Plane boredom advice.

[DistantEarlyWarning]

What do you do on a plane other than read, listen to music and watch films?

I’ve just discovered that crochet hooks are prohibited in hand luggage by my airline (confirmed) and I might go mad without something to do. Help!

13 hours. I will sleep and read, but want something that doesn’t involve screens. I’ll download some podcasts I think.

Deck of cards, I have smaller ones so I can play on the little table.

Needles are also forbidden according to the airline. ☹️

Listen to music. I also hate flying because I hate sitting still in the first place, and watching screens makes me sick.

So does mine. Maybe I’ll tell you all how bored so am in real time 🤣.

Pre 2 young kids, I’d load a few new books on my kindle, buy some magazines in the airport, take a diazepam for my fear of taking off and enjoy 9-12 hours of not having to get off my bum 🤣

Of course!

I love the weirdness of airline food.

I stay awake for hours before a flight so I’ll fall asleep as soon as we take off

Personally, I watch the films and sleep (on long flights). On shorter flights, I'm usually bored as I'm too tired to read and my child has the tablet! But, if you're looking for suggestions:

I see you say needles are forbidden, which is unusual. But it may be worth checking on length/tip as you may be able to bring the type of blunt plastic needle included in kids' sewing kits. If that's allowed, you could make a stuffed toy or a puppet or do a cross stitch picture.

Also, you don't need a hook to crochet; just use your finger.

You could buy a slim 'how to draw' book and try to sketch. Set yourself challenges like draw the house you grew up in, your first pet, or buy a small blank notebook and create a flip book cartoon (very little drawing skills required).

Buy an adult colouring in book (tell anyone who asks it's a 'mindfulness' exercise).

Read a book/magazine. (Doesn't have to be hardcopy - you can use something like Readly and download interesting magazines/articles before you fly.)

Learn a language (download an audio lesson and listen on your phone, practice writing/reading using a dictionary).

Download a simple coding app and build a programme (I'm thinking about the fun ones for kids, not something complex). My DS has one that you use offline - choose a background, characters and move puzzle pieces into the 'programme' line in order to create a scene.

Really, it's only limited by your imagination (and aviation rules, obviously).

https://aviationinfo.net/can-you-bring-sewing-needles-on-a-plane/

You’re not also flying to Haneda with JAL by any chance?

I’m not. It’s Singapore Airlines.

I can’t draw for toffee!

Apparently it’s all needles, which seems mad. But here we are. Never had this problem before.

I just want an alternative to looking at screens and reading, so I think that thing will have to be just listening to music and podcasts, instead of crochet and listening to music and podcasts.

My latest flight I slept the whole way home as it was an early one.

Usually I just read. I don’t know why That’s hard for you?

I alternate between watching the flight map and snoozing. I can fly to Oz and back and not use the headphones at all. I did enjoy a good audiobook on a Qantas flight once. Singapore airlines are excellent, they are bound to have some good entertainment options.

I can’t sleep on planes and I just read and play games on my phone.

If it's long-haul, I seem to 'settle in' outbound and watch a film or documentary or two on the TV (interspersed with everything below). Inbound on long-haul is horrendous for me. I don't sleep on the plane either. The last one was a night flight too which proved to be worse still.

Short/Medium-haul:

Read
Write (I keep a holiday journal each time I go away)
Listen to music
Go through thousands of photos on my phone and delete ones that are near duplicates or that I don't actually need to save
Draft some emails
Puzzle book
Eat
Drink
Talk to the person next to me (I've had some great conversations on planes!)

✈️

Puzzle books are fun, crosswords and hard copy book id you want to minimise screens.
If you’re travelling with someone these pocket sized travel games pass the time well (and they’re great even when you’re waiting for your flight or on rainy days). I have a set like these and a travel scrabble board https://www.tribefeel.com/products/portable-travel-game-mini-pocket-sized-games-for-travel

I solve this issue by never flying long haul, because I find the flight to the Canaries beyond my 'sitting still in a cramped space' tolerance level. It's worth it for winter sun though.

For shorter flights it's rare that I'm still awake at take off, then after a nap I'll read or look out of the window if I can see one, do puzzles or sometimes watch something I've downloaded. Then I'll try and sleep again until I'm woken up by preparation for landing.

I regularly fly 27 hours. I do a blend of all of the below Movies, tv programmes on the IFE. Music and podcasts and tv programmes downloaded on my own device. Puzzles or games on phone. Books on Kindle. Sometimes a skincare routine of make up off, serums, oils etc.
Eating and drinking… usually I walk to the galley for a chat with cabin crew and to get some snacks and another G&T. Back of plane (A380 and Dreamliner only) standing and calf raises. I also bring little snack boxes, sweeties or a box of choccies for me and DH to share. Crossword books and sudoku.
Snooze. UNO with DH or Monopoly Deal.

I’ve seen people knitting on planes….

Ooh I chatted to a woman on the way to Chicago last year. She had been in NI visiting youth detention facilities and was involved in youth justice in Illinois. I swear it was the most interesting conversation I've ever had travelling! We chatted for 2hrs!

She told me about all the programmes she had been involved in setting up, including for adults involved in crime with alcohol/drugs.

So far beyond my own world.

Mosaic sticker books can be good to while away some time.

Apart from reading and music I like following the flight map. Depends on time of day and location you are flying but did an amazing day flight recently and was fascinated to follow the map/flight plan and see the Arabian desert, Sharm el Sheikh/red sea (the turquoise water and sand!), Cairo and the pyramids at Giza (so cool to see the pyramids!), Athens, Dubrovnik and Venice out of the plane window. Got bored after Switzerland but that definitely took care of a few hours although I think I was the only person who was excited to see all of these things!!!

Totally off topic, are you travelling qatar airways?
im asking as I have a 14 hour flight with them next month and I’m dreading it. I’m currently trying to figure out if I should pay for the privilege of the narrower seat with more leg room (bulkhead seat) or risk it with a regular seat and hope there is no one next to me so I can lift the arm rests.

Great idea to make the walking around the plane part of an exercise routine.

I have also seen people knitting, and I have crocheted on many airlines, but Singapore? It’s a nope.

I love the flight map. Flight mapping whilst crocheting was my grand plan. 😫

No, JAL to Tokyo.

I’m quite short, so for me a wider seat makes more difference for comfort than more legroom. I choose JAL specifically because fheir seats are wider than other airlines because they put one less seat in each row on wide body planes.