Travelling is amazing, we get to leave our little realities behind and escape to exotic locations. With all this excitement and planning what you are going to do when you eventually arrive, we tend to forget one tiny detail. The inevitable long haul flight. Planes may be great for getting us where we want to go, but they aren’t great at keeping us occupied. Unsurprisingly, spending upwards of 8 hours, cramped in a seat with hardly any leg room isn’t ideal. Although that’s bad enough, nothing can prepare us for the boredom we have to contend with. Here are some ways to entertain yourself on a long haul flight.
Perhaps the most obvious thing to do, is taking advantage of the complimentary movies or T.V shows on offer. Many of the airlines have a great selection with the latest releases. So if you haven’t had a chance to catch up on the biggest TV shows, then this is the moment to do so. Due to the massive selection, it takes a fair bit of time just to select something to watch. Let yourself fall into a story and distract yourself from your cramped conditions.
As much as we try not to, we probably listen to the same music day in day out; on our commute. When we’re tired and busy, we don’t find time to listen to the newest releases. Take advantage of all your free time by getting acquainted with the best new music. Not only will it be a great distraction, but it will also be a sensory delight. This takes a bit of organisation as you will need to download the songs from Spotify, Amazon Prime or any other streaming service before you hop on board. As we know there is no signal in the air so organisation is key.
People are notoriously odd, so there is nothing more entertaining than people watching. Now I know this sounds a bit stalker-esque, but hear me out. Humans will act any old way when they think no one is watching. You can see their little habits and strange behaviours. You can look at a person and decide how they came to be on this long-haul flight. This can keep you occupied for at least an hour. Bonus! If you enjoy writing you can use them as inspiration and write a short story.
Books transport us to far away locations, inspire us to use our imagination and create images that probably wouldn’t exist in real life. Reading is a favourite pastime for the majority of flyers. Not only does it entertain us, but it also passes so much time. Perfect for people stuck in one place. Now with the popularity of kindles, people can take a whole library abroad with them. There has never been so much choice! It means if you aren’t enjoying one you can just open another. A few books will definitely entertain you on a long-haul flight.
Many long -haul passengers are travelling for business reasons. So instead of wasting this precious free time, get ahead of your work. Whether you have to prepare for a business meeting, analyse some numbers or create an important presentation, this is the time to do so. That way when you land at your location, you are already ahead of your workload. Meaning you can enjoy some relaxation before your due in at work.
Sitting in one spot for several hours and only escaping to go to the toilet periodically is not only mind-numbing, its terrible for your health. I don’t understand why people just stay in one position for the whole duration, I for one get too restless. So instead move around. You have a whole aircraft at your oyster. Get up and walk the entire perimeter of the plane. Maybe do it a few times, as it is a long-haul flight. Not only will this give you more energy and wake up your legs, but it will also revitalise your thoughts.
Not a lot of groups travel on long haul flights, so chances are your sitting next to someone who is also travelling solo. If they seem open to it, strike up a conversation. It doesn’t have to be ground-breaking, it can even be as small as mentioning how bored you are. Hopefully, the conversation will last a while and can pass both of your time quickly.
There’s a reason that kids fall asleep the minute a car goes into motion or to cure their boredom. Sleep is a magical place that is completely of your own making. Not only will you wake up and be closer to your destination, you will have more energy when you land. You won’t be wanting to hit your hotel bed when there’s a whole new place to discover. So sleep your long-haul journey away.
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