I'm figuring on a 20 hour plane ride, give or take. I've never been on a plane before and I'm at a loss for what to do for 40 hours (round trip) to kill time. I know some of that will be spent sleeping... but not all of it.
Depends on what you normally do in your free time. A lot of people bring their games/laptop on the plane and use them there, which is getting more convenient now with plane WiFi. You can use in-flight entertainment on that tiny screen if that's your thing. Personally during my 13 hours flights from UK back to Vietnam, I normally bring my electronics and a book with me. Time on the plane is still free time after all, and I don't have a lot to waste them doing nothing.
I bring my tablet, not as heavy to carry and I can play games or read my ebooks. I love to sleep on the plane, which makes those long hours slip by quicker. Bring a snack, even if you get served dinner, lunch or breakfast (depending on the time you are flying).
These days, most long flights have complimentary movies you can watch. You can even play games on some of them. However, 20 hours is long, so don't forget to get up and stretch your legs. You need it for your circulation.
Thanks for the replies. I didn't realize you could use your laptops and whatnot while flying. Since that's the case I will most likely bring my Kindle along and load it up with a few new books.
Ooh I've been there be sure to pack a lot of music, books and sleeping aids. I usually being a pocketbook, my cellphone with multiple Spotify playlists and my laptop stuffed with movies I've been looking forward to seeing in the theater. Be sure to book nice seats in the plane, a small pillow and blanket if you get cold and some snacks to get you through the flight.
I was just gifted with a belated Christmas present -- a family member's old iPad2 when he was gifted with the newest model -- so I think I will go ahead and spend some money in the iTunes store stocking up. Movies, music, and maybe some books. Thanks for all of the ideas!
You can usually opt to listen to music instead of watching a movie on a flight. I don't personally pull out my own devices. It's not really worth it for the time period. I don't sit still long enough for all that.
I've been on those horrible long haul flights before, and often ones with lame connections (like having to wait 9-10 hours for my connecting flight!) Some tips I would offer for you are... Sleep...as much as you can. I haven't found anything that make the time pass faster than sleeping, but I am also one of those people that finds it hard to sleep on planes. Books. Lots of them. These days with kindles and being able to load up books electronically, we're spoiled for choice! I usually have a number of books loaded on, in a number of different genres -- you can even get travel books so you can read up about your destination! Puzzles/crosswords - something for the brain! Snacks - eating passes time!! Music - if you have something to listen to that can also be fun...and not just music, but podcasts are great too for something different! Watching inflight movies or even bringing your own device (iPad for instance) with other movies loaded on. Sometimes I've even managed to pass time by chatting to the person next to me, but I would be careful with that - not everyone wants a chatterbox next to them on a flight!!
During a 20 he plane ride there's a lot of things to do in a plane. When I use to fly 16 hrs from United States to Philippines I use to like to read a good book, after that I like to go on my laptop and finish up work I need to do. Watch a movie and of course what I do most on long plane rides is sleep. Sleep is probably the most important because during travels ok won't be getting much of it.
I'm planning on bringing my tablet as it's pretty much an all-in-one -- eBooks, games, music, movies, etc. I'll probably read more than anything. I have a long list of books I've been wanting to get into.
Thanks for those tips, Amelia! I love doing crosswords and puzzles but hadn't considered them before your suggestion. We have a dollar store with a generous collections of $1 puzzle books so I'll make sure to rack up before the flight!
Those are my favorites! Cheap but they will keep you occupied -- and then if you have to ditch it later on to make space in your carry on bag then you don't feel bad, since it was only a dollar!