How do you make long plane flights go by faster?

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diplocase

I often travel in Africa, and the distances are enormous. Here are some ideas that have helped me get through long flights. Sleep is the key: if you can sleep, you've probably halved the time you have to entertain yourself.
--think out the timing of your on-board sleep to help turn your sleep rhythms around. On a sheet of paper, work backwards from the local arrival time at your final destination to the time there when you arrive at the airport. Try to eat and sleep at appropriate times for your destination, to the degree possible.
--Always have a big bottle of water in your bag. They never bring enough water, and mild dehydration will have a lot of negative effects, including restlessness.
--I bring healthy snacks like unsalted almonds and walnuts; fresh fruit; cheerios; low fat pudding cups. No reason to get to your destination feeling guilty about what you ate.
--don't eat a lot of meat. Harder to digest, keeps you from settling to sleep. Carbs are a better choice. No coffee or Coke, obviously. I usually have tomato juice, which is actual food and contains little sugar.
--your own eye shade and ear-plugs, that you know are comfortable for you. Brookstone has a nice eyshade that's built up a bit around the orbits of your eyes so the shade doesn't touch your eyelashes or eyelid. The best way to make sure you actually get a little sleep is to block out light and unfamiliar noises. Make sure to tell the attendant not to wake you for a meal, and to loosely attach your seat belt so they don't wake you during turbulence to put it on.
--Unless you have long legs, try to get a window seat. You can wedge a pillow between your head and the bulkhead and sleep easier. And when it comes to sleep, 'tis better to disturb than to be disturbed.
--save for the flight a book you've been itching to read. no cheating by starting it in the airport lounge.
--if you have an iPod, download an ebook. I often fall asleep listening to one.
--carrying a computer? buy an adapter/charger like Juice, and get charged up from the plug at your seat so you're good to go at the other end of your flight. catch up on your journal. Write the long email to your Mom you've been meaning to do. Try writing a short story based on what you can observe about someone sitting near you, or a flight attendant.
--if you meditate, put on your eyeshades and earplugs and zone out for a bit.
--get up and walk around a bit. hang out with the flight attendants and ask them what's the hardest thing about working with the public, most fun they've ever had in an aircraft, etc. Strike up a conversation with someone waiting for the head. You can meet some amazing people on a plane. You might learn about water provision for refugees, or oil rig work, or what it's like to raise twins. Work it into your short story.
--bring a grown-up coloring book, like Dover's Celtic Designs, and some crayons or colored pencils.
--find a bored kid, ask the adult if it's ok, and play some games. Name animals that begin with "G". Make one of those fortune-telling doo-dads you used to make in grade school and tell each other's fortune. make a paper puppet, mount it on a plastic fork, and have a play. Play hangman and tic-tac-toe. You get extra Brownie points for this one from the frazzled parents.
--Learn a few greetings and pleasantries in the language of your destination country, or practice the language if you already know it by finding someone on board who speaks it and getting into a conversation.
Bon Voyage!

knifelvr

Listen to music, watch the movies, walk up and down the cabin when it's not crowded, sing till everyone tells you to shut up...

melissa

I read

homemadehorror

fall asleep

tech_fanatic

For kids, I would pack a little backup of things. Little toys, coloring books, crayons, colored, pencils, etc. Take some activity books, video games, comic books, magazines.

You can also run a search online. There are lots of sites that have games that you can take on plane trips, most of these are free. Also search Amazon or a local store for books with activities for the plane trip. You could also buy a cheap camera or some disposable cameras and let him take pictures of whatever he wants. This way he can document the trip as he goes and will always remember it.

A DVD player and videos would be great for the whole family, depending on how the seating is set up. I always take my laptop with me, it doesn't way anymore than a portable DVD player and the screen is larger. Then I can play computer games if I want, write a story, plan my vacation, start a journal for the trip, all kinds of things. Then your child could use it as well. Music is also good to take a long, books, magazines, portable electronic games like scrabble.

I also think the plane ride is a good time to get to know your destination a little better. Take some travel books along with you (you could borrow from the library if you don't want to buy them). Look them over, try and find things you want to do, where you are going to eat, learn more about the places you plan to go, etc.

Bring along the camcorder and camera to document the trip so you will always remember it. This way you can make movies and/or a scrapbook of your vacation.

There are also games you can play. One example would be the alphabet game. Where you have to name an item for each letter in the alphabet. Then you all play. First person says apple, second person says apple, beach ball, third person says apple, beach ball, camera. Then it goes on and on until you don't remember everything. You are out once you skip something or can't remember, then the last person wins.

Take some foods and things to help pass the time, it's always fun to eat.

This is just a few ideas. There are lots of things to do, but this could get you started. I hope this helps

Have a great trip!

Miss Soprano

Well, you can always tell the piolet that you really escaped from a jail. and, be sure to tell the piolet that you were a former terrorist.
That will make him speed up!

Biggie Rhymez

Keep a laptop with you always, and you can always have fun by making the hostesses attend to each of you whims and fancies
Have fun

Einstein

Ipod..books...magazines...talking...slee... pills....eating....looking out the window...sleeping pills....getting up....making friends...writing...sleeping pills....have a good flight

woopigstacy

magazines...lots of magazines or good books. Also, I try to bring my laptop and watch a movie or two.

Adam

Sleep
Make a new friend
Bring books

diana20452002

I always try to sleep. Also, you can go to Walmart and buy a portable DVD player for around $150 with a good battery and watch movies in your seat.

dpacman

Either sleep, or bring a DVD player with a lot of batteries or an adapter...

cSnake

Take some sleep pills (You can buy them at walmart over the comter), and fall asleep..
Trust me it workss

sunkissedlove<3

i fall asleep

sosunny

Sleeping, reading a book, making crosswords puzzles, talking to your neighbour, watching movies, listening to music on my mp3-player, playing with a Game Boy...When you did all this, you should have arrived.

joey322

i put the tray table down and rest my arms and head on it and SLEEP!!! just like i used to do in school.

i read on flights, too. novels and tabloid mags, ya know, People, US weekly, etc.

georgiany511

I went to the Dr. and got a prescription for valium for my 9 hr flight and I slept pretty much the entire flight. I took 2 going and 2 coming. I did manage to be awake for the yummy food they served. Otherwise you can make friends with your fellow passengers and listen to them babble the entire time. Happy Travels

birdy

suduku puzzles!