What do you do to pass the time on long flights?
March 26, 2022 4:02 AM Subscribe
I'm thinking things other than reading, sleeping, and listening to music. Which may mean there really isnt anything else. Then again, askmeta never fails to surprise...
Context:wife and I have 20+ hours to kill on an upcoming flight to Singapore
Listening to podcasts or audiobooks (which I consider different than listening to music or reading).
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 5:06 AM on March 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
posted by Mr.Know-it-some at 5:06 AM on March 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
Cards; phone/ tablet games (single or multiplayer); word games like Ghost; structured conversation "games" like debating between two silly options.
posted by metasarah at 5:07 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by metasarah at 5:07 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
Knitting. (I’ve flown with knitting needles and small scissors in my carryon many times in the last 10 years, including US, Europe, and Asia; I’ve had them pulled out for closer inspection at security but never taken away)
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:29 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 5:29 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
Maybe you're not looking to do a bunch of work, but: You could do an amazing creative project if you go into the flight with a commitment to it:
I made (the stems of) an electronic music album on a flight once. I used an app called Figure, which makes this kind of music making very simple. There are many other alternatives.
You could draw a 24 hour (ish) comic. Lots of people of all skill levels do this.
You could write something, like a short story or an essay or a humorous piece about being on a plane for 20+ hours. Or a series of love letters to your wife, which you could give to her throughout your Singapore stay.
You could do a weird photo project like that woman who went into the airplane bathroom and took selfies of herself looking like subjects of old Flemish paintings (although please don't linger in there, people need to use the bathroom, lol).
posted by edlundart at 5:45 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
I made (the stems of) an electronic music album on a flight once. I used an app called Figure, which makes this kind of music making very simple. There are many other alternatives.
You could draw a 24 hour (ish) comic. Lots of people of all skill levels do this.
You could write something, like a short story or an essay or a humorous piece about being on a plane for 20+ hours. Or a series of love letters to your wife, which you could give to her throughout your Singapore stay.
You could do a weird photo project like that woman who went into the airplane bathroom and took selfies of herself looking like subjects of old Flemish paintings (although please don't linger in there, people need to use the bathroom, lol).
posted by edlundart at 5:45 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
I love to write during a long journey. Not 20 straight hours of writing, but a couple of sessions during the trip. Currently I'm in the habit of writing fiction, so it's easy to come up with a project. In the past, I have written long journal entries. If you do any kind of academic or technical work, you can write kind of sideways to that: thoughts about it, what it means to you, what you would say about it if you were being interviewed at that moment.
I also get through a shitload of crossword puzzles. I print them up from the NYT site and put them in my writing notebook. That way I have a whole activity kit that doesn't depend on electronics or batteries.
posted by BibiRose at 5:58 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
I also get through a shitload of crossword puzzles. I print them up from the NYT site and put them in my writing notebook. That way I have a whole activity kit that doesn't depend on electronics or batteries.
posted by BibiRose at 5:58 AM on March 26, 2022 [3 favorites]
Hi! I bring multiple things of varying focus.
First, I usually buy wifi. It's bad enough you're on a plane - are you supposed to deprive yourself of internet too? Ideally you use this time to text friends and family a bit. It really helps me feel connected and happy more than alcohol or a book ever could.
Second, I bring a book that REALLY engrosses me. One of those can't-put-it-down books. For me, that's usually a progression-fiction book like mother of learning, enders game, hpmor, Worm, or cradle. Even on re-reads they deliver.
Third, I bring some noise cancelling headphones and my favorite airplane playlist "airport lofi".
Fourth, I bring my Nintendo switch. It's perfect for airplanes, and I just bought shovel knight, which has 4 campaigns in it. My last flight I finished the first campaign.
Fifth, I bring a plane blanket, and a airhook 2.0. the airhook 2.0 clips into most trays and let's you put your phone up for Netflix/Hulu so you don't have to hold it. And bonus, it fits a switch or tablet too. You can use it even when tray tables are stowed.
Sixth, I bring snacks. I like fruit snacks and Cheetos personally, but anything would do. Plane food really doesn't cut it these days.
posted by bbqturtle at 6:23 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
First, I usually buy wifi. It's bad enough you're on a plane - are you supposed to deprive yourself of internet too? Ideally you use this time to text friends and family a bit. It really helps me feel connected and happy more than alcohol or a book ever could.
Second, I bring a book that REALLY engrosses me. One of those can't-put-it-down books. For me, that's usually a progression-fiction book like mother of learning, enders game, hpmor, Worm, or cradle. Even on re-reads they deliver.
Third, I bring some noise cancelling headphones and my favorite airplane playlist "airport lofi".
Fourth, I bring my Nintendo switch. It's perfect for airplanes, and I just bought shovel knight, which has 4 campaigns in it. My last flight I finished the first campaign.
Fifth, I bring a plane blanket, and a airhook 2.0. the airhook 2.0 clips into most trays and let's you put your phone up for Netflix/Hulu so you don't have to hold it. And bonus, it fits a switch or tablet too. You can use it even when tray tables are stowed.
Sixth, I bring snacks. I like fruit snacks and Cheetos personally, but anything would do. Plane food really doesn't cut it these days.
posted by bbqturtle at 6:23 AM on March 26, 2022 [8 favorites]
- memorizing a favourite poem (or some words and phrases in the language of the country I'm going to)
- solving sudokos
- origami
- making friendship bracelets (that's the extent of my crafty abilities; knitting is sadly somewhat beyond me)
- drawing little sketches of fellow travellers
- writing - letters, journal entries, my memoirs (in my head), a little poem as a present for the host
I tend to have all these activities planned, but nowadays I rarely get round to half of them, because I usually just end up sleeping, daydreaming and looking out of the window a lot. Never went on a 20+ hours flight though.
posted by sohalt at 6:56 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
- solving sudokos
- origami
- making friendship bracelets (that's the extent of my crafty abilities; knitting is sadly somewhat beyond me)
- drawing little sketches of fellow travellers
- writing - letters, journal entries, my memoirs (in my head), a little poem as a present for the host
I tend to have all these activities planned, but nowadays I rarely get round to half of them, because I usually just end up sleeping, daydreaming and looking out of the window a lot. Never went on a 20+ hours flight though.
posted by sohalt at 6:56 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Study. Much time can be taken up by drilling the periodic table, German verbs, the immune system, or all the countries and their monarchs of Europe in 1601.
Embroidery. It's the smallest sized sewing project that doesn't take up too much space in your carry-on. You can hem and monogram a handkerchief to use when you have a terrible cold and your nose is too raw for paper tissue. Alternatively you can sew and then dress a small doll, say about four inches tall.
Crochet or naalbinding.
Puzzle books: I prefer logic puzzles
Training your visual memory: A miniature sketch book and some source images of something you cannot draw from memory such as a horse. Alternate drawing with a source image up, then without and see how much you can progress during the course of the flight.
A colouring program for your device, such as pixel art
Nostalgia journey: Methodically work through a time in your life that you enjoyed, recalling every concrete detail you can pull up. If you start with a place you lived go through it room by room recalling the furnishings and what was in the room, and what you did in each room. Consider such details as the quality of light and its sources at different times of day and the things you wore, the dishes you ate from, the different food, cleaning, the music you listened to, etc. This can be staggeringly immersive if you are methodical. Pair with a music play list from that era of your life.
One of those conversation starter books that ask questions, not to read through at speed, but answer each question in detail, making sure you take at lest two minutes for each question and give the why and the ramifications of your choice, and the reason why not for any choices discarded.
Isometric exercises. Wriggling almost imperceptibly is very good for your circulation. Do every part of your body from the head down. Start by wriggling your nose and ears, or trying to, then your jaw, clench, side to side and jut forward and pull back, then your neck every way can figure out how to, then shoulders, etc. Similar to progressive relaxation, but instead tensing and moving every part of you just enough that you can feel it.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:01 AM on March 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
Embroidery. It's the smallest sized sewing project that doesn't take up too much space in your carry-on. You can hem and monogram a handkerchief to use when you have a terrible cold and your nose is too raw for paper tissue. Alternatively you can sew and then dress a small doll, say about four inches tall.
Crochet or naalbinding.
Puzzle books: I prefer logic puzzles
Training your visual memory: A miniature sketch book and some source images of something you cannot draw from memory such as a horse. Alternate drawing with a source image up, then without and see how much you can progress during the course of the flight.
A colouring program for your device, such as pixel art
Nostalgia journey: Methodically work through a time in your life that you enjoyed, recalling every concrete detail you can pull up. If you start with a place you lived go through it room by room recalling the furnishings and what was in the room, and what you did in each room. Consider such details as the quality of light and its sources at different times of day and the things you wore, the dishes you ate from, the different food, cleaning, the music you listened to, etc. This can be staggeringly immersive if you are methodical. Pair with a music play list from that era of your life.
One of those conversation starter books that ask questions, not to read through at speed, but answer each question in detail, making sure you take at lest two minutes for each question and give the why and the ramifications of your choice, and the reason why not for any choices discarded.
Isometric exercises. Wriggling almost imperceptibly is very good for your circulation. Do every part of your body from the head down. Start by wriggling your nose and ears, or trying to, then your jaw, clench, side to side and jut forward and pull back, then your neck every way can figure out how to, then shoulders, etc. Similar to progressive relaxation, but instead tensing and moving every part of you just enough that you can feel it.
posted by Jane the Brown at 7:01 AM on March 26, 2022 [6 favorites]
The week ahead of a trip, I go to bed earlier and earlier each night, so that when our evening flight takes off I'm usually ready to fall asleep.
Just in case, I have 10 tough sudokus to try to solve. I always have a book that I either can or can't put down. Either way works.
posted by sevenstars at 7:01 AM on March 26, 2022
Just in case, I have 10 tough sudokus to try to solve. I always have a book that I either can or can't put down. Either way works.
posted by sevenstars at 7:01 AM on March 26, 2022
Crochet of varying types, I have a pair of little folding scissors and some big blunt darning needles and the hooks are even less likely to be side-eyed by TSA than knitting needles. Crochet is also easier to fix mistakes, I think, which one is prone to on lengthy flights.
Origami. I like to buy magazines in the airport shops full of bright colorful images. Sometimes it’s a magazine I read first, like one about food or National Geographic or a fun fashion or design magazine. Sometimes I don’t bother reading it. But then I go through and tear out the pages with the prettiest colors (quite often this is ads) and carefully fold and tear them into equal rectangles and then squares. Then I make modular origami with them. Sometimes I bring regular origami paper on flights, especially if I suspect the gentle tearing of paper might disturb the passengers. It’s nice and flat and easy to slip into a carryon pocket. I tend to leave my origami in spots around my destination airport or give them to kids I’m sitting nearby. If a flight attendant comments on it I give it to them on my way out. If you don’t like modular origami you can do regular folds and also mess around with experimental ideas. There are lots of fold diagrams and videos online you can download and refer to when your device is off network.
I like to color with colored pencils in coloring books intended for older kids. Stuff like elaborate dragons, fun nature scenes, historical events, etc. The trendy hyper detailed “adult” coloring books are bad for flights because they are too itty bitty and the paper is slick and is better for gel pens and similar so a plane friendly material like colored pencils doesn’t grip and it’s always a mess if there’s turbulence. But a regular coloring book has slightly textured paper and big areas to fill with designs and gradients. The subject matter is silly and the cost is low so it doesn’t matter if things go awry from a bumpy flight. Find a pencil sharpener that has a cup attached that holds the shavings.
I like podcasts more than music for flights because it’s easier for me to hear people talking than the nuances of music over plane noise. It’s a good time for something like an actual play podcast of a group doing an rpg, or a narrative mystery podcast.
The Nintendo Switch is outstanding for flights. I like to play tedious turn based games or very mellow tile placement games when flying because I easily zone out and neither genres penalize you for long pauses. I had a phase also where I played a ton of simple hidden object games, too. If you don’t have a switch there are a lot of good games for iPad and other tablets, too.
A friend of mine evidently practices knot tying on flights. He has a little handbook for them and a pocket full of paracord he uses to practice.
posted by Mizu at 7:04 AM on March 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
Origami. I like to buy magazines in the airport shops full of bright colorful images. Sometimes it’s a magazine I read first, like one about food or National Geographic or a fun fashion or design magazine. Sometimes I don’t bother reading it. But then I go through and tear out the pages with the prettiest colors (quite often this is ads) and carefully fold and tear them into equal rectangles and then squares. Then I make modular origami with them. Sometimes I bring regular origami paper on flights, especially if I suspect the gentle tearing of paper might disturb the passengers. It’s nice and flat and easy to slip into a carryon pocket. I tend to leave my origami in spots around my destination airport or give them to kids I’m sitting nearby. If a flight attendant comments on it I give it to them on my way out. If you don’t like modular origami you can do regular folds and also mess around with experimental ideas. There are lots of fold diagrams and videos online you can download and refer to when your device is off network.
I like to color with colored pencils in coloring books intended for older kids. Stuff like elaborate dragons, fun nature scenes, historical events, etc. The trendy hyper detailed “adult” coloring books are bad for flights because they are too itty bitty and the paper is slick and is better for gel pens and similar so a plane friendly material like colored pencils doesn’t grip and it’s always a mess if there’s turbulence. But a regular coloring book has slightly textured paper and big areas to fill with designs and gradients. The subject matter is silly and the cost is low so it doesn’t matter if things go awry from a bumpy flight. Find a pencil sharpener that has a cup attached that holds the shavings.
I like podcasts more than music for flights because it’s easier for me to hear people talking than the nuances of music over plane noise. It’s a good time for something like an actual play podcast of a group doing an rpg, or a narrative mystery podcast.
The Nintendo Switch is outstanding for flights. I like to play tedious turn based games or very mellow tile placement games when flying because I easily zone out and neither genres penalize you for long pauses. I had a phase also where I played a ton of simple hidden object games, too. If you don’t have a switch there are a lot of good games for iPad and other tablets, too.
A friend of mine evidently practices knot tying on flights. He has a little handbook for them and a pocket full of paracord he uses to practice.
posted by Mizu at 7:04 AM on March 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
Sort through all the photos on my phone and delete the lousy ones. If travelling with a computer organize my files.
posted by five_cents at 7:06 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
posted by five_cents at 7:06 AM on March 26, 2022 [7 favorites]
I have a portable phone charger in case charging is sketchy. In airplane mode, you'll use less power. A physical good book or 2, something engrossing. Music, podcasts, books, and video on my phone; Amazon lets you download content. Games; tetris and the like are great for killing stress and time. Amy project I can do on my laptop without Internet.
posted by theora55 at 7:12 AM on March 26, 2022
posted by theora55 at 7:12 AM on March 26, 2022
Shoulder-surf the bad movie someone in front of me is watching and try to understand it without audio. (Much better than watching a movie.)
posted by joeyh at 8:32 AM on March 26, 2022 [10 favorites]
posted by joeyh at 8:32 AM on March 26, 2022 [10 favorites]
I sleep like crap on planes so mainly read. 11 hour flight tomorrow and bought these for kids and I because I’ve hear they are super fun.
posted by purenitrous at 8:38 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by purenitrous at 8:38 AM on March 26, 2022 [1 favorite]
Bring your own movies on a tablet. See if there will be power at your seat and if not bring an external battery pack (or packs). I find watching old familiar movies preferable to playing roulette with the airline entertainment system.
Also, crosswords and logic puzzles.
Lastly spring for WiFi. How else will you keep up on Metafilter?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:53 AM on March 26, 2022
Also, crosswords and logic puzzles.
Lastly spring for WiFi. How else will you keep up on Metafilter?
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 9:53 AM on March 26, 2022
Bring your own movies on a tablet.
Yep, just a reminder that Netflix allows downloading of video content to watch offline and in the past I've downloaded chunks of a tv show or like a few movies in a row that I think will keep me interested. Big story-arc podcasts can also be good for this too. Make sure you plan a way to share headsets with your wife if you go this route.
posted by jessamyn at 9:59 AM on March 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
Yep, just a reminder that Netflix allows downloading of video content to watch offline and in the past I've downloaded chunks of a tv show or like a few movies in a row that I think will keep me interested. Big story-arc podcasts can also be good for this too. Make sure you plan a way to share headsets with your wife if you go this route.
posted by jessamyn at 9:59 AM on March 26, 2022 [4 favorites]
Self-massage and seat-stretching! For massage, neck, shoulders, forearms and hands (elbows can make you giggle!). For stretching, seated cat/cow, twists using your knee or armrest, arms overhead and leaning each way a bit to stretch sides and shoulders, slowly letting your hand drop down behind your head for tricep stretches, neck rolls, pointing/flexing feet, ankle rolls. (For 20 hours, wear compression socks and get up to use the bathroom as much as possible). Do calf raises and little plies in the bathroom/emergency door space; bend over and stretch your back and hamstrings. Bring good dance music to the bathroom on your headphones and shake it up while you wash your hands - if no one is waiting in line, jump five times! All of these things just make me feel better in my body, which makes a long flight less disorienting in the moment (and less damaging to the me who will wake up creaky the morning after).
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:36 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by rrrrrrrrrt at 10:36 AM on March 26, 2022 [2 favorites]
- Meditation
- Chair yoga
- Journaling
- Hand writing letters or cards to mail
posted by medusa at 10:45 AM on March 26, 2022
- Chair yoga
- Journaling
- Hand writing letters or cards to mail
posted by medusa at 10:45 AM on March 26, 2022
I used to do a ton of US-Europe (and occasionally US-Asia) flights for work. Personally, I usually just eat, watch a movie that doesn't require much thought, and otherwise try to sleep (and I try to sync my sleep time to destination timezone to make jetlag a bit less brutal). If it's a daytime flight (like most Europe-US flights), I mainly just watch movies - I'm sitting there anyway, so it's a great opportunity to catch up on them.
Also seconding a Switch if you're into gaming at all. I just bought one for some upcoming trips and it really is the perfect platform for travel.
posted by photo guy at 11:30 AM on March 26, 2022
Also seconding a Switch if you're into gaming at all. I just bought one for some upcoming trips and it really is the perfect platform for travel.
posted by photo guy at 11:30 AM on March 26, 2022
I have taken a lot of long flights in the past 10 years. Multiple 20+ hours flights and a ton of 10+ hour local flights. So much so I have an ingrained travel routine checklist memorized. I don't even have it written down as I've gone through so many flights.
I also really struggle to sleep sitting up so I don't tend to sleep much either on these 20+ hour flights. It's kinda brutal.
For me, the godsend was handheld video game consoles. I would not be able to survive these flights without them and I find them just incredibly engaging to pass the time and not be bored or looking at the flight plan every 10 minutes in a kind of eternal 'are we there yet?' between me and my mind. Handheld consoles saved me from that and make flights go from intolerable to almost ok. I can't recommend them enough, especially if you are gaming inclined.
In the past I'd take along the Nintendo 3DS. Now I take my Switch. Actually, I take both because the 3DS is smaller-- phone sized-- I can put it away quickly when someone next to me needs to get up, I don't have to charge it or plug it in every 3h, and it still has a bunch of really long and engaging games like Final Fantasy/Dragon's Quest/Zelda/Pokemon, that take hours to complete. (I mean, the Switch has versions of these games too, but in terms of gameplay-- the games on the 3DS are great still). Tbh, you only really need to take one handheld gaming console though. The less you take the better. I cannot stress this enough. I take both because I'm stupid and a gamer. If you only need it for the flights and can get a hold of it, I'd pick the 3DS (small size, not XL) if you can get one. It's obsolete and probably too hard to get though except on Ebay. So for that reason the next best thing is definitely the Switch Lite. It's easier to lug around. If you think you'll want to use it as an actual console for the family to game on when you're back, then get one of the dockable models.
I personally can't seem to read on the plane, I find it too distracting to concentrate, but video games occupy the perfect part of my mind, and I find them invaluable on long haul flights. I will shop for games specifically for flights and save them for then. (Or I used to). I have a little coin purse of cartridge games that goes in my bag so I can swap to something silly (like Cooking Mama) if my brain is beginning to get fried.
If investing on a 300 dollar console for a flight is too crazy for you, then you can actually download some great games for tablet or phone-- there is old style Final Fantasy available on Android and Apple that you can play offline. It's retro but again the gameplay is very engaging. There are others great retro games that work on tablets too, like Baldur's Gate or other titles by Beamdog. Castlevania, etc. I highly recommend this, though you may need to charge your device a LOT if you're going to game on it. A second device is ideal. Nthing the portable charger. Plane charging can be iffy sometimes.
Other things I do on the plane is watch movies. But I really enjoy watching movies that I don't have access to where I live. Lots of airlines will provide international shows/movies as part of their entertainment packages. They usually will commission translations specifically for their airline; these are usually movies I can't find anywhere else that haven't been released (except in the country I'm going to). I love watching these. I find it a cool way to immerse myself in the culture of the place I'm going, and a great way to find new content I would have otherwise never seen before.
In that vein, binging a really engaging series from start-to-finish is good too-- nowadays K-dramas/J-dramas and T/C-dramas are everywhere thanks to streaming, but they're great for long-haul flights. Perfect fluff entertainment that keeps you watching but you don't need to concentrate. It's worth downloading a series in case they don't have any content like that on the plane. The great thing about these dramas is that there is a genre to suit every taste-- thrillers, romance, historical fiction, etc, it's not all fluffy love stuff. But I find them ideal because they are usually more cliff-hanger-y and engaging than US stuff. I don't think I could watch the US version of Good Doctor on a plane, but the Korean original I would be all over. (They are both good, but they hit different).
Other good suggestions is to do a little self spa-session-- I got the idea from Lisa Eldridge on youtube. You could kick it up a notch with some meditation tapes or something or a self-help audio book or something which seems like a tranquil way to pass the time.
Off topic but I will add it anyway in case it helps someone. If you are not used to long haul flights then my last tips are make sure you have everything you need and some things you don't. A change of underwear, a change of socks, an eye mask, a couple of bandaids, chapstick, sanitizer, gum/mints (obv mints for Singapore). 24h in transit you can feel absolutely vile and gross at the end, and the plane is very drying, so I always bring some of those one-use flat sample sized creams with me and a small travel packet of micellar wipes. Towards the end of the flight, I use the micellar wipe in lieu of washing my face and a serum and I feel lighter and better. I also brush my teeth with either a portable/finger brush and mini paste, or I get a couple waterless ones like the crest scope-- usually one for each flight.
Also remember any pills you might need-- painkillers, a few cough drops (again plane is super drying and it can tickle the throat) anti-diarrhea medication, anti-nausea pills (I take ginger with me because motion sickness), antacids and/or heartburn medication... if you can't sleep easily it might be worth bringing melatonin or sleeping pills too. You don't need to take the whole pill box with you, for my carry-on I cut the blisterpacks into only what I need, although in Singapore can be funny about medication and have many medication restrictions, so *do* check before bringing any medications in, even prescription. Honestly, you wouldn't think you'd need all that stuff but the risk of something going wrong seems to go up on long-haul flights. I thought I didn't suffer from motion sickness at all until I spent one flight unable to eat for 20 hours because of it, and another time I had to spend 22 dollars on immodium between my connecting flights because I was unprepared for whatever food I ate on the last plane. Now I bring both and have averted disasters since.
Basically long haul flights are tolerable if you're prepared and I have learned this the hard way.
Enjoy your trip!
posted by Dimes at 11:33 AM on March 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
I also really struggle to sleep sitting up so I don't tend to sleep much either on these 20+ hour flights. It's kinda brutal.
For me, the godsend was handheld video game consoles. I would not be able to survive these flights without them and I find them just incredibly engaging to pass the time and not be bored or looking at the flight plan every 10 minutes in a kind of eternal 'are we there yet?' between me and my mind. Handheld consoles saved me from that and make flights go from intolerable to almost ok. I can't recommend them enough, especially if you are gaming inclined.
In the past I'd take along the Nintendo 3DS. Now I take my Switch. Actually, I take both because the 3DS is smaller-- phone sized-- I can put it away quickly when someone next to me needs to get up, I don't have to charge it or plug it in every 3h, and it still has a bunch of really long and engaging games like Final Fantasy/Dragon's Quest/Zelda/Pokemon, that take hours to complete. (I mean, the Switch has versions of these games too, but in terms of gameplay-- the games on the 3DS are great still). Tbh, you only really need to take one handheld gaming console though. The less you take the better. I cannot stress this enough. I take both because I'm stupid and a gamer. If you only need it for the flights and can get a hold of it, I'd pick the 3DS (small size, not XL) if you can get one. It's obsolete and probably too hard to get though except on Ebay. So for that reason the next best thing is definitely the Switch Lite. It's easier to lug around. If you think you'll want to use it as an actual console for the family to game on when you're back, then get one of the dockable models.
I personally can't seem to read on the plane, I find it too distracting to concentrate, but video games occupy the perfect part of my mind, and I find them invaluable on long haul flights. I will shop for games specifically for flights and save them for then. (Or I used to). I have a little coin purse of cartridge games that goes in my bag so I can swap to something silly (like Cooking Mama) if my brain is beginning to get fried.
If investing on a 300 dollar console for a flight is too crazy for you, then you can actually download some great games for tablet or phone-- there is old style Final Fantasy available on Android and Apple that you can play offline. It's retro but again the gameplay is very engaging. There are others great retro games that work on tablets too, like Baldur's Gate or other titles by Beamdog. Castlevania, etc. I highly recommend this, though you may need to charge your device a LOT if you're going to game on it. A second device is ideal. Nthing the portable charger. Plane charging can be iffy sometimes.
Other things I do on the plane is watch movies. But I really enjoy watching movies that I don't have access to where I live. Lots of airlines will provide international shows/movies as part of their entertainment packages. They usually will commission translations specifically for their airline; these are usually movies I can't find anywhere else that haven't been released (except in the country I'm going to). I love watching these. I find it a cool way to immerse myself in the culture of the place I'm going, and a great way to find new content I would have otherwise never seen before.
In that vein, binging a really engaging series from start-to-finish is good too-- nowadays K-dramas/J-dramas and T/C-dramas are everywhere thanks to streaming, but they're great for long-haul flights. Perfect fluff entertainment that keeps you watching but you don't need to concentrate. It's worth downloading a series in case they don't have any content like that on the plane. The great thing about these dramas is that there is a genre to suit every taste-- thrillers, romance, historical fiction, etc, it's not all fluffy love stuff. But I find them ideal because they are usually more cliff-hanger-y and engaging than US stuff. I don't think I could watch the US version of Good Doctor on a plane, but the Korean original I would be all over. (They are both good, but they hit different).
Other good suggestions is to do a little self spa-session-- I got the idea from Lisa Eldridge on youtube. You could kick it up a notch with some meditation tapes or something or a self-help audio book or something which seems like a tranquil way to pass the time.
Off topic but I will add it anyway in case it helps someone. If you are not used to long haul flights then my last tips are make sure you have everything you need and some things you don't. A change of underwear, a change of socks, an eye mask, a couple of bandaids, chapstick, sanitizer, gum/mints (obv mints for Singapore). 24h in transit you can feel absolutely vile and gross at the end, and the plane is very drying, so I always bring some of those one-use flat sample sized creams with me and a small travel packet of micellar wipes. Towards the end of the flight, I use the micellar wipe in lieu of washing my face and a serum and I feel lighter and better. I also brush my teeth with either a portable/finger brush and mini paste, or I get a couple waterless ones like the crest scope-- usually one for each flight.
Also remember any pills you might need-- painkillers, a few cough drops (again plane is super drying and it can tickle the throat) anti-diarrhea medication, anti-nausea pills (I take ginger with me because motion sickness), antacids and/or heartburn medication... if you can't sleep easily it might be worth bringing melatonin or sleeping pills too. You don't need to take the whole pill box with you, for my carry-on I cut the blisterpacks into only what I need, although in Singapore can be funny about medication and have many medication restrictions, so *do* check before bringing any medications in, even prescription. Honestly, you wouldn't think you'd need all that stuff but the risk of something going wrong seems to go up on long-haul flights. I thought I didn't suffer from motion sickness at all until I spent one flight unable to eat for 20 hours because of it, and another time I had to spend 22 dollars on immodium between my connecting flights because I was unprepared for whatever food I ate on the last plane. Now I bring both and have averted disasters since.
Basically long haul flights are tolerable if you're prepared and I have learned this the hard way.
Enjoy your trip!
posted by Dimes at 11:33 AM on March 26, 2022 [5 favorites]
If the idea of writing appeals to you, perhaps you could set yourself a goal of completing a portfolio of poems/essays/short stories/family history/letter to your future great-grandchildren. Something long enough to take development, execution, editing and rewriting, but not a novel.
The novelist Harlan Coben famously takes long Uber rides to nowhere so he can write while riding. Clearly this is a lot of Uber rides! Perhaps you can develop a habit of writing while flying.
posted by citygirl at 12:22 PM on March 26, 2022
The novelist Harlan Coben famously takes long Uber rides to nowhere so he can write while riding. Clearly this is a lot of Uber rides! Perhaps you can develop a habit of writing while flying.
posted by citygirl at 12:22 PM on March 26, 2022
I'm a guitar player. i do a lot of visualuzation and rhythm exercises. also left hand exercises (the neck hand).
I'm wondering if you have a hobby, or sport, or creative activity that would benefit from visualuzation or exercises?
posted by j_curiouser at 6:10 PM on March 26, 2022
I'm wondering if you have a hobby, or sport, or creative activity that would benefit from visualuzation or exercises?
posted by j_curiouser at 6:10 PM on March 26, 2022
I've been doing a lot of cryptic crosswords lately and I find that having a long stretch of time to mull over the clues works wonders for solving them. I feel like a long haul flight would be perfect for intermittently working your way through one if you're a fan.
posted by doomsyrup at 7:11 PM on March 26, 2022
posted by doomsyrup at 7:11 PM on March 26, 2022
Journal. Due to the sense of perspective that we get from travelling, I tend to journal a LOT when I travel. I write by hand but at home I actually use a word doc and save tons of pics from pinterest and tumblr, selecting one per entry. Note: a journal doesn't need to only be filled out once a day nor does it need to be filled out every day. It also doesn't need to be day specific. My entries are issue-specific and I write many in a day. Here and here are general bullet journalling videos.
Plan. I also like to plan my goals for the upcoming month, along with subgoals and schedule it into a calendar. This tends to take time. This is an example of what I do.
Collage. If you're in a 2-person seating arrangement, you could collage or make a vision board. If you're around another passenger you don't know then maybe avoid it. The sound of tearing paper is cringe inducing.
Learn to code. It could also be an opportunity to learn how to code offine. Maybe learn HTML & CSS. I used this website over a decade ago and I was able to download all of the tutorials in a zip file to use offline. They look to have revamped their own website so not sure if it's still available or if there is now a paywall.
Learn a language. Get an exercise book and save the videos. If you want to make it more interesting, learn a language with a different looking alphabet. I studied Arabic a few decades ago and I enjoyed learning how to write the letters.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 3:16 AM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
Plan. I also like to plan my goals for the upcoming month, along with subgoals and schedule it into a calendar. This tends to take time. This is an example of what I do.
Collage. If you're in a 2-person seating arrangement, you could collage or make a vision board. If you're around another passenger you don't know then maybe avoid it. The sound of tearing paper is cringe inducing.
Learn to code. It could also be an opportunity to learn how to code offine. Maybe learn HTML & CSS. I used this website over a decade ago and I was able to download all of the tutorials in a zip file to use offline. They look to have revamped their own website so not sure if it's still available or if there is now a paywall.
Learn a language. Get an exercise book and save the videos. If you want to make it more interesting, learn a language with a different looking alphabet. I studied Arabic a few decades ago and I enjoyed learning how to write the letters.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 3:16 AM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
I binge-watch TV series that I've been meaning to get to. I also sleep. Sometimes sudoku, as people have mentioned. I've edited a friend's book on a flight but I've never written one. DM me if you need tips for sleeping on a plane. I am generally a very light sleeper, but I've got sleeping on long flights down to a science.
posted by rednikki at 12:04 PM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by rednikki at 12:04 PM on March 27, 2022 [1 favorite]
If you are looking for something to do together, download some tablet/phone versions of board games that have an offline "pass and play" mode. It lets you interact, but doesn't require bringing additional stuff. If you get a game or two you've never played before, you can learn it together and play it a few times to improve your strategy.
posted by DebetEsse at 1:53 PM on March 27, 2022
posted by DebetEsse at 1:53 PM on March 27, 2022
There's a time and place for everything, and for this, the answer is Ambien.
posted by dum spiro spero at 2:22 PM on March 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by dum spiro spero at 2:22 PM on March 27, 2022 [2 favorites]
I always take a book of logic puzzles and a pen. In the days before all my language learning required an internet connection, I used to take kanji or vocabulary flashcards too. Most often I just end up reading or watching something on the inflight entertainment system (or sleeping), though. I find long flights are a good opportunity to watch films I missed at the cinema, especially animated films (unlikely to have been cut for onboard presentation), or subtitled films I've never heard of.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:25 AM on March 28, 2022
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 2:25 AM on March 28, 2022
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posted by Yellow at 4:50 AM on March 26, 2022 [4 favorites]