don't know, eating chicken or something.

Some do, some don't.

I've found that I need to move from activity to activity after a period of time.
I might watch a film, I'll read on my kindle, sort photos and listen to podcasts, play Wi-Fi free games like fruit merge, murdle, write and do mind maps...

My friend knits in planes.

Are you flying without kids? Cos that’s a holiday in itself 😂

Read magazines, get tipsy, watch films, take a snack bag.

Look on Instagram and see what influencers do when they get on a flight. You could get those jelly eye patches, 27 creams, a lip mask and one of those long satin hair rollers. That would take up an hour at least 😆

It's the sneery "I don't know why this is even a question"

You are not permitted to use a powerbank on a flight.

My friend fell in love with the person sitting beside her on a long haul flight and they're still together 15 years later!

It's very unusual not to be able to charge a phone on a long haul flight so power banks aren't really needed anyway.

Yes you can. In fact, they need to be with you in the cabin and not in checked luggage. Some airlines may limit the size. Best to check first if you have any concerns.

I generally watch films or listen to podcasts/audiobooks. I always download films/TV shows on my phone just in case but tend not to watch them.

Books
best thing about a long flight is getting lost in a long novel or two

Ok - I usually fly Emirates and they announce that it's not permitted. It's correct that they must be in cabin baggage, not in the hold. DH used to work in health and safety for FedEx and they had lithium batteries explode in the warehouse that had arrived from a cargo flight - he's done all the dangerous goods training.

Download box sets on Netflix, books on audible and on kindle. Also podcasts like health /true crime. Comfy cushion for your head too

We go to the states a lot and over the years, I have bought every sleep aiding product in Walgreens, Target or CVS that you can’t get here to help with that overnight flight back. Nothing has helped.

Before our most recent trip, I bought Night Nurse from a UK pharmacy and I slept for about 6 hours on an 9 hour flight. We’re off to Barbados soon and I will definitely be taking it on the flight back.

Check what films your airline offers. They will serve food and drink. Read, watch films, drink gin, stretch, do some skin care, have a sleep. I love a long haul flight.

Drink and watch downloaded films

I make sure to have a few episodes of a series I am watching downloaded, as well as using the in-flight entertainment system.

I occasionally get a book of sudoku puzzles - I usually rip off the covers and the solutions, and pull out a few from each level of difficulty to have a nice bundle to distract me for a while - and as they are pulled apart, I can discard them once I've completed (or realise I've messed it up) a sheet of paper, so reduce even more the amount I bring to my destination. I usually also bring a notepad and write some letters as I often don't get time otherwise anymore. Or do some planning for things coming up.

I download podcasts to listen to.

I bring a decent book.

Sometimes I bring a small knitting or cross stitch project with me as well.

I also usually treat myself to a magazine in the airport.

I love reading but for some reason find reading on a plane really difficult.

I always watch films and listen to music - OP if you have Spotify premium you can download music to listen to offline. I’ve also got puzzle book for an upcoming 15 hour flight that’s got mixed puzzles (rather than a book of all sudoku or all crossword etc). I find flying really tedious and the best thing for me is a combination of different activities and having a Percy pig as a reward every hour 😂

I love doing cross stitch patterns. I managed almost a whole one on my latest work trip plane journeys.

Download a series and a couple of podcasts to alternate. Get a power bank and see what you fancy at the time.

Other than the usual read / film etc if you don't mind carrying extra then small Lego , craft kit etc

I get bored so tend to split in into blocks eg watch a film - eat a meal - read a bit of book - another film - do some crosswords/sudokus - have some drinks and snacks - listen to a podcast while knitting etc

Officiallly yeah sure but rampantly obviously used in reality, as are phones not in flight mode.

Some great ideas on this thread. We only ever fly shorthaul, so I make sure I've got a book and also have music and podcasts downloaded on my phone.

Those who do cross stitch on a plane, can you now take scissors to snip thread? (I've never done cross stitch so this is possibly a stupid question - sorry).

Install a jigsaw app on your tablet. Take a secret photo of the person sitting next to you and turn it into a puzzle. Invite them to try and guess what it is at various stages of completion.