to be bored on a long journey...

[redeyes1]

(posting here for traffic really as I don't think IABU.)

I have a long haul flight next week and I find these excruciatingly boring. I know I'm lucky as it is preceding a lovely holiday, but I'm flying alone and when I've done this before I arrive feeling exhausted. I think it is because I pretty much do nothing for 7 hours apart from flick through photos on phone and try to read/watch a film. (a day flight and I won't sleep at all).

I'm trying to think of a 'project' I can do whilst onboard that will keep my brain occupied and keep me alert. I can take a laptop but obviously won't have wifi.

I've just done my tax return otherwise that could have been a good thing to do :)

Would love any ideas of projects or things I can do. Am happy to break journey down, eg 1.5 hours watching a film, 1-2 hours reading, etc. It is a 7 hour flight.

Thank you so much for any ideas that might help me arrive less groggy and more alert.

What @SummerInSun said. Literally the only time in my life when I have time to myself and the 'normal' life cannot reach me. Bliss. And I regularly do 11-13hrs flights :-)

I usually play games on my phone and watch movies.

@SegregateMumBev knitting needles are allowed on board, I have taken them through many times. The only time I had trouble was at the scanner in AMS where they showed up as a knife (?!) for some reason and they checked what they were.

Yoga in the isles and a full blown pamper session in the toilet - I bet you looked a right wally.

OP my advice would be drink and watch films, which may then put you to sleep.

SunshineSpring, you described exactly what my trip will look like in the very near future. Only I will have more connecting flights. Long haul solo flights are bliss. As you say - read, film, eat, sleep, repeat. All of that ALONE! Oh the dream...

I hate long flights with a passion. 6 hours is about the longest I've ever done and I thought I'd never get off the plane.
I'll definitely never be visiting Australia.

some great ideas and sorry for not tagging to thank but, thank you.

If anybody else here is on a transatlantic flight next week then I can assure you it isn't me doing yoga or chin ups in your space ;)

I'm really trying to find something that will use my brain rather than just watch films and relax. I always arrive groggy and I'm sure it is from 7 hours of being passive?

I will certainly enjoy the luxury of being able to wander through the airport without any children hanging off me :)

Maybe this will be the one flight in the tons I've taken where there will be a handsome, interesting, chatty stranger next to me ;)

In the meantime, thank you all so far, and thank you for any more ideas. much appreciated :)

Take a nap? Depending on what time your flight is, a nice couple of hours sleep as you take off before waking up to a movie or a puzzle book is bliss

I love long haul. I try to break up the time with different types of things to do. I might watch a trashy film then read a book that's a bit more of a challenge. I always take cross stitch. I also drink a copious amount of booze and eat everything that is offered plus my back up snacks. They key is to try and stay hydrated though so bring a big empty bottle and fill up after you've gone through all the scanners.

If you want something challenging maybe learn a language or a skill? Teach yourself basic computer coding.

Oh and don't do yoga because I'll throw my free booze at you.

I actually like long flights, it means that I'm off somewhere interesting and it's a price I'm willing to pay. Kindle, films, puzzle book, it must be blissful to be travelling alone!

I download a load of articles from Newspapers and Magazines before I go. Some New York times articles can be 40 mins + long and often on some very interesting topics.

As you have cruelly dismissed my chin up idea 😂 I have been thinking.
How about getting some verbal and non verbal reasoning papers that's two 50 minute tests and unless you are particularly clever or have seen them recently you would have to work at them to get them done in time.

The groggy feeling is due to travel/crossing time zones, surely?

Try an energy drink/strong coffee an hour before you land. Should revive you.

I'd love seven uninterrupted hours alone. I'm trying to finish the Expanse on Amazon Video and can't find time to watch the last few episodes of season three. It's brilliant and you should try it.

Do you have a tablet? There are loads of games you can try. I like Merge Dragons, triple town and minecraft.

I love it, I take a ton of books to read, I dl a new tv show to watch and chill.

A long flight. Alone. My idea of heaven, I don’t think I’ve ever been bored on a plane! I’d download a few books onto my phone, plan what films to watch, pack some nice sandwiches/snacks. Read for an hour, watch a film, eat, watch another film, read some more. Done!

I generally sleep all the way to Singapore, only waking at meal times.

My wife watches films, back to back, for 13 hours.

And another yoga person hater here too. Do it in the loo if you have to.

I used to love long haul flights until they went to Australia the cheap way

Podcasts!

Do you have a laptop? Buy a copy of the kind of game that will occupy you for hours. Civilisation 5, Rimworld, Factorio, one of the Sims games or Theme Hospital.

I can kill hours with games on my laptop. Sims 2 mostly, but Unravel (I think you need an xbox controller) and 2pointhospital are also good

Audiobooks on an ipod make time go faster. I find 'Wedding night' by Sophie Kinsella funny, which passes the time more quickly

Crosswords? Not very thrilling but it would kill some time

Challenge yourself to learning a new language, or practicing one

Join the mile high club with a total stranger

Take a box of face paints, a hand mirror and some makeup remover wipes and go nuts! You could charge desperate parents looking for entertainment for their children too

Make a list of all the songs you can think of with the word 'Baby' in. Buy yourself a present when you land if you get to more than 100. You can ask other passengers and flight staff for input if you like

Look around at the other passengers and assign names, ages, families, professions, hobbies and deep dark secrets to each individual. Keep track of them in a little notebook

Take a rubiks cube

Pretend you're an air marshal (do we have them in the UK?) or an undercover airline inspector

Write poetry. It can be about absolutely anything, and it doesn't matter how shit it is, but the challenge is it has to rhyme. See how long you can keep one poem going for

Dope yourself up. I hear Nightnurse is good!! Maybe not if you're hiring a car at the other end though...

Get chatting to the person sitting next to you. Make up a ludicrous life for yourself and see how far you can push it and have them still believe you

Do a jigsaw puzzle

Pull terrible faces at any kids nearby without their parents noticing. Look shocked and horrified when they make faces back, and mutter things about 'Children today!' while their parents tell them off

Invent a brand new dance style with some serious moves (maybe best in your head and don't actually practice it until you get off, unless there's plenty of room in the aisle)

Play cats cradle

Write a short story

Take a deck of cards and play solitaire

Ask the cabin crew if you're nearly there yet at frequent intervals. See how long it takes for them to get pissy with you

Take an old pair of socks and some craft bits and make sock puppets. Sticky back velcro dots might work if you're not allowed to take glue as hand luggage

Make detailed plans on what you'll do when you rule the world

Write a new Friends episode. It can be interjected inbetween a couple of the old good ones, it doesn't have to follow on from the end of season 10, unless you want it to

Print off a bunch of old year 6 SATS maths papers to take with you. See how well you do on them

Take a mini magnetic chess board and practice your game

Do adult colouring. Just how 'adult' is up to you!

Plan a party down to the smallest details. Think of a theme, what you'll wear, what food and drinks you'll provide, what entertainment there'll be, who you'll invite, all of it!

Make little models out of plasticine

Buy the original 'Find it' and well, find everything!

Draw your dream home

Practice meditation

Pretend you have 17 pets. Imagine what they might be, what their names are, their personalities, favorite toys, how you would keep them all happy etc

Learn cross-stitch

Eat snacks, but always with both hands behind your back

There, if that lot doesn't keep you occupied for 7 hours I don't know what will!!

Save some MN Classics threads to read offline.

If anybody else here is on a transatlantic flight next week then I can assure you it isn't me doing yoga or chin ups in your space ;)
😂. In all my years of many long haul flights I've yet to see anyone doing yoga on a flight . I think my husband would disown me if I as much as mentioned it!

@FurrySlipperBoots hilarious list! Might nick some of your ideas for our next long haul, maybe not the mile high one though 😂

Can anyone suggest a decent offline iPad game for playing inflight?

Can’t adults just sort of ‘be’ for the flight? You’re not an 8 year old with ADHD.

Read. Watch films. Play some games on your phone/iPad. Puzzle book or colouring if that’s your bag. Eat

Ha! 7 hours isn't even long haul. If it's anything it's medium haul. Regularly flying Brit in NZ here so several 27 hour flights a year is quite normal.

You are an adult and you can deal with your own frustration. Plan mini activities: watch a film, listen to music, play a game, if you have wifi, Mumsnet, sleep, apply nice face things (err at your seat, NOT in the bathroom like a Pp!), read a book, do a puzzle or a sodoku, write a to do list, go the galley and get a gin and tonic, chat to the crew, watch a tv box set, think of 10 business ideas, clear your inbox, do some slow laps around the plane, eat some snacks, look at the view, read the in flight magazine....

Can anyone suggest a decent offline iPad game for playing inflight?

Depending on what you're into - loads.

Stardew Valley is a farming simulator one which I have killed far too much of my life on.
Civ VI is on iOS but is a bit of a battery drain and it's a bit marmite if you like micromanaging that sort of stuff (I've played Civ since the original so it's definitely my thing)
RPGs - Square Enix had 50% off a lot of the final fantasy ports last week which might still be on - some are better ported than others (avoid 7 - it's really quite craply done)
The Room series of puzzle games are really well done puzzler type ones - get a bit formulaic as you get used to how they tend to set up their puzzles but there are 4 of them and they can kill a good few hours

Think that's the bulk of what I've got on my iPad at the moment - plus random things like the usual set of word games, problem solving ones and candy crush style ones. I quite like doing colouring on the iPad as well (better if you have the pencil) - Pigment's got a decent amount of stuff not paid for on there - but you'll have to download a few before you're internet-less - once they're on your device you're sorted.

I got stopped with nail scissors on a flight recently - would suggest looking for the clover yarn cutting pendant if you're wanting to take knitting/crochet on (I have mine on a key ring and that got through just fine), and obviously don't take your favourite set of hooks or needles in case they don't get allowed on.