Tips for Long Flights: 7 Ways to Pass the Time

Remember to prepare before you go, whether that means loading your e-reader, tablet, or laptop, or packing guidebooks to review in flight. Make the most of your time at 30,000 feet with these helpful tips for long flights.

Challenge Yourself with Puzzles and Games

Brainteasers like Sudoku and crossword puzzles are a long-haul flyer's best friend, and they come in levels from easy to extremely difficult. When you become engrossed in solving puzzles, not only do you enjoy a sense of satisfaction with each solve, but you find that time tends to evaporate. You can tackle brainteasers via apps, online, or in books filled with pages of puzzles in airport bookstores.

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Tap into Your Creativity

Whether it's writing that novel, short story, screenplay, or song you've been meaning to jot down, or sketching your dream home, travel has a way of stimulating the imagination. Take a laptop, tablet, or pen and paper, and let your creative side roam free. Before you know it, you may have finished composing three chapters of your novel — not to mention you’ve arrived at your destination.

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Dive Deep into Your Destination

Pack your guidebooks and maps in your carry-on luggage so you can bone up on your destination before you get there. You won't have any wasted time if you dedicate your in-flight hours to getting better prepared for your trip. You can also hone your conversational and comprehension skills with audio language courses like Berlitz and Pimsleur. On the flight back, you can use the time in flight to edit your photos of the trip.

Meditate

Noise-canceling headphones can help create the peaceful environment you need to clear your mind with meditation apps like Trixie and Oak. These apps often include mindfulness and breathing exercises, which can come in handy if you have anxiety about flying.

Catch up on Movies, TV Shows, and Books

There's no better time to catch up on all those TV episodes and movies you missed than when you're flying. Long flights tend to lend themselves to binge watching without the guilt. You can finally fill in the gaps on the characters and plot lines your friends have been talking about and pass the time entertained. Or load up your e-reader with all the books you've been meaning to delve into and deplane feeling a little more enriched.

Do In-seat Exercises

You might be surprised at the workouts you can get while sitting in your airplane seat. In-flight workouts are also a good idea because it's important to increase your circulation to prevent blood clots that could occur during long flights. Getting up and moving around the cabin can be helpful with circulation and with breaking up the flight time. Check out Qantas Airlines' tips for stretching and working your muscles during long flights.

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Get Organized

Long flights provide an excellent opportunity to focus and pay bills, work, catch up on emails, or do expense reports. It's a satisfying feeling to arrive at your destination knowing that no overlooked tasks will distract you from your explorations. Also, think about giving your correspondence a personal touch by spending part of the flight home writing postcards from your trip.

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